PHBA Officials Explain Thought Process Behind Developing New Novice Amateur Credential Program
By: Megan Arszman
To kick off the New Year, the Palomino Horse Breeders Association recently announced enhancements to their Novice Amateur program in hopes of increasing participation at the local affiliate events.
According to the association’s website, the Novice Amateur Per Class Credential Letter is a supplementary program to enhance PHBA Rule #5002, the current Novice Amateur eligibility. Any Amateur, who has not achieved 25 points in a certain Novice Amateur class, but would like to exhibit in that class can now choose to have a per-Novice class credential letter to compete until 25 points have been achieved in that class.
“This program is designed for Amateur card holders who now wish to try a class they have less experience in,” explains current PHBA-Amateur President Sherri Young. “We are giving the Amateur exhibitors the option to show as Novice only if they choose to, in the classes they choose.”
If an Amateur chooses to show in a class as a Novice (because they have less than 25 points in that class), they will pay a processing fee of $25 per class. This will then entitle that Amateur exhibitor to show as a Credentialed Novice Amateur in only the classes they request. “This is an optional program for Amateurs,” adds Young, from Johnston, Iowa.
“This program has been several years getting started,” explains PHBA Immediate Past President Melonie Furnish of Middletown, Ind. “Our intent was to help the affiliates by increasing membership and the size of our shows. I truly think this will give our amateurs the opportunity to grow without having negative effects on the novice.”
Furnish points out that this supplementary program will not affect the current Novice Amateur program, but rather it allows exhibitors to try new events that they might be nervous about competing in with more experienced riders.
Interested Amateurs must request a credential letter of eligibility no later than two weeks prior to their first desired show. Exhibitors must keep the credential letter with them and present it to the show secretary at the time of entry.
The per class credential is valid for a calendar year, meaning anyone who applies for one this year has until December 31, 2014, to show on that credential. The credentialed exhibitor can show in their approved class(es) through the end of the year, even if they’ve earned 25 points in that Novice class during the year (just like the regular Novice Amateur program).
“The amateur can apply for one or several licenses for classes to compete as a novice,” says Furnish. “This program should enhance the amateur and novice programs by keeping everyone on an even playing field.”
For more information, check the PHBA website: http://palominohba.com.
Click here for more details and to download a Novice Credential Request PDF form.
