APHA earns awards, sits among top of industry

FORT WORTH, Texas—The American Paint Horse Association (APHA) and the Paint Horse Journal, were recently honored for their marketing tactics, service to members, editorial content and magazine design through several different industry award organizations.

Staff writers and graphic designers for the Paint Horse Journal, along with staff from the Public Relations & Marketing department, garnered a total of 22 awards through three different associations—the Western & English Trade Association’s (WETA) “All Industry Marketing” (AIM) competition, American Horse Publications (AHP) awards and the APEX Awards for Publication Excellence.

The first awards presented to the talented team at APHA were the AIM awards from WETA. While attending an annual conference hosted by the organization, marketing staffers Amy Stapleton and Laura Jesberg brought home five honors. Competing against large advertising firms and companies such as Farnam Companies, Inc., Pfizer Animal Health, Wrangler and more, APHA proved their status among the top in the industry.

Following in their path, Paint Horse Journal Managing Editor Jessica Smith and Staff Writer/Photographer Abigail Wilder attended the annual AHP awards presentation and conference. Competing against 1,092 entries from well-known equine magazine such as the Quarter Horse Journal, Western Horseman, Barrel Horse News and others, the staff again proved to be at the top of the industry as they earned the second-highest number of awards out of any publication represented. The Paint Horse Journal won 12 awards—three 1^st places, three 2^nd places, six honorable mentions—and the quarterly member-based publication, APHA Connection, earned an honorable mention. The awards ranged in category from photography, to editorial content, to design, to service to the reader, and more.

On the heels of a successful trip to the AHP conference, APHA received their APEX awards, rising to the top against 4,479 entries in the annual competition for writers, editors, publications staff and business and nonprofit communicators, APHA won four awards—one Grand Award and three Award Of Excellence’s. Again, the marketing staff and Paint Horse Journal were recognized as leaders in their field, winning honors for an E-newsletter for advertisers, the Paint Horse Journal, membership information material and special purpose campaigns.

Below is a complete list of awards won by APHA and Paint Horse Journal staff.

Western-English Trade Association “AIM” awards

• Laura Jesberg

Award and Category: 1^st place, Newsletter External to Consumer—Electronic

Winning Entry: APHA Member E-newsletter

Award and Category: 2^nd place, Market Directories and Show Programs

Winning Entry: 2007 Around The World (World Show daily reports)

• Amy Stapleton

Award and Category: 1^st place, Electronic Brochure, Catalog, Media Kit

Winning Entry: APHA Membership & Programs Guide

Award and Category: 2^nd place, Full-page Single Ad—Equine/Livestock

Winning Entry: “Plan A Family Meeting” ad

Award and Category: 2^nd place, Broadcast Media—Radio Local

Winning Entry: World Championship Paint Horse Show Radio Spots

American Horse Publications awards

• Tracy Gantz

Award and Category: 2^nd place, Instructional Single Article

Winning Entry: “Claim to Fame,” Paint Horse Journal September 2007 issue

• Jessica Hein

Award and Category: 1^st place, Cover Photograph

Winning Entry: “International Issue,” Paint Horse Journal May 2007 issue

Award and Category: Honorable Mention, Horse Care

Winning Entry: “Dare to be Bare,” Paint Horse Journal February 2007 issue

Award and Category: Honorable Mention, Color Photograph

Winning Entry: “Poised,” Paint Horse Journal June 2007 issue

• Chandra Orr

Award and Category: 1^st place, Service to the Reader

Winning Entry: “Are You Prepared?” Paint Horse Journal August 2007 issue

• Shaun Paul

Award and Category: 1^st place, Editorial Design

Winning Entry: “A Grand State,” Paint Horse Journal October 2007 issue

Award and Category: Honorable Mention, Event Coverage Design

Winning Entry: “Home on the Range,” Paint Horse Journal January 2007 issue

• Susan Sampson

Award and Category: Honorable Mention, One or two-page Editorial Spread

Winning Entry: “Ranch Horse Hospitality,” APHA Connection Winter issue

• Irene Stamatelakys

Award and Category: 2^nd place, Service to the Reader

Winning Entry: “The Price Is Right,” Paint Horse Journal February 2007 issue

Award and Category: Honorable Mention, Service to the Reader

Winning Entry: “Global Trade,” Paint Horse Journal May 2007 issue

• Abigail Wilder

Award and Category: Honorable Mention, Feature Article

Winning Entry: “Gym-what?” Paint Horse Journal September 2007 issue

• Kelly Wise

Award and Category: 2^nd place, Editorial Design

Winning Entry: “Art of Perfection,” Paint Horse Journal December 2007 issue

Award and Category: Honorable Mention, Publication Staff Advertisement

Winning Entry: “New Era,” April 2007 gatefold ad

APEX awards

• Laura Jesberg

Award and Category: Grand Award, Newsletters

Winning Entry: Paint Horse Journal AdVisor E-newsletter, February 2008

• Brenda Jewell

Award and Category: Award of Excellence, Special Purpose Campaigns, Programs & Plans

Winning Entry: APHA Saddle Up! for St. Jude

• Amy Stapleton

Award and Category: Award of Excellence, Marketing & Public Relations Electronic & Video Publications

Winning Entry: APHA Membership & Programs Guide

• Jessica Smith and Laura Jesberg

Award and Category: Award of Excellence, Magazines and Journals

Winning Entry: Paint Horse Journal October 2007 issue

More about APHA

Currently, American Paint Horses are being registered at APHA’s Fort Worth, Texas, headquarters at a rate of about 35,000 horses each year. APHA has registered nearly 928,000 horses in 59 nations and territories since it was founded 46 years ago, and now serves approximately 93,000 active members around the world. Among its many activities, APHA works to preserve bloodlines and maintain the outstanding characteristics of the American Paint Horse breed.

For more information about APHA, contact the association at (817) 834-2742,  r visit apha.com.