FORT WORTH, Texas\u2014The American Paint Horse Association (APHA) recently announced an expanded slate of events and an enhanced format for its ever-popular World Championship Paint Horse Show Series. That series, which includes annual shows in summer and fall, features the finest American Paint Horses in the world competing for top honors. The series also includes exciting events for youth competition, involving the American Junior Paint Horse Association (AjPHA).<\/p>\n
\u201cOur members spoke and APHA listened,\u201d said APHA President John Corbin. The association\u2019s president said the APHA Executive Committee he leads decided on hosting two major championship shows after careful evaluation of input from APHA members, show exhibitors and other stakeholders.<\/p>\n
AjPHA\/APHA World Championship Summer Show<\/p>\n
The first APHA world-class event of every year is the AjPHA\/APHA World Championship Summer Show. For 2009, it will take place June 22 \u2013 July 4 at the Will Rogers Memorial Center in Fort Worth, Texas.<\/p>\n
Kicking off that annual summer show will be an expanded program of Novice Youth World Championship classes. Starting in 2009, all Novice Youth class winners will receive World Championship titles and buckles for their efforts.<\/p>\n
The show will also feature APHA\u2019s proven and popular line-up of World Championship Youth events, along with a select number of Amateur and Open classes. These classes will include Cutting, Reining, Roping and Working Cow Horse. Team Sorting and Team Penning will also be featured.<\/p>\n
APHA World Championship Fall Show<\/p>\n
The second installment of the APHA World Championship Show Series will also take place at Will Rogers Memorial Center in Fort Worth, Texas. The APHA World Championship Fall Show will run November 2 \u2013 14, 2009.\u00a0 For the first time in APHA history, most of the Amateur and Open World Championship classes (with the exception of Cutting, Reining, Roping and Working Cow Horse, Team Sorting and Team Penning) will be part of the APHA World Championship Fall Show.<\/p>\n
In the line-up for the Fall segment of the World Championship Show Series is an expanded program of \u201cSlot classes,\u201d offering exciting paybacks based on paid \u201cslot\u201d reservations.<\/p>\n
Also included for the Fall are new Breeders\u2019 Futurity events.<\/p>\n
Corbin said the classes selected for the Fall Show allow a longer period of time for young Paint Horses to mature during the year and provides a place for Amateur and Open competitors to meet together with those exhibiting younger horses for 12 days of continuous excitement.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor younger horses, this makes more sense,\u201d said Corbin, \u201cand really helps spotlight their talents after they have had a little more time to mature.<\/p>\n
\u201cAlso, we want to preserve the camaraderie that has made our shows so popular over the years. It\u2019s all about people showing together, being together and having fun that makes APHA special. We want to preserve that and give our young horses the best opportunities to show. We\u2019ll do that by aligning their competitions with similar events in which the more mature horses in the Amateur and Open divisions are competing.\u201d<\/p>\n
Although Corbin said that APHA is still working hard on further details involved in the show, he said the APHA Executive Committee was eager to disseminate information about the upcoming shows as soon as possible, to allow competitors a chance to plan for the exciting 2009 show season.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are confident that the 2009 World Championship Show Series will be the best year ever to spotlight the attributes of our remarkable American Paint Horse breed,\u201d said Corbin.<\/p>\n
APHA will release further details and post them to its Web site, apha.com, as plans unfold for the 2009 show season.<\/p>\n
More about APHA and its World Championship Paint Horse Show Series<\/strong><\/p>\n The American Paint Horse Association (APHA) has recorded pedigrees and performance records of more than 928,000 horses in 59 nations and territories since it was founded 46 years ago, and now serves nearly 90,000 active members around the world.<\/p>\n In 2008, almost 1,800 horses competed at Summer and Fall shows, with just under 5,000 total entries logged. Both world-class events were held at the 85-acre Will Rogers Memorial Center in Fort Worth, Texas, and included a trade show, horse auction, clinics, demonstrations, introductory horse rides and education about horses.<\/p>\n