AQHA RHC Finals and AQHA VRH World Modifications

AQHA Publicity

Earlier this year, the AQHA Executive Committee cancelled the AQHA Versatility Ranch Horse World Championships, AQHA Ranching Heritage Challenge Finals, AQHA Cattle Level 1 Championships, and National Ranch and Stock Horse Alliance National Championship Show to protect the safety of exhibitors, trainers, spectators and staff during the worldwide coronavirus pandemic. After careful consideration, the AQHA Executive Committee approved hosting the 2020 AQHA Ranching Heritage Challenge Finals in conjunction with the 2020 AQHA World Championship Show, slated for November 5-21 at the OKC Fairgrounds in Oklahoma City, pending local, state and federal mandates.

The RHC Finals classes are tentatively scheduled for the beginning of the AQHA World Show. The classes will correspond with the 41st Triangle Fall Sale, which is November 6 and 7, at the AQHA World Show. Learn more about the sale, which will feature western performance American Quarter Horses.

The 2020 RHC Finals tentative schedule will be released at a later date with the 2020 AQHA World Show schedule at www.aqha.com/worldshow. Entry information will be available in September. The qualifying period for the 2020 AQHA RHC Finals was January 1 – December 31, 2019.

“AQHA RHC Finals qualifiers who were impacted by the cancellation of the 2020 AQHA VRH World requested that the AQHA Ranching and Show departments evaluate if the finals could be rescheduled for this year,” said Karen McCuistion, AQHA senior director of member programs. “After discussions with qualifiers, representatives from the AQHA Ranching Committee, NRSHA alliance partners and OKC Fairgrounds, AQHA staff recommended and the AQHA Executive Committee approved to host the 2020 AQHA RHC Finals at the 2020 AQHA World Show.”

Several factors went into the decision to host the show later this year: Most RHC Finals classes are age-specific and by not hosting the event, American Quarter Horses would miss this year of competition and the opportunity to compete for this year’s prize money. The total purse of the 2020 RHC Finals is approximately $50,000. In addition, American Quarter Horses qualified for the 2020 RHC Finals have been paid up to be fully enrolled in the challenge program. Hosting the show during the 2020 AQHA World Show will also allow RHC classes to be live-streamed for the first time and will give added exposure to the Ranching Heritage Challenge program and Ranching Heritage Breeders.

“Since the inception of the RHC Finals, AQHA has been searching for a permanent home for this event, and the AQHA World Show might be the perfect fit,” said McCuistion. “After the AQHA World Show, AQHA staff will evaluate whether the RHC Finals should continue to be held in conjunction with the AQHA World Show in the future.”

For more information about the RHC Finals, visit www.aqha.com/worldshow.

2021 AQHA Versatility Ranch Horse World Championships Qualifying

The AQHA Executive Committee also approved rolling over qualification requirements for those who qualified to compete at the 2020 AQHA VRH World. Therefore, exhibitors and horses qualified to compete at the 2020 AQHA VRH World will also be qualified to compete at the 2021 AQHA VRH World.

The 2020 AQHA VRH World qualifying period was March 1, 2019, to February 29, 2020. The 2021 AQHA VRH World qualifying period is March 1, 2020, to February 28, 2021.

For more information about the AQHA VRH World, visit www.aqha.com/versatility.

AQHA News and information is a service of the American Quarter Horse Association. For more news and information, follow @AQHA on Twitter and visit  www.aqha.com/news.