AQHA’s Award Recognition Concepts Will Close its Doors

AQHA Publicity

Effective September 30, Awards Recognition Concepts, a wholly owned subsidiary of the American Quarter Horse Association, will cease operations.

“Over the years, ARC has provided AQHA championship awards, custom buckles and many other keepsakes presented by AQHA,” said Craig Huffhines, AQHA executive vice president. “We are thankful to have had the opportunity to serve our membership through ARC, and greatly appreciate our customers, including AQHA affiliates and alliance partners, who purchased awards to present to their members. However, due to a variety of operational and financial reasons, the AQHA Executive Committee and AQHA leadership have made the difficult decision to close ARC for the betterment of AQHA.”

The closure comes at a time that will allow AQHA to focus on its core business – being the largest breed registry in the world. Improvements to operations associated with the Association’s core mission, along with improvements to member programs and services are at the forefront of AQHA’s goals.

The Association will continue to provide awards to recognize AQHA and AQHYA members for their accomplishments with their American Quarter Horses.

History of Awards Recognition Concepts

Awards Recognition Concepts became the official trophy and awards provider for AQHA in 2012. In 2015, AQHA transitioned Awards Recognition Concepts to a limited liability company (LLC) status. As part of the formation of the LLC, ARC also purchased Classic Awards Inc., an external independent trophy company, and merged it into ARC. In 2018, ARC became the Association’s official trophy-buckle provider. Effective September 30, 2020, ARC will close to the public, due to a variety of financial and operational reasons.