Check Out the 50+ Rule Change Proposals To Be Considered at 2016 APHA Convention

PHJ press release by: Jessica Hein

APHA.com

More than 50 rule change proposals are advancing to the 2016 APHA Convention, February 26–29 in Richmond, Virginia; there, they will be carefully considered by standing committees, and proposals moved forward by the committees will be voted on by the APHA Board of Directors for possible inclusion in the 2017 Official APHA Rule Book.

APHA received rule change proposals from members, directors, task forces and staff. Each proposal was carefully considered by the Rules Committee, which then made a recommendation to advance, table or dismiss the proposal. Full text of the 53 rule change proposals being considered is available at apha.com (look for “2017 Rule Proposals” in the right-hand sidebar) and will be sent to the appropriate standing committees for further discussion.

At Convention, the standing committees vote on the proposals that will move forward, and the Board of Directors vote to pass, amend or fail those proposals that come out of committee.

Share your input on any or all of the rule change proposals with your area’s Board of Directors representatives and members of the appropriate standing committees. A list of 2015 Board of Directors and 2015 Standing Committees is available on apha.com/association/directors.

Read the full text of the rule change proposals here.

Following is a brief summary of the rule change proposals that will be considered at the 2016 APHA Convention:

• Control AIII: The officers and directors of APHA and the AjPHA should be free of disciplinary action, either within the APHA investigative process or through the private court system.
• Control AIX-1: Requires Regional Club officers and directors to carry a membership to show support of the organization it is responsible for promoting.
• Control GR-010: Amends the rule to more closely match the current method used since moving to one meeting a year.
• Control RG-020-1: Provides that all horses resulting from two Quarter Horses, a Quarter Horse and a Thoroughbred, or two Thoroughbreds be DNA genetically tested and proven to carry a Paint pattern gene as a condition of registration.
• Control RG-020-2: Defines a Paint Horse at a genetic level rather than a visual level.
• Control RG-110: Requires all breeding stallions to be genetic tested by DNA and have a genetic disease panel test on file with APHA prior to registration of their foals that result from breedings occurring after January 1, 2017.  Tests to include HYPP, PSSM, MH, GBED, HERDA and OLWS.
• Control SC-105: Changes the overall APHA show structure to the following: one-judge shows with optional clinic, two-judge shows and Championship Shows (formerly Zone Shows) with up to four judges only. Eliminates Paint-O-Ramas.
• Control SC-105-1:  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: Allows judges to consult between each other regarding disqualifications, 5-point penalties or 3-point penalties as long as a person designated by show management is present during the consultation.
• Control SC-105-3: Allows judges to consult between each other regarding disqualifications and 5-point penalties as long as a person designated by show management is present during the consultation.
• Control SC-105-4: Allows judges to consult between each other regarding disqualifications as long as a person designated by show management is present during the consultation.
• Control SC-105-5: Allows back-to-back two-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:  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:  Allows halter classes only to be judged simultaneously (not to exceed 10 judges in the arena at one time) during back-to-back POR and Zone shows.
• Control SC-165: 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-175-1: Eliminates the requirement to select Grand and Reserve Champions in each sex division when only one class is held in the sex division.
• Control SC-175-2: Adds Performance Halter as an approved APHA class for the Open division.
• Control SC-185: Restricts horses from being shown in performance classes prior to June 1 of their yearling and 2-year-old years with some exceptions.
• Control SC-192: Allows points earned in Yearling In-Hand Trail to count towards all year-end titles and awards.
• Control SC-192-1: Allows points earned in Yearling In-Hand Trail to count towards all year-end titles and awards.
• Control SC-192-3: Changes the obstacle requirements 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: Requires a Green Horse Exhibitor Card for every horse competing in Green Horse classes.
• Control SC-206-1: Changes the number of points allowed to remain green horse eligible from 10 to 25 points.
• Control SC-206-2: Adds lifetime money earnings under saddle of no more than $2,500 to the eligibility criteria for horses to compete in green classes.
• Control SC-206-3: Adds lifetime money earnings under saddle of no more than $5,000 to the eligibility criteria for horses to compete in green classes.
• Control SC-246: 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: Standardizes trail obstacle rules with other associations eliminating confusion for the judges and show managers.
• Control SC-255: Allows Green Western Riding patterns to be used for Novice Youth and Novice Amateur Western Riding.
• Control SC-302-1: Allows a Ranch Riding horse to be shown in the Youth Walk-Trot or Amateur Walk-Trot Western Pleasure and Open Ranch Riding at the same show.
• Control SC-303: Adds Green Ranch Riding as an APHA-approved class.
• Control AM-010: Adds a section that allows Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship International (PATH) instructors to maintain amateur eligibility with APHA.
• Control AM-060: 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: Changes the recognized Amateur divisions to Amateur 19 & over and Masters 50 & Over and allows Masters Amateurs to choose which division to compete in.
• Control AM-080-2: Changes the recognized Amateur division to Amateur 19 & over and Masters 45 & Over and allows Masters Amateurs to choose which class to compete in.
• Control AM-080-3: Changes the Classic Amateur age division to 19-49 and the Masters Amateur age division to 50 & Over.
• Control AM-085: Eliminates the restriction on contestants exhibiting the same horse in both age divisions of the same class in the youth and amateur divisions.
• Control AM-205-1: Changes the number of points to be eligible for Novice Amateur status in a category from 50 Novice points to 80 Novice points.
• Control AM-205-2: Includes Erste Westernreiter Union (EWU) Levels 1-3 points towards determining Novice Amateur eligibility. EWU is the largest western riding association in Germany.
• Control AM-205-3: Excludes Erste Westernreiter Union (EWU) Levels 1-3 exhibitors from being eligible to compete in Novice Amateur in any category.  EWU is the largest western riding association in Germany.
• Control AM-300: Changes the maximum number of obstacles in the Amateur Walk-Trot division from six to eight obstacles.
• Control JU-000: Requires halter specialty judges to be approved through the APHA Specialty Judge Program.
• Control RA-030/RA-060: Adds an annual racing participation fee for all race starters to fund proposed regional racing awards. RA-060 adds a new annual regional racing award presented to breeder, owner, trainer in 5 regions: Northwest, Eastern, Central, Southwest and Canada.
• Control YP-075: Allows 13 & Under exhibitors to show up in the 14-18 division if they choose
• Control YP-075-1: Requires show management to have at least five 13 & Under classes that are not able to be combined into an all-age Youth class.
• Control YP-105: Allows Regular Registry and Solid Paint-Breds to show in Youth Lead Line (exception for Zones 12, 13 14).
• Control Aj-I: Removes the responsibility of arbitrating controversies between junior regional clubs.
• Control Aj-II: Adds an AjPHA Code of Conduct and aligns youth disciplinary actions and procedures to GR-070.
• Control Aj-II-1: Adds clarity to what is needed by AjPHA annually from each youth club and adds the ability to pursue disciplinary action if this information is withheld/tardy.
• Control Aj-III: Changes the area/region that an AjPHA National Director can represent from where they are a “bonafide resident” to where they are an active member of the Regional Club in that area.
• Control Aj-III-1: Allows a non-resident active member of a Regional Club to fill an AjPHA National Director vacant spot.
• Control Aj-IV: Adds instructions on how to fill the AjPHA Executive Committee positions and provides a hierarchy should the two-representative maximum be met.
• Control Aj-IV-2: Changes verbiage for clarity and continuity and allows for flexibility in AjPHA EC election procedures.
• Control Aj-IV-3: Changes the announcement/meeting and removes the two-representative maximum