Brian Dygert, the man behind WestWorld of Scottsdale, will be inducted into the League of Agricultural and Equine Centers Hall of Fame Jan. 18 in Austin, Texas.
Dygert has been a recognized leader in the equine management industry for nearly three decades and will celebrate his 15th anniversary with the city later this year.
Fittingly, Dygert’s journey to becoming an industry Hall of Famer started on a farm in Western New York. As the son of an equine veterinarian and the grandson of a standardbred horse trainer, he was born into the lifestyle of caring for and learning from horses.
Under his leadership as general manager, WestWorld has grown into a world-class, full-service events facility, which annually welcomes nearly a million visitors, across all seasons.
WestWorld serves as the venue for roughly 40 equestrian events each year, in addition to dozens of conventions, trade shows, concerts and other large-scale gatherings, including the Scottsdale Arabian Horse Show, the Arizona Quarter Horse Sun Circuit and the Barrett-Jackson Collector Car Auction.
“There is no one in the city more deserving of this honor than Brian Dygert,” City Manager Jim Thompson said.
“He has done much to advance the Western spirit in Scottsdale and make the city a destination for people from around the world. His work ethic, experience and values have made an indelible mark not only on the city, but also on the equestrian community nationwide. People who love horses, know that Scottsdale shares in, and respects, that passion, and we have Brian to thank for growing that legacy to what it is today.”
Among other career highlights, Dygert rode in an exhibition in the 1996 Olympics and served as the chair of the organizing team that introduced Reining as a discipline in the 2002 World Equestrian Games in Jerez de la Frontera, Spain.
Before coming to Scottsdale, he was widely recognized for his work with the Bob Martin Eastern Agricultural Center in Williamston, North Carolina. Dygert is the co-founder of the League of Agricultural and Equine Centers and served on its Board of Directors for 14 years.
He will be inducted into the LAEC Hall of Fame during a ceremony before his peers Jan. 18 at the league’s 2022 Annual Symposium in Austin, Texas.
“I am very humbled and extremely proud to be recognized in this way,” Brian said.
“I have always approached everything I’ve done as leaving it better than I found it. My parents instilled this in me, and I am so grateful for them and my family. The league induction means to me that I worked hard to leave an industry better than I arrived and for this I am grateful, very proud and happy to know my work will carry on for some time for others to enjoy.”
