AQHA: Two AQHA Committees Combine to Form Shows and Pro Horsemen Committee

The American Quarter Horse Journal – To better utilize the talents of the professionals within the American Quarter Horse show industry, two American Quarter Horse Association standing committees have been replaced with a new committee: the AQHA Shows and Professional Horsemen Committee.

“This is a great integration of professional horsemen,” said AQHA President Peter J. Cofrancesco III. “It’s a forward-thinking recommendation that was considered and approved at the 2011 AQHA Convention and allows professionals on the AQHA Professional Horsemen’s Committee to have input into the programs, events and areas of the show industry where they can have the greatest effect. It streamlines certain areas of the rule-change development, recommendation and adoption process, and it better utilizes the talents and expertise of the professional horsemen pool.”

Cofrancesco is quick to point out that the new committee brings together the strengths of both the previous show and professional horsemen’s committees.

“We compliment the Professional Horsemen’s Committee for everything it did to get the AQHA Professional Horsemen’s Association up and running,” he added. “With this integration of the two committees, AQHA will be able to develop more programs, membership ideas and more professional horsemen who can be utilized on AQHA committees and task forces for various initiatives.

With the creation of the AQHA Shows and Professional Horsemen’s Committee, the AQHA Professional Horsemen’s Council, which oversees the Association of Professional Horsemen, will expand from seven to nine members. The two new members of the council were appointed by the AQHA Executive Committee and are Gigi Bailey and Kevin Dukes. They join previous council members:

• Stephanie Lynn, chairwoman

• Margo Ball

• Andy Moorman

• Clark Bradley

• Rodney Sawyer

• Jack Brizendine

• Steve Meadows

To develop programs and incentives to get more racing professionals to join the Association of Professional Horsemen, the AQHA Racing Committee will look at establishing a task force for professionals or talking at the committee level about ways to encourage more participation from jockeys, trainers and breeders.

AQHA news and information is a service of AQHA publications. For more information on The American Quarter Horse Journal or America’s Horse, visit AQHA Publications.