Laissez Les Bon Temps Rouler! AQHA Convention Update With Lainie DeBoer and Michael Tidwell

EC Blog by: Lainie DeBoer

Hello from New Orleans! It’s Sunday and I can’t believe how time has flown by and the fact that I haven’t stepped out of this hotel since I arrived on Friday. I have been busy in a Professional Horseman council strategic meeting, a director interview, general membership meeting, Show and Professional Horseman committee meeting, banquet, Foundation luncheon, and the Professional Horseman Town Hall meeting. PHEW, I’m so exhausted I can hardly see straight. Although it’s been an intense day and a half, I have to say I am more #AQHAProud than ever. To see all the people that are so passionate about the American Quarter Horse is truly inspiring. We are giving back to our horses what they give us everyday.

The general membership meeting was well attended as usual. Some highlights include the fact that Justin is now coming out with an English line. It was neat to see the boots in person and some half chaps. J and J Saddlery is the newest corporate sponsor added to the list of some great partners such as Justin, Adequan, Professional Choice, and Zoetis, just to name a few. They will be giving a membership wide discount on their products. Let me tell you; there are beautiful saddles, purses, wallets, and much more.

We learned about a new interactive computer game for kids called “Take Me Riding,” which I’m really excited for my daughter to start using. It includes web episodes, games, parent resources, and record keeping. I think it’s such a great addition to our educational aspect of shaping the AQHA Youth of tomorrow.

A lot of topics were addressed regarding the health of the AQHA and how they continue to strive to build the numbers and meet the needs of the membership. A Strategic Planning session, World Show, Incentive Fund, rule stability, and show managers were some of the areas that were discussed. They are working very hard in reversing the decline in showing numbers.

Then, I moved on to our committee meetings where many hot topics were debated such as hunter under saddle, ranch rail pleasure, walk-trot, black stirrups, and changing the age of the junior and senior horse. A lot of good discussion was ping-ponged back and forth and it was all very passionate and healthy with everyone stating their opinions. If you ever think you don’t have a voice, because you’re a member and not on a committee, I urge you to come to the Convention, because you do! Any member that’s signed up for the convention has the right to speak to any committee on any agenda item. Let me tell you; we listen and take all of it into consideration.

The banquet was absolutely beautiful and was a well orchestrated machine. I loved hearing the speeches from the all-around winners and how they described their journeys. Ellexxah Maxwell absolutely blew everyone out of the water with her speech. If she is the future of our industry, we are definitely in good hands! WOW. Very impressive for a girl her age. An award near and dear to my heart, because I’m on the Professional Horseman Council, is the horseman and horsewoman of the year. Kelley Roberts and Clark Parker were deserved recipients. Their speeches were so moving it inspired me, more than ever, to work harder and be a good ambassador to my association.

Today, I was fortunate to be the guest of Rick and Lori Bucholz at the AQHA Foundation Luncheon. This is my favorite event I attend because everyone in the room is ready, willing, and able to raise money for such a great cause. It always blows me out of the water when I see the incredible generosity of our members to see the betterment of our breed. This year, Coyote Rock Ranch and EC member Johnny Trotter went above and beyond by offering a match of $50,000 each. The foundation raised $150,000 in one afternoon and met their goal of a $10,000,000 endowment. How impressive and committed is that? Great job Chris Sitz and Kate Johnson for putting on a memorable event and providing a healthy reminder about why we do what we do, for the love of the horse.

We had a Professional Horseman town hall meeting and discussed how we can become more visible and accessible to our membership. We are working on our brand, “Horsemen Representing Horsemen,” and we created a new logo exclusively for Professional Horseman to purchase on jackets, hats, and t-shirts. It was a great meeting geared around giving professional horsemen more visibility and showing how we can reach out to future trainers in our business and be better ambassadors of the AQHA. The town hall meetings, mentor programs, and connecting with colleges were some ideas that were discussed. George Phillips came to speak to our group and reassured us of AQHA’s support of our group and the importance that we add to the industry.

Sorry for the lengthy blog, but it’s been an intense time and I have had no time to sit and just relax. I’m finally going out tonight to a local restaurant that was featured on “Top Chef New Orleans,” so I am pretty pumped to leave the hotel. I will be attending the meeting tomorrow and will have some committee reports.

EC Blog by: Michael Tidwell

A First Time Visit to the AQHA Convention

New Orleans. What a city! We arrived on Friday and found our way to the third floor of the Hyatt Regency where AQHA consumed most of the floor space. After picking up our badges, we headed out to get a glimpse of the city. It seemed daylight would be the best time to explore Bourbon Street. We weren’t disappointed, and decided we should definitely revisit a little later in the evening.

Around 7:00 p.m., we made our way to the President’s Reception at the Hyatt where we visited with old friends and met quite a few new ones. The reception hall was filled with great food, good music, and many welcoming faces. Every member should make this trip to the Convention. Justine and I are involved in several clubs and associations, but none of them are as welcoming and enjoyable as AQHA. We quickly realized the time constraints we face at the horse shows that keep us from visiting with one another just don’t exist at the Convention. No one has a horse to ride or an aisle to sweep, and everyone is happy to shake hands and get to know one another.

During the reception, we managed to find enough like-minded friends who were interested in seeing the sights of Bourbon Street. It became evident that just a week after Mardi Gras this city had seen its share of interesting visitors. In true Quarter Horse fashion, I assure you that we didn’t let them down. Tomorrow, we will attend the general membership meeting at 8:30 am. Stay tuned for an update from that event.

Put Up or Shut Up

We’ve all sat around and complained about the Quarter Horse industry; the novice rule, our shrinking shows, lower Incentive Point values, and the list goes on and on. Well, stop the complaining and book a room for the next Convention.

After sitting through the general membership meeting and a few committee meetings, I now understand where these policies and procedures originate. I still don’t agree with all of the rules that govern our shows, but I respect the fact that they’re being discussed by our membership.

The general membership was an informative meeting that broadcast the operations of the AQHA: new programs, the state of our industry, and even the budget. The committee meetings are real working sessions where the very rules you and I complain about every weekend are being debated and discussed.

Amateurs are using examples to support their votes, such as the time one member’s daughter leased a horse to make sure she was committed to a new division, or the time another member had pointed out of trail, but came back to the industry to find trail had evolved during the last 20 years. The very comments that we make at the barn are being shared around the committee table.

Here’s the News Flash…they get it! Every rule they discussed and voted on was listed on the AQHA website convention page. I read over them before heading to New Orleans and decided which discussions I wanted to listen to. Members can sit in the “gallery” during these meetings. Only members of the committee are allowed to take part in the conversation, but any member can audit the meeting. Some of these committee members even asked my opinion the day before their meeting as they struggled with their opinions about a rule or policy. Committee members are accountable to the membership they represent, and they are doing a really great job of that. If I have an issue with something, I know who to go to, and now, so do you!

During the general membership meeting, President Johne Dobbs stated the importance of offering opportunities for youth to get involved with the American Quarter Horse. So many of us only focus on the horse shows. We forget about Quarter Horse racing, ranching, breeding, and trail riding. Our leadership is well aware of the challenges that face our industry.

They have statistics that show the number of horses being shown has decreased substantially over the years, as have the number of exhibitors. To combat this, the “Take Me Riding” program will be lunched in June to draw young people into our industry. The “100 Day Horse Challenge” is a partnership event with The American Horse Council to encourage involvement from adult non-horse people. They see the big picture here. Click here to learn more about the 100 Day Horse Challenge.

Additional General Membership Meeting Notes-

• 1,500 fewer exhibitors participating
• 2,000 fewer horses entered
• Focus on building Incentive Fund in 2014

Additional Amateur Meeting Notes-

• Allow individuals previously accredited to come back and show in Novice- (Tabled)
• All amateurs must wear approved ASTM/SEI helmet in all English classes- (No action)