AQHA Approves Stake Race
Stake Race has been approved by AQHA as an amateur event effective January 1, 2012.
For those of you looking to qualify for the Select World or Amateur World, there will be a
truncated qualifying year in 2012, so it is important to contact shows and request that
amateur stake race be added to shows in the early part of the year, especially the youth
qualifying shows which already will have stake race in the class list.
The Horse Industry Voices its' Concerns Over UC Davis' Minimum Standards Report
On May 10, 2011, a packed crowd of leaders, representatives and horse owners numbering
close to 100 attended the round table discussion on “Minimum Standards of Horse Care in
California” sponsored by the California Horse Counsel at the California Farm Bureau Federation
Building in Sacramento.
Authors of the Minimum Standards report, Dr. Gregory Ferraro, DVM,
UC Davis, Dr. Carolyn Stull, MS, PhD, UC Davis and Dr. Grant Miller, DVM, Sonoma County were
in attendance, and moderating the event was Doug Brown, American Quarter Horse Association
director and former Pacific Coast Quarter Horse Association president.
Published by the Center for Equine Health, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California,
Davis, the minimum standards report raised concerns for many due to the equine stabling, shelter
and tying standards found in the report. Dr Carolyn Stull stated “The purpose of the Minimum Standards report is to assist animal control officers in cases of horse abuse” and furthermore “to educate officers whose knowledge of the horse industry is low”. Attendees repeatedly voiced alarm that the report, which was published by such a respected university (UC Davis) as “required minimum standards for horse care”, in fact mischaracterized much scientific research and California law.
For example, in equine stabling, the minimum standards report stated that standard stall sizes
(12 x 12’) were inadequate for horses’ 15 hands and larger. Inconsistent with industry
standards, this “minimum requirement” would put many fairgrounds, racetracks and public
stabling facilities at risk for being cited for animal abuse, neglect or cruelty.
In addition, the report stated that if a horse only had a 5 gallon bucket in the stall,
the owner could be cited for animal abuse (even though the owner may fill that bucket numerous
times throughout the day to ensure the horse had adequate water).
Regarding equine shelters,
the “minimum standards” report also requires that all horses have “shelter in the form of a structure”
available if nighttime temperatures go below 32 degrees.
As many participants pointed out this is not necessary in the mild climate in many parts of
California and that many pastured horses have access to trees for shelter from winter rains
and summer sun and thrive in these conditions.
The report also stated that horses should not
be tied for more than two hours. This “requirement” could subject any horse owner to criminal
prosecution if they tied their horse in a stall or at their trailer at a team roping, barrel
race or show for more than 2 hours.
Attendees stated fears that the “minimum standards” report could be used to write legislative
regulations or attack horse owners by animal activists. Since the document was published as “minimum standards”
as opposed to guidelines, they could be used in legal cases.
In addition, attendees voiced uneasiness that
the “minimum standards” were not peer reviewed by others at UC Davis, by the American Association of Equine
Practitioners or industry representatives.
Further, although the “minimum standards” purport to describe legal requirements in California the authors
conceded that neither UC general counsel nor outside attorneys had reviewed them.
Next steps are now being
taken to educate horse owners and caregivers in California about the contents of the report and to determine
whether to formally ask that the “minimum standards” be withdrawn until properly reviewed and revised to reflect
good science and California law.
To review the entire “Minimum Standards of Horse Care in the State of California”, download the report at:
http://www.vetmed.ucdavis.edu/ceh/docs/special/pubs-HorseCareStandards-bkmsec.pdf
Concerned horsemen can also respond via email to jane@pcqha.com.
AQHA: More Exhibitors Recognized at This Year's World Shows.
The American Quarter Horse Journal --
The American Quarter Horse Association will be recognizing a new level of
exhibitors at four of its world championship shows this year.
At the 2011 Built Ford Tough AQHYA, Adequan Select, Bank of America Amateur and Fedex Open world championship shows,
AQHA will recognize the top three Intermediate exhibitors in each youth, amateur, Select and open class. “This is a
great way to introduce some of the show or competition-leveling concepts that AQHA has been exploring over the last
couple of years,” said AQHA President Peter J. Cofrancesco III. “Recognizing the Intermediate exhibitor is a way to
shine the spotlight on exhibitors who have worked hard to qualify for our world shows and are tough competitors at
our world shows year after year, but don’t make it into the top 10.”
An Intermediate exhibitor at the AQHA world shows is defined as follows: An exhibitor who has never been in the top 10
at a world show in the particular class in which they are competing.
Halter classes (including performance halter)
will be all-inclusive, meaning any top-10 placing in halter, regardless of sex division (ex. a top-10 finisher in
3-year-old geldings is not considered an Intermediate exhibitor in any halter class even though he/she might have
placed outside of the top 10 in a different halter class).
Open performance classes will be the same. For example,
AQHA will not separate junior reining from senior reining, or junior western pleasure from senior western pleasure,
for purposes of determining if an exhibitor is an Intermediate. However, AQHA will recognize the Intermediate
exhibitors in each of the junior and senior open classes.)
Intermediate will run as classes within classes, not separate. AQHA will not bring back the top Intermediate riders
for a ride-off or in a separate class. Intermediate exhibitor status is based only on an exhibitor’s lifetime,
combined world show record, not on the number of points he/she has accumulated.
An exhibitor does not have to make
it to the finals of his/her class to be considered for an Intermediate award. There is no entry fee or nomination
procedure for an exhibitor to be considered for an Intermediate award.
The awards will be called the AQHA Intermediate champion, AQHA Intermediate reserve champion and the AQHA
Intermediate third place. Intermediate accomplishments also will appear on the exhibitor's and horse's AQHA
official record. The Intermediate exhibitor recognition package will include an 8-inch clear globe for first
place and 6-inch clear globes for second and third place. Each Intermediate champion will also receive a
specially designed patch that can be placed on a qualifiers jacket that can be purchased by the exhibitor.
The top three Intermediate exhibitors will also have the option to purchase a championship buckle.
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.
The AQHA Show Council announces qualifying methods for the 2012 AQHA national Novice championship shows.
To qualify for the AQHA Novice championship shows, competitors will go through national or state qualifying.
The American Quarter Horse Association Show Council recently announced the qualifying options for the inaugural AQHA national Novice championship shows.
To qualify for the Novice championship shows, competitors will go through national or state qualifying. The AQHA Western Novice Championship Show will be held October 5-7, 2012, at the South Point Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, and the AQHA Eastern Novice Championship Show is October 5-7, 2012, at the Tennessee Miller Coliseum in Murfreesboro, Tennessee.
Two national invitation opportunities exist for competitors. Those include a top-10 placing at an AQHA regional championship show in a Novice class or to show to 20 AQHA judges throughout the year. For this latter option, competitors may show to judges around the nation – there is no regional preference or requirement.
The national qualifying period for the Novice championship shows is May 1, 2011, to June 30, 2012.
If a competitor nationally qualifies for a Novice championship show, their invitation to the event will not be for a specific class. As long as one of the two national qualifying options has been accomplished, an exhibitor will be able to enter any Novice championship class, provided that they are a Novice. If a competitor earns the required number of points to graduate out of a specific Novice class in 2011, the competitor will still be eligible to compete in that class at a 2012 Novice championship show.
In addition to qualifying, the AQHA Show Council announced that there will be no restriction on which Novice championship show an exhibitor may attend. If a competitor residing in the East wishes to attend the AQHA Western Novice Championship Show, he or she may do so. The same goes for competitors residing in the West who would like to compete at the Eastern Novice championship.
The AQHA Affiliate Council has helped to coordinate with the state and provincial affiliates to determine the method of state qualifying. Methods of state qualifying will vary by affiliate – if a competitor is interested in state qualifying for a 2012 Novice championship show, he or she should contact their state or provincial affiliate.
For more information, visit www.aqha.com/showing.
