APHA Waives Qualification For 2020 Open/Amateur World Show In Light of Current Situation

By: Brittany Bevis

Given the cancellation of many horse show events across the country, people are starting to worry about the trickle down effect this might have on the ability to travel and therefore qualify for major events later in the year, such as the APHA World Championship Shows. Of course, the health and safety of all participants is the most important factor at this time. However, there are plenty of industry jobs that rely on continued participation in this sport, such as trainers, farriers, veterinarians, farm workers, photographers, ect. Therefore, the concern about horse shows in the future going ahead as planned is a valid one.

APHA Executive Director Billy Smith has confirmed that, at the current time, not only are the APHA Youth World Show, Open and Amateur World Show, and Eastern and Western National Championship going ahead as scheduled, the association has made the decision to waive qualification for the Open and Amateur World Show for 2020.

“We’re following both the City of Fort Worth and the Centers for Disease Control very closely,” Smith says. “Our primary concern is the health and welfare of our exhibitors. Right now, all of the APHA-managed shows are going forward as planned—Youth World Show, Open and Amateur World Championship Show, and the Eastern and Western National Championships. However, we will continue to communicate with our members and the equine media should things change.”

“Most of these kinds of decisions are predicated on actions by local government, but APHA won’t rely solely on local government. If events on the ground look threatening to our members, their health and welfare will come first. We pledge to communicate to our members as quickly as we can to allow the greatest flexibility.”

Even if certain local horse show events plan to be held, APHA encourages members to follow guidelines for social distancing provided by the CDC. “It’s difficult, but we need to limit personal contact, wash our hands frequently, and use alcohol-based hand sanitizer. In the end, we’re a family and we need to take care of each other like we’re family.”

“As family, we believe in the power of Paint Horses to bring people together, even if the current circumstances seem to want to keep us apart. Today, our Paint Horse family is facing one of the greatest challenges of our time—the coronavirus outbreak. While our primary concern is the health and safety of our members and staff, wherever they may be, please know that we are also doing everything we can to make it easy for show managers and judges to reschedule affected shows later in the year.”

To find out if an APHA show is still going ahead as scheduled, check the Calendar of Events, which is being updated nightly. “We promise to keep you up-to-date on the latest developments. We promise to walk down this path with you as partners, friends, and part of the Paint Horse family. You can help us do that by updating your email address with APHA and by keeping a close watch on APHA.com. Just send a message to memberservices@apha.com with your name, physical address, member ID number (if you know it), and the best email address to use. Or, if you’ve previously unsubscribed to an email from APHA, go to our website and sign up again. Depending on how often you visit, a dialog box will appear that says, “Stay in the Loop.” If that does not automatically appear, scroll down to find the same prompt in the lower right of the homepage. Provide the best email to reach you, and you’re automatically re-enrolled. By doing this, you are giving us permission to send emails to you.”

“Let’s keep the lines of communication open. APHA is here to help, and we want you to get the most out of your membership in good times and challenging times like we face today. Questions? Email memberservices@apha.com. Even if APHA closes its physical office in the Historic Fort Worth Stockyards, we have the unique capability of creating a virtual office. So no matter where our staff is located, we can still service the needs of our worldwide family. We’re going to get through this difficult time together—as family.”