INAUGURAL AQHA FORT DODGE VERSATILITY RANCH HORSE WORLD…

 …CHAMPIONSHIPS TO BE HELD IN DENVER

The American Quarter Horse Journal, July 26, 2007 – The American Quarter Horse Association will hold the inaugural AQHA Fort Dodge Versatility Ranch Horse World Championships at the National Western Stock Show in Denver January 16-17, 2008.

The event will crown the first open and amateur world champions of versatility ranch horse competition. Fort Dodge Animal Health, the official equine vaccine manufacturer of AQHA and a corporate partner since 2005, is the title sponsor of the event.

“The American Quarter Horse is the world’s most versatile breed, and the versatility ranch horse competition highlights the breed’s all-around ability,” AQHA Executive Vice President Bill Brewer said. “The AQHA Fort Dodge Versatility Ranch Horse World Championships will showcase the multiple talents of American Quarter Horses.”

The Fort Dodge Championships will be held during the 2008 National Western Stock Show in Denver. To qualify for the Fort Dodge Championships, a horse must have earned four points in open ranch horse versatility competition, and amateurs must have earned one point in their division. The qualifying period for the 2008 Fort Dodge Championships is November 1, 2006, to October 31, 2007.

“The National Western Stock Show is thrilled to be selected as the home of the inaugural AQHA Fort Dodge Ranch Horse Championships,” National Western Stock Show Horse Show Manager Brad Ettleman said. “With a century-old history steeped in ranching and western American heritage, the partnership between AQHA and the National Western Stock Show could not have been more perfect. The National Western continues to be the ‘super-bowl of cattle shows’ and one of the world’s largest horse shows, combining the two essential elements of the livestock industry into one showcase of our ranching heritage. We look forward to hosting this prestigious event and are fully committed to its success.”

The versatility ranch horse competition demonstrates the versatility of the working ranch horse in five categories – ranch riding, ranch trail, ranch cutting, working ranch horse and ranch conformation. The versatility ranch horse competition promotes the athletic ability and versatility of the horse. To learn more about the versatility ranch horse competition, visit www.aqha.com/showing/divisions/versatility.html.

For more information on the Ranch Horse Championships, including qualifying or entry materials, please contact AQHA at (806) 376-4888.

AQHA news and information is a service of AQHA publications. For more information on The American Quarter Horse Journal, The American Quarter Horse Racing Journal or America’s Horse, visit www.aqha.com/magazines.