Discussions with stock show/state fair managers, ranchers, and show managers further encourage AQHA’s Executive Committee to bring together focus groups to discuss suggestions relative to shows.

Mike Major ropes his cow under the judges' eyes during the ranch remuda contest at Battle in the Saddle in Oklahoma City in July 2010.

The past couple of weeks have been busy with several meetings taking place. In addition to the AQHA Executive Committee, the past presidents, the American Quarter Horse Foundation Council, AQHA Investment Oversight Committee and the AQHA Hall of Fame Selection Committee all met. Among the items the Executive Committee reviewed and discussed was criteria for racing at the Jockey Club de Sorocaba in Brazil, the AQHA World Show financial statements along with regular business items related to registration and show issues that require the committee’s action.

The Executive Committee also met with stock show managers. Discussion focused on the changing demographics of the stock show/state fair audience, which is typical of the changing demographics of the horse industry enthusiasts. In previous years, spectators at stock shows and rodeos were “in tune” with agriculture-related events and had a knowledge of livestock events. Today’s audience strictly wants entertainment.

Many different scenarios and suggestions were discussed to attract more spectators and exhibitors. These discussions, coupled with a show managers’ summit held in June, have further encouraged the Executive Committee to move forward with bringing together focus groups to discuss a wide range of suggestions relative to AQHA shows. Read the rest of this entry »

A newcomer to the horse showing scene seeks hat fashion advice.

Question:

My husband bought me a beautiful sparking hat band for my western show hat. It is narrow and just adds a hint of sparkle to my hat. He had it sewn in for me as well, as a surpise. Is the hat band allowed in my AQHA show classes? Right now, I am doing small shows. Please let me know.

Thank you so much,

Lori Lowery

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Stay safe by keeping your tack in good condition.

Tack maker Dennis Moreland says riders should check their tack every time they ride.

By Dennis Moreland

Editor’s Note: Accidents can happen around horses no matter how careful you are, but being careful is the first step toward preventing disaster, and that includes making sure your tack is in good repair. A few minutes checking your equipment before you ride is an investment in safety. Tack maker Dennis Moreland, who writes articles for America’s Horse magazine and has appeared in AQHA’s “Tack Talk” DVD, offers some tips to keep in mind:

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Western pleasure and horsemanship wrap up the 2010 Region Five Championship in Lexington, Virginia.

Vested In The Stars, aka "Roscoe," was a project a long time in the making for Kristy Drew-Pruitt of Providence Forge, Virginia.

By Larri Jo Starkey

As western pleasure and horsemanship classes worked in the ring, Kristy Drew-Pruitt of Providence Forge, Virginia, sat in the shade on Vested In The Stars.

It had been a long weekend for Kristy and “Roscoe,” starting Thursday when they took part in all the clinics, including one on hunt seat equitation from Andrea Simons.

Kristy and Roscoe are a team with some history.

It started with Roscoe’s dam, Wish To The Stars, whom Kristy bought as a yearling and showed for 10 years.  Six years ago, Wish To The Stars’ second foal, Roscoe, became Kristy’s newest hope for an all-around horse.

Kristy has done 90 percent of Roscoe’s training herself, and he recently earned his Register of Merit.

“Now we’re qualified for performance halter, and that was a milestone for us,” Kristy says. “Next we’re going to tick off more ROMs.”

They don’t have any points yet in hunt seat equitation, but that might change soon. During the Region Five Championship, Kristy and Roscoe claimed a Montana Silversmiths belt buckle for the win in novice equitation.

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Cattle and clinics make a western day at the Region One Championship in Langley, British Columbia.

Marty Ross of Abbottsford, British Columbia, cuts a calf on Billies Shorty during the Region One Championship in Langley, British Columbia.

By Randee Fox

I caught a morning ride to the cutting events on a smoky mule (the gas-powered kind) with Haidee Landry, the overall organizer or as some call her,  “Mother Teresa” of the Region One Championship.  The cutting arena and cow pens were set up at the back of the 85-acre property.  As we drove, Haidee told me about the hurdles that needed to be jumped to make the park cow horse-friendly.

“This is an English show park, typically used for cross-country, hunter jumper and dressage events,” Haidee says. “So transforming this park, bringing in cattle panels and changing the footing of the arenas into a suitable place for cutting, reining, and working cow horse took a lot of focused energy, planning and working together for the us and the owners of the park. I’m grateful to the Tidball family who owns the park. They have gone through every step necessary to make the park cattle-friendly.”

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Reining, team penning, sorting and English events highlight the third day of the 2010 Region Five Championship in Lexington, Virginia.

Brandy Orsini sits on The Last Captive, aka "Bart," while he naps in the shade.

By Larri Jo Starkey

You might know the name of The Last Captive. He’s an AQHA leading sire whose foals have earned more than $100,000.

What you might not know is that The Last Captive, aka “Bart,” will sire no more foals.

“He had hernia surgery in February 2005,” explains Stephanie Jennings of Berryville, Virginia, one of Bart’s owners. In October, he had a second hernia surgery and was gelded as a result.

“They told us it was a 1,000-1 chance of it happening a second time,” adds Cathy Jennings, another owner.

But it did. Sire career over, Bart needed a new job. As a former AQHA world champion in hunter under saddle, Bart went back to the show ring and added hunt seat equitation to his resume.

But what he probably didn’t expect was that he’d be competing with himself. During the 2010 Region Five Championship in Lexington, Virginia, two of his offspring have already won buckles for their exhibitors. It’s up to Bart to measure up now.

In the Virginia humidity, though, Bart was more interested in snoozing in the shade than proving himself.

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It’s all grit, no quit as the Region One Championship continues in Langley, British Columbia, eh?

AQHA Professional Horseman Mario Boisjoli of Gig Harbor, Washington, watches the reining warm-ups as part of his duties as an AQHA steward.

By Randee Fox

I took the scenic back roads from my hotel to the show park today accompanied by B.C.’s breathtaking coastal range and scenic farms. It was a clear and perfect day in the low 80s with a light breeze. The spectators wore hats and were gathered under trees as they cheered on the contestants, much different from Thursday’s low 60s. The mood was festive and friendly.

An official-looking fellow was watching the reining warm-up ring in a blue AQHA shirt. It was Mario Boisjoli, an AQHA Professional Horseman and steward from Gig Harbor, Washington.

Stewards go to shows to emphasize the welfare of the horses in the warm-up ring and randomly check the stabling area. He had with him a list of rules what riders cannot do, such as excessive turning or fencing, excessive spurring or jerking on the reins. I asked him how detailed he can get.

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A family travels a long way to see the Region Five Championship in Lexington, Virginia.

AQHA First Vice President Peter J. Cofrancesco III of Sparta, New Jersey, welcomes Shawna Hett and her daughter Tessa, 11, to the Region Five Championship in Lexington, Virginia.

By Larri Jo Starkey

Not too long ago, Shawna Hett and her daughter, Tessa, left their home in Vancouver Island, British Columbia, to see Shawna’s older daughter at Southern Virginia University in Buena Vista, Virginia.

Shawna was an amateur exhibitor, qualifying for the AQHA World Championship Show in hunter hack, and when she found out that the Region Five Championship was in Lexington, Virginia, she had to drop in to see what was going on.

While hanging on the rail in the humid Virginia sunshine watching trail, Shawna and Tessa bumped into Peter J. Cofrancesco III and they struck up a conversation.

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The 2010 Built Ford Tough AQHYA World Championship Show is right around the corner. Check out all the exciting facts before you head to Oklahoma City.

In a three-way tie during the reining finals at the 2009 Ford Youth World, Emily Winegar and Red Berry Wine triumphed as the reining world champions in a fierce run-off.

The 2010 Built Ford Tough AQHYA World Championship Show comes to the Oklahoma State Fair Park July 30-August 7, 2010. The best cowgirls and cowboys 18 and under will vie for dozens of coveted world championships, plus they’ll have a great time in the process.

We’ve organized some details to help you enjoy the Built Ford Tough Youth World to the fullest!

The Breakdown

• Number of Entries: 2,402
• Read the rest of this entry »

Cool weather and mooseburgers highlight the first championship in Canada.

By Randee Fox

Valerie Baxter grills up smiles and mooseburgers during the evening social at the Region One Championship in Langley, British, Columbia.

Region One (Alaska, British Columbia, Idaho, Oregon and Washington state) wins the record of having the coldest place on earth for its regional championships.  At 1 p.m. Thursday at Thunderbird Show Park in Langley, British Columbia, it was a breezy 62 degrees. Though most of the spectators were bundled up, the riders sure seemed comfortable in their long sleeved and double-layered jeans with chaps.

What a gorgeous environment. This magnificent 85-acre equestrian show park has been a part of the British Columbia equestrian landscape for 37 years. I counted 10  outdoor arenas and three huge indoor arenas as well as a giant longeing arena, all with the backdrop of rolling hills, meticulous blueberry farms and the lush green of British Columbia.

Canada’s first regional championship took two years to plan. Gayle Pawley-Wilson, a director for British Columbia Quarter Horse Association and AQHA as well as secretary for Canada Quarter Horse Association, was proud today.

“This is a progressive gathering. All five affiliates have been working collaboratively and united to increase the awareness of the American Quarter Horse here in Region One.”

It was contagious. The mood was light-hearted and collaborative, not competitive.  Read the rest of this entry »

“Rabicano” is a little-known term for a fairly common white marking in horses.

The 1953 stallion Go Man Go, registered as a roan, was a sorrel with rabicano markings.

By Andrea Caudill

Commonly called “ticking,” “coon tail” or “skunk tail,” and appearing as white flecking, rabicano (rah-bih-KAH-no) is commonly mistaken for a roan coloration, but it is a marking caused by a different gene.

Rabicano is a specific set of white markings that usually affect the base of the tail, flank and belly of a horse. In its most minimal form, it will show only white frosting at the base of the tail, often called a coon or skunk tail because of the striped appearance. A medium expression will have the white tail base, plus white hairs interspersed over the horse’s flanks, creating a roan appearance.

In its most extreme manifestation, a rabicano can appear almost like a true roan. It will carry the coon tail and have roaning on the body, concentrated on the flanks and under the elbows, and also have vertical strips of white on the barrel called rib barring.

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Clinics in western pleasure, trail, halter, showmanship, horsemanship and equitation start off the 2010 Region Five Championship in Lexington, Virginia.

By Larri Jo Starkey

Becky Meadows saddles up for the clinic on western pleasure during the 2010 Region Five Championship in Lexington, Virginia.

The 2010 Region Five Championships started with a full day of clinics before the competition kicks into full swing.

Participants at the free clinics picked up tips like these:

In trail: Putting a treat on the edge of a bridge will inspire your horse to look for a treat there every time, helping encourage him to look at the bridge before he steps on it in a class. — Clinician Laurie Hoopes

In western pleasure: A horse that speeds up should be rewarded every time he lopes correctly so that he will learn to Read the rest of this entry »