LIVE From the 2016 APHA Convention

By: Brittany Bevis

Special thanks to Karen Kennedy and Jennifer Sheriff for keeping our EquineChronicle.com readers up-to-date with fun, behind-the-scenes photos and information from the 2016 APHA Convention that’s currently in its final day in Richmond, Virginia.

In addition to informative lectures, entertaining symposiums, and fun group activities, more than 50 rule change proposals advanced to the  Convention to be considered by standing committees. Surviving proposals were then passed along to be voted on by the APHA Board of Directors for possible inclusion into the 2017 Official American Paint Horse Association Rule Book.

Check out a summary of this morning’s BOD meeting results, courtesy of @OfficialAmericanPaintHorseAssociation FB page.

Click here to read the full text of each 2017 rule change proposal.

• Control AIII: Defeated– The officers and directors of APHA and the AjPHA should be free from disciplinary action, either within the APHA investigative process or through the private court system.
• Control AIX-1: Passed- Requires regional club officers and directors to carry a membership to show support of the organization they are responsible for promoting.
• Control GR-010: Passed – Amends the rule to more closely match the current method used since moving to one meeting a year.
• Control RG-110: Passed- Requires all breeding stallions to be genetic tested by DNA and have a genetic disease panel test on file with APHA prior to the registration of their foals that result from breedings occurring after January 1, 2017. Tests to include HYPP, PSSM, MH, GBED, HERDA, and OWLS.
• Control SC-100: Passed- Allows a single-judge show to offer a clinic in conjunction with the show, with the official judge serving as the clinician.
• Control SC-105-1: Passed- Adds an exception for livestock shows and state fairs that allows them to hold one Paint-O-Rama with up to three judges per year without APHA Regional Club sponsorship.
• Control SC-105-2: Passed- Allows judges to consult between each another regarding disqualification, 5-point penalties, or 3-point penalties as long as a person designated by show management is present during the consultation.
• Control SC-105-5: Passed- Allows back-to-back 2 judge shows to be judged simultaneously by all four judges in the same classes as allowed for PORs to aid in time management.
• Control SC-105-6: Passed- Allows show sponsors the flexibility of offering a variety of show formats if they choose as long as both shows are offered by the same show sponsor or if both show sponsors are in agreement to work together.
• Control SC-105-7: Passed- Allows halter classes only to be judged simultaneously (not to exceed ten (10) judges in the arena at one time) during back-to-back POR and zone shows.
• Control SC-165: Passed- Allows Solid Paint Bred and Regular Registry Paint Horses to compete together in scored and timed classes only, but awards points based on the number of horses competing in their respective registry type.
• Control SC-175-2: Passed- Adds Performance Halter as an APHA approved class for the Open division
• Control SC-185: Passed- Restricts horses from being shown in performance classes prior to June 1 of their yearling and two-year-old years with some exceptions.
• Control SC-192-3: Passed- Changes the obstacle requirements for for Yearling In-Hand Trail from a minimum of six to four and a maximum of eight to six to align with the walk-trot division rules.
• Control SC-206-2: Passed- Adds lifetime money earnings under saddle of no more than $2,500 for the eligibility criteria for horses to compete in green classes.
• Control SC-246: Passed- Adds winning a bronze medal from the Erste Westernreiter Union (EWU) to the eligibility criteria making a horse ineligible to compete in green classes.
• Control SC-250-1: Passed- Standardizes trail obstacle rules with with other associations eliminating confusion for the judges and show managers.
• Control SC-255: Passed- Allows Green Western Riding Patterns to be used for Novice Youth and Novice Amateur Western Riding.
• Control AM-101: Passed with early implementation by March 1, 2016- Adds a section that allows Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship International (PATH) instructors to maintain amateur eligibility with APHA.  Early implementation: March 1, 2016
• Control AM-060: Passed- Allows points earned in Yearling Longe Line, 2-Year-Old Longe Line, and Yearling In-Hand Trail to count towards all APHA year-end awards.
• Control AM-080-1: Tabled- Changes the recognized Amateur divisions to Amateur 19 & Over and Masters 50 & Over and allows Master Amateurs to choose which division to compete in.
• Control AM-080-2: Passed- Changes the recognized amateur divisions to Amateur 19 & Over and Masters 45 & Over and allows Masters Amateur to choose which division to compete in.
• Control AM-080-3: Defeated- Changes the Classic Amateur division to 19-49 and the Masters Amateur age division to 50 & Over.
• Control AM-300: Passed- Changes the maximum number of obstacles in the Amateur Walk-Trot division from six to eight obstacles.
• Control JU-000: Passed- Requires halter speciality judges to be approved through the APHA Speciality Judge Programs.
• Control RA-030: Passed- Adds an annual racing participation fee for all race starters to fund proposed regional racing awards.
• Control RA-060: Passed- Adds a new annual regional racing award presented to breeder, owner, trainer in 5 regions: Northwest, Eastern, Central, Southwest, and Canada.
• Control YP-075-1: Tabled- Requires show management to have at least five 13 and Under classes that are not able to be combined into an all-age youth class.
• Control YP-105: Passed with early implementation April 1, 2016- Allows Regular Registry and Solid Paint-Bred to show in Youth Leadline (exceptions for zones 12, 13, and 14)

In other Convention news, the newest member of the APHA Executive Committee is Sixth Committee Member Karen Thomas. Congratulations! Also, Susie Shaw was just officially named APHA President for 2016, was sworn in, and gave a lovely presidential speech.

Scroll below to view more fun photos from behind-the-scenes at the Convention.