Reno Rodeo Foundation and Rodeo License Plate Helps Local Vet
By Guy Clifton
Dr. Cassie Ho is a veterinarian steadily building a practice in Northern Nevada and earning a reputation as a specialist for rabbits.
Eleven years ago, she was a Douglas High School student with a vision of going to vet school. That vision was fulfilled thanks in part to the Reno Rodeo Foundation. The charitable arm of the Reno Rodeo, the Foundation, from its beginning in 1986, has existed to provide college scholarships to primarily rural Nevada students.
“I was one of the recipients in 2005,” Ho recalled. “I received a four-year scholarship and I got the money to go to the University of Nevada, Reno. I can’t tell you how much it helped me to receive that scholarship.”
After earning her undergraduate degree in Animal Science at UNR, Ho was accepted to veterinarian school at Washington State University in Pullman, Wash., and, again, the Reno Rodeo Foundation came to her aid, providing a post-graduate scholarship to help her pay for vet school.
“It was a huge honor just to be a recipient, and the financial help was just amazing,” she said. “That support was something that stuck with me. Now, I enjoy being a part of Reno Rodeo.”
Ho had attended Reno Rodeo as a youngster and has since introduced her husband, Ben, to the event and they enjoy going every year.
After graduating from vet school in 2013, Ho moved back to Reno and has been practicing at Kings Row Pet Hospital ever since.
“I do small animal care, dogs and cats, primarily and I have a special interest in rabbits,” she said. “I’ve been doing rabbits for a year and half now. Slowly but surely, my rabbit practice has been growing, and my bosses are excited for me to have my little niche.”
When they’re not working, Cassie and Ben enjoy exploring Nevada’s great outdoors with their Labradors, Molly and Josey. They also have two cats, Ares and Phoebe, at home to keep them company.
Since 1985, the Reno Rodeo Foundation has provided scholarships totaling more than $1 million to hundreds of rural Nevada high school graduates.
License Plate Program Also Benefits High School Rodeo
The Nevada State High School Rodeo Association is proud to share the benefits of the Rodeo License Plate program! Every day, we see rodeo license plates on the road, but does anyone know what they do for our community?
Anyone who purchases a plate is not only supporting the Reno Rodeo Foundation but also the Nevada State High School Rodeo Association (NSHSRA). Without this program, the NSHSRA would not have the support it needs to put on a great State Finals Rodeo. The money allocated from these plates is equally distributed to support programs of the Reno Rodeo Foundation and Nevada High School Rodeo Association.
