Arabian Horse Association Newsletter
November 2017
In This Issue
AHA Video Corner
Check out this month's video, and stay tuned for more to come! 

Watch the breeder interview of Mark Wharton, of Peregrine Bloodstock LLC in Lexington, Ky., a "global management, breeding and consultancy service specializing in Arabian and Thoroughbred Horses."


What's The Buzz
 
Check out Cavalia Inc.'s "Odysseo", a theatrical event showcasing 65 horses of many breeds, including Arabians, 50 riders, aerialists, acrobats, dancers and musicians exploring "the journey - the 'odyssey' - that humans and horses have shared throughout history."

         


Read the whole article here. 

AHA Corporate Partners & Sponsors
Sponsorship Webpage

Corporate Partners
 

Corporate Sponsors
Dates & Deadlines
November 15-18, 2017
AHA Annual Convention

November 18, 2017
Application Deadline, Dates for Regional Shows

December 31, 2017
Breeding Entries, Nominated Sires and Mares; 
Halter Futurities for New and Re-Nominated Horses


For a full list of dates and deadlines click here.

Employee Spotlight
Every month, the AHA Insider showcases one of our employees. We want to give our readers an insight as to who works for AHA and what they do for the association. 

Michelle Bartlett

Hello!  My name is Michelle Bartlett and I am the Marketing Coordinator here at the Arabian Horse Association. 

I am a Colorado native who loves animals and the great outdoors. In my spare time I enjoy going to concerts, swing dancing and spending time with my three miniature dachshunds.

I am a graduate of the University of Wyoming with a Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Business. My previous work experiences include working for the Douglas County Fair and Rodeo as well as interning for the National Western Stock Show. 

Through these experiences, I found my passion for the equine industry and I am very excited to be a part of the AHA team!

 


Get all of your official AHA gear here!



Become an AHA member and get the NEW AHA magazine.
Traveling this holiday season? Make sure you're prepared with some of this travel and cold weather gear from the AHA Store!
       


Spread the word and share the love for the Arabian breed with others by becoming a Discovery Farm. 

If you have a fun story you would like to share, or want to know more about the program,  email [email protected] or visit www.arabianhorses.org/discoveryfarms .


Purchase Your Favorite AHA Show Photos

  
Purchase your favorite show photos taken by AHA through SmugMug.
 

Sign Up Now For the 2017 Certified Horsemanship Association International Conference and 50th Anniversary Celebration
 
FROM CHA:

(September 2017) - It's now just a month until the 2017 Certified Horsemanship Association (CHA) International Conference, and now is the time to get registered and make plans to attend this extra-special year as CHA celebrates its 50th Anniversary, October 26-29, in Lexington, KY. This event is set to be a historic event for CHA, which serves as the largest certifying body of riding instructors in the United States and Canada. But keep in mind, the conference offers something for everyone...with presentations from top-level instructors, trainers, camp staff, equine facility managers, authors, and other experts from within the horse industry. There will be hands-on mounted workshops on well-trained school horses from Midway University, classroom-style presentations, and plenty of chances to socialize and network with others in the industry at the Kentucky Horse Park and at the Marriott Griffin Gate Hotel. 

The conference kicks off with the CHA's Horses in the Morning Radio Show going live with Glenn Hebert and CHA CEO Christy Landwehr on Thursday, October 26. The CHA Annual Membership Meeting will be held later that day at 2 p.m. A welcome reception brings attendees together at 6 p.m. at the Kentucky Horse Park Museum. Both Friday and Saturday are packed full of presentations and workshops, along with the ability of attendees to bid on Silent Auction items. Mounted sessions will be on a first-come first-serve basis, and full conference participants may ride in one mounted presentation. 

Some of the topics on Friday include what judges are looking for in hunter classes, riding biomechanics, the off-track Thoroughbred, exercises using dressage training principles, drill patterns, basics necessary for effective riding, protecting your equine business with risk management, exercises to improve flexibility and strength, working with the media to promote your business, farrier certification, and much more. Round Table Discussions and dessert with the CHA Board of Directors rounds out the day. 

Topics on Saturday include canter transitions, the mind-body connection, care and training of clients, lateral work to improve turns on the haunches/spins/rollbacks, saddle fit, teaching the older rider, engaging the rider's core to engage the horse's core, western dressage, horseback archery, acupressure and essential oils, and much more. CHA Regional meetings are held at 4:30 p.m. on Saturday. And the grand finale of this year's conference is the reception and the CHA Awards Banquet where attendees will help the organization celebrate 50 years of serving the equine industry through programs designed to help instructors and equine facilities teach horsemanship in a safe, effective, and fun manner. 

For a complete list of sessions and their descriptions, along with speaker bios, please visit http://cha-ahse.org/store/pages/322/2016_CHA_International_Conference_Speakers.html.

Visitors can find out complete information and/or register online at www.CHAinstructors.com/conference. 

CHA Instructors Change Lives Through Safe Experiences with Horses. The purpose of CHA is to promote excellence in safety and education for the benefit of the horse industry. CHA certifies instructors and trail guides, accredits equestrian facilities, publishes educational manuals, produces educational horsemanship DVDs and YouTube Safety shorts, and hosts regional and international conferences. For more information on the largest certifying body of riding instructors and barn managers in North America, Certified Horsemanship Association, please visit www.CHA-ahse.org or call 859-259-3399. To find a certified horseback riding instructor or accredited equine facility near you, visit www.CHAinstructors.com. 

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Sign Up For A 2017 or 2018 Committee
 
AHA Committee sign up is an annual process. Any adult AHA member who will be attending the 2017 Convention and wants to participate as a voting member of a "Tier B" Committee needs to sign up for the committee prior to Convention.

Any member wanting to be on an AHA Committee in 2018 and have his or her name printed in the 2018 Handbook needs to sign up by November 15.  

Sign up is available  online  in the "Members Only" section. Please check your contact information and make sure it is all correct.

Let Us Help You

As we near the close of 2017, it is very important that we clear all of our pending registrations. This is one of the most important activities AHA manages every year, and we ask for your help to see to it that your foal registration records are completed.
 
We're asking you to please contact us immediately if you have any type of registration work pending. Call Registry Services at 303-696-4500, or email [email protected] . 
 
-Your Registry Services Team

Keep Up With the Arabian Horse Life Magazine On Facebook and On Our Blog!


Follow the Arabian Horse Life Magazine on  Facebook  and keep up with the latest stories about the Arabian horse and the people that love them, as well as ways to get involved with the Arabian Horse Association (AHA).

You can also check out the  magazine's blog where you can subscribe, learn more about the magazine, upcoming events, info graphics about horse health, tips and tricks, and more.


Register Your Foal Today and Save
 
 
We would like to remind those of you that have unregistered foals to  submit your Registration Application  as soon as possible to  obtain the lowest  registration fees. You can also go to our  Registration homepage  to answer many of your questions, as well as print off   registration forms .  Click  here  for Purebred registration fees, or click here for Half/Anglo Arabian fees . 
 
You can fax your application to 303-696-4599, or email it to your Registry Services team at [email protected] .  
 
Give your horse the opportunity it deserves to establish its rightful heritage.

If you have any questions don't hesitate to contact Registry Services at 303-696-4500.

Club Excellence Award Finalists 

   
The results are in for the Arabian Horse Association's 2017 Club Excellence Award Program. Your efforts to promote the breed and keep your club members active are incredible!  Our panel of judges selected the following finalists in each of the three categories:
 

Breed Promotion/Community Involvement:

  • AHA of San Fernando Valley
  • Diablo AHA
  • Wine Country AHA

Club Projects:

  • Diablo AHA
  • Wine Country AHA

Membership Recruitment/Retention:

  • Wine Country AHA
  • Vancouver Island AHA
                       
Category winners and the Club of the Year will be announced during the President's Banquet at the AHA Convention this year in Denver, Colo. on Saturday, November 18, 2017. The Club of the Year is chosen from those clubs that were placed in the Top Five of a minimum of 2 of the 3 categories. If you haven't already registered for Convention, you may still do so.

Time to Ride Winners Announced 
 
FROM AHA: 

(09-November-17) - AURORA, COLO. - Time to Ride is an initiative of the American Horse Council's Marketing Alliance designed to connect new people to horses and grow participation across the entire horse industry. For the second year in a row, the Arabian Horse Association (AHA) partnered with Time to Ride on its largest program, the Time to Ride Challenge . The Challenge offered $100,000 cash and prizes to the stables, clubs, and businesses who introduced non-riders to horses and riding. AHA offered an additional $5,000 JUST for members of AHA who competed in the Challenge! The Challenge opened on March 1, and took place from May 1 through September 30. Overall, over 22,152 new people were introduced to horses for the first time through the Challenge.
 
The Challenge was broken up into two phases (verbiage from Time to Ride website):
 
Phase I Experience:
A beginner-friendly occurrence at a Challenge Event in which a Newcomer experiences a minimum of three (3) minutes observing, riding, grooming and/or interacting with a live horse ("Phase I Experience"). The Host must provide a knowledgeable and experienced horse handler to facilitate the Phase I Experience. Any Phase I Experience will be at the discretion of the Host and must be conducted at the Host's expense. All Phase I Experiences must be beginner-friendly and involve healthy, safe and suitable horses, safe and suitable equipment, and be held in a clean and safe facility and controlled environment with an emphasis on the safety and inexperience of any Newcomer.

Follow-up Experience and Phase II Period:
A Follow-up Experience ("Follow-up Experience") is an individual riding lesson, ride, or ground work session lasting a minimum of thirty (30) minutes with a live horse and a Newcomer that participated in a Challenge Event. Follow-up Experiences must occur between May 1, 2017 and September 30, 2107; however, a Newcomer's Follow-up Experience may not occur on the same day as their Phase I Experience. A Follow-up Experience may involve two to four participants, such as a group lesson, and if so must be a minimum of sixty (60) minutes in duration. The objective of a Follow-up Experience is to convey the benefits of horse involvement and encourage Newcomers to become regularly involved with horses, through riding or other activities.

There were quite a few Arabian horse barns that joined the Challenge and introduced numerous new people to the horse industry. In the overall division competition (small, medium, large), Arabian horse barns placed as followed:
 
Small Division
  • Heavenward Farm and Horsemanship placed second in Phase I and tenth in the most experiences for Phase II.
  • The Cowboy Trading Post placed sixth for Phase I.
 
Medium Division
  • Rusty Bar Ranch placed third overall.
 
Large Division
  • No Arabian horse barns in the large division
 
For the Association competition division and the chance to win additional prize money totaling $5,000 from AHA, barns placed as follows:
 
 
Thank you to everyone that participated in the 2017 Time to Ride Challenge and introduced a total of 2,059 newcomers to our industry. It is individuals like YOU who help grow our beloved industry and are the reason we can keep doing what we do. We can't wait to see what 2018 Time to Ride Challenge looks like and how many more newcomers can be introduced to the Arabian horse. 

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The Annual Cover Contest Is Back!
 

   
Do you fancy yourself an amateur photographer? Do you have a great photo of your Arabian or Half-Arabian horse? Then send it to us, because the cover of Issue 1 for 2018 will feature one our member's photos! If you'd like to submit a photo, please take note of the following rules:

1.     Only hi-resolution, non-professional camera photos accepted (no cell phone or video stills).

2.     Horses can be ridden (no training tack please), at liberty, or in-hand. Please no show ring photos.

3.     Purebred and Half-Arabians accepted of any age and breeding.

4.     Photos must be submitted to the Dropbox link http://tinyurl.com/yaaxpk4a  no later than January 1, 2018 .

5.     Vertical orientation only (no horizontal/landscape).

6.     AHA reserves the right to use submitted photos in editorial pieces, marketing materials, or Focus Life.

7.     If a photo is chosen, we will require complete information, such as the horse's name, pedigree, registration number, membership status and owner.




The Annual AHA Convention will be held from November 15-18 at the newly renovated Denver Marriott Tech Center, just south of downtown Denver! Come out and experience Denver and meet new people who share your love for the Arabian horse! 
 
The tentative schedule and Resolutions are now available online on the Convention Homepage. 

If you have any questions or concerns, contact our Convention and Sponsorship Specialist, Uriah Quezada at 303.696.4559 or  at  [email protected] . 

 

Get More Info on Arabian Racing With A Free Subscription to AJC's Quarterly E-Newsletter


Curious about the world of Arabian racing? It's fast, fun, friendly and more affordable than you might think! Subscribe to the FREE AJC eNewsletter to receive the industry's latest news and events on Arabian racing in America and abroad. 
!



World's Richest Arabian Race, the £1.2 million Jewel Crown, to be aired on AJC LIVE

Be sure to tune in to AJC LIVE on November 10 for the AJC LIVE broadcast of the HH Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultn Al Nahyan Jewel Crown in Abu Dhabi. The race will feature a full field of the best Arabian racehorses in the world, including two American representatives: Quick And Rich, winner of the $100,000 President of the UAE Cup on September 23rd at Churchill Downs, and the legendary Paddys Day, winner of this year's Triple Jewel and also a two-time Darley Horse of the Year.
Don't miss any of the action.   Sign up here
 to receive updates on the race broadcast.
 
 

AHYA Silent Auction Donations

 
The AHYA Silent Auction is one of the biggest youth fundraisers of the year, from tablet computers, to saddles and everything in between. The auction boasts amazing equine and non-equine related gifts for anyone on your holiday shopping list. All proceeds benefit AHYA, so please consider donating an item. 

BRING YOUR ITEM WITH YOU TO CONVENTION!

Contact Brenna Whitlock, Youth and Family Programs Coordinator, with any questions at 303-696-4505 or at [email protected] .

Arabian Horse Judging Contest Was Another Great Success!

 
This year we had almost 100 contestants in the 47th Annual Arabian Horse Youth Judging Contest, sponsored by Awards Recognition Concepts. 

Following are the results from each division:

4/H/FFA Division
            High Individual Halter: Bridget Stanton, Riley County 4-H
            High Team Halter: Illinois 4-H
            High Individual Performance: Kendall Haas
            High Team Performance: Wyoming 4-H
            High Individual Reasons: Bridget Stanton, Riley County 4-H
            High Team Reasons: Virginia 4-H
            High Individual Overall: Bridget Stanton, Riley County 4-H
            High Team Overall: Wyoming 4-H
 

Jr. AHA Division
High Individual Halter: Lydia Groshong, Jr.Colorado Arabian Horse Club (AHC)
            High Team Halter: Jr. Colorado AHC
            High Individual Performance: Bennett Groshong, Jr. Colorado AHC
            High Team Performance: Jr. Colorado AHC
            High Individual Reasons: Lydia Groshong, Jr. Colorado AHC
            High Team Reasons: Jr. Colorado AHC
            High Individual Overall: Bennett Groshong, Jr. Colorado AHC
            High Team Overall: Jr. Colorado AHC
 

Jr. Division
High Individual Halter: Hana Murphy, Oklahoma State University
            High Team Halter: Oklahoma State University
            High Individual Performance: Olivia Child, Michigan State University Team 1
            High Team Performance: Oklahoma State University
            High Individual Reasons: Trevor Yglecias, Texas A&M University
            High Team Reasons: Oklahoma State University
            High Individual Overall: Hana Murphy, Oklahoma State University
            High Team Overall: Oklahoma State University
 
A special congratulations goes to our High Individual Overall, Bridget Stanton, from Riley County 4-H. To see the complete results click here.
 
We would like to thank all of our sponsors, volunteers, and especially all of our horse providers.
 
World's Richest Arabian Race To Be Aired On AJC LIVE


Be sure to tune in to AJC LIVE on November 10 for the  world's richest Arabian Race ( £1.2 million) , the  HH Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultn Al Nahyan    Jewel Crown  in Abu Dhabi. 

The race will feature a full field of the best Arabian racehorses in the world, including two American representatives: Quick And Rich, winner of the $100,000 President of the U.A.E. Cup at Churchill Downs on September 23, and the legendary Paddys Day, winner of this year's Triple Jewel and two-time Darley Horse of the Year.
 
Don't miss any of the action! Sign up to receive updates on the race broadcast.


New Racing Partnership Offers Perfect Start for Newcomers

Racing partnerships are a perfect stepping stone for new enthusiasts to the sport of racing, and a new one is now available that is particularly suitable for newcomers.

Former Thoroughbred jockey and professional racing manager Amanda Roxborough has fallen in love with Arabian racing over the last several years, and is now heading up a new racing syndicate called Goldensands Racing that offers a one-year lease on three high-quality racehorses.  One of these horses won over $17,000 last year at Delaware Park!

The unique syndicate offers 20 shares at a base fee of just $400/month with a one-time administration fee of $250 (visit www.GoldensandsRacing.com for more details). This provides all the excitement of Arabian racing without the high costs. Plus, members will receive positive mentorship, education, owner benefits (like back barn access, winners circle photos, owners boxes at the track, and more), and the best part: camaraderie and fun with new friends through social functions at the track, parties, and more!
 
The syndicate will close at 20 shares. Learn more at www.GoldensandsRacing.com. 

Stunning Upset by Quick And Rich at Churchill Downs in $100,000 President of the U.A.E. Cup


In what is being referenced as the story of the year, Quick And Rich (TH Richie x Quick Noon) overcame both Easter Man and the legendary Paddys Day to win for his owners/breeders, Tom and Joyce Fritz of Sidney, Mich.
 
The handsome 7-year-old chestnut stallion, now boasting a lifetime earnings of $173,964, chased the pace early behind Easter Man and Paddys Day, allowing Thess is Awesome to set the pace in front. It all changed during the stretch run when Paddys Day and Easter Man both made their bid, overcoming a tiring Thess is Awesome. All appearances indicated that it was Easter Man's day, as he drew clear of Paddys Day. But in the final one-sixteenth of a mile, Quick And Rich
displayed a stunning kick as he swallowed 12 lengths to reach Easter Man in a matter of seconds, edging past the leader in the final stage to take the $100,000 President of the U.A.E. Cup in an extraordinary and breathtaking fashion.
 
In spite of running a game second to Paddys Day just two weeks ago in the H.H. Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan Diamond Jewel Stakes at Monmouth Park, Quick And Rich still left the gate at an underlay of 19-1, paying back $41.20 for the win.  This earned him an all-expense paid invitation, alongside Paddys Day, to the world's richest Arabian horse race, H.H. Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan Jewel Crown, in Abu Dhabi this November.
 
It was the feel-good story of the year for Tom and Joyce Fritz. Both now retired, the Fritz's have been supportive of Arabian racing for nearly three decades. Quick And Rich is the final horse from their breeding program that they will run, and he is providing them quite the grand finale, topping the chart as the highest earning horse they have ever bred or owned. The couple is much loved in the Arabian racing community, as is their trainer, East Coast-based Lynn Ashby. They came to Churchill Downs never expecting the win, but are looking forward to their first trip to the Middle East for the Jewel Crown this November. Winning under the Twin Spires was beyond their wildest dreams.
 
"I would have never imagined I would get a win at Churchill Downs," Tom said. "Beating a horse like Paddys Day is unbelievable. This is the last horse I bred that will race, so it's very special to win this race."
 
Ashby gave a lot of credit to jockey Joseph Rocco, Jr. for the win.
 
"The real difference maker tonight was Joe Rocco," Ashby said after the race. "He has such a great clock and rode the absolute race. This absolutely made my year to win this race."
 
Rocco is one of the leading jockeys at Churchill Downs, and has ridden the earners of over $33 million in purses and won over 1,100 races. He spoke glowingly about Quick And R ich that evening.
 
"He ran a huge race tonight," Rocco said. "I've won this race a couple of other times before and he's up there with some of the best Arabians I've ever ridden. Paddys Day is a very nice horse and tonight we were just the best. I'll be excited to go back overseas and ride him [in the Jewel Crown this November]."
 
This was the fifth time since 2011 a race for purebred Arabian horses was staged at the world famous Churchill Downs. The President of the U.A.E. Cup series is the longest running Arabian race series in the world. It began in 1992, and was the first series to visit France, the United Kingdom, Belgium, Holland, Germany, Ireland, Morocco, Egypt, Canada, Switzerland, Sweden, Denmark, Turkey, U.A.E., Russia and the United States. This race at Churchill Downs marks the 12th time it has been run in America, with plans to return in 2018.
 
To view the race as well as live coverage from the entire evening on AJC LIVE, visit www.Facebook.com/TheAJClub. 


Member's Tales
A New, All-Encompassing Arabian Horse Farm To Open in Western Pennsylvania


Andy and Nicole Reed with their daughter, Rowan, and son, Jackson. Photo courtesy Nicole Reed. 


Starting on November 15 of this year, Andy and Nicole Reed will be opening the doors of Ghost Pines Farm, located in New Kensington, Pa.

Co-owner and co-founder of the farm, Nicole Reed, says the driving force behind opening the farm is the dream of one day owning and running her own horse farm.

" I have always had a passion for these incredible animals and it is such a privilege to be able to wake up every morning and care for them, to pour all my energy into their well-being and training," Reed said. "I couldn't imagine doing anything else in my lifetime."
 
Reed was introduced to the Arabian breed at a Quarter horse boarding barn when a little grey mare was brought to the farm, and everyone was in awe of the "beautiful but crazy" Arabian. Nicole and her mother ended up buying that very same horse, and were then led to their very first Arabian training facility.
 
She said the task of opening a brand new facility is stressful with keeping up with the most microscopic details, and the hardest part about opening the facility was not being there every day during the process. On the other hand, she says it's exciting to be able to see the final project coming into place and being so close to the opening day.


Ghost Pines Farm. Photo courtesy Nicole Reed. 


"We have put a lot of the proverbial blood, sweat, and tears into this 'dream' and I can't wait to see the horses being unloaded off the trailers and stabled in their new stalls," Reed said. "A huge shout out needs to go to my husband, Andrew, who is an engineer and basically acted as the general contractor for this entire project."

Ghost Pines Farm will be an all-encompassing facility for Arabian horses and their owners. The farm will breed, buy and sell, foal, train and show on class A to national level. There will also be a lesson program available for new students, and the opportunity to learn how to take care of a horse with grooming, clipping, bathing, tacking and untacking, basic veterinary care, and more.

" We want to give the opportunity to learn to ride, as well as gaining skills in the general care of horses." Reed said. "My goal is to instill in them that the care of the equine, the responsibility that they have to them, is actually more important than riding."

Reed says she is looking forward to the everyday ins and outs of life on the farm, being an advocate for her favorite breed, and having the farm doors open to the public welcoming them to learn and spend some time with the Arabian horse.
She wants the farm and its horses and employees to be ambassadors for the Arabian breed, and wants to cultivate a positive, continuous learning environment for the clients as well as an enjoyable one for the horses.

" I think I have a very normal perspective when thinking about the farm opening: excited one day and scared out of my mind the next. I welcome the hard work and sleepless nights, the hunger that drives us to be great, the failures and success that help teach and shape us. I think about the life that my children will get to experience and how lucky they are to be raised by such wonderful teachers; Arabian horses," Reed said. "A very wise friend once said to me that it's a great life, if you don't weaken. Here's to not weakening."


Diamonds on Fire KS by Sundance Kid V and Nicole Reed at the 2016 U.S. National show. Photo courtesy Nicole Reed. 
  
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If you or another AHA member has a story that you would like to share in the AHA Insider, please email our Marketing and Communications Specialist, Alleynah Cofas at
[email protected], with the subject line: Member's Tale Story. 
 
 
 
AHA is a major equine association serving 84,000 owners across North America. It registers and maintains a database of more than one million Arabian, Half-Arabian and Anglo-Arabian horses and administers approximately $2 million in annual prize money. AHA produces championship events, recognizes close to 400 Arabian horse shows and distance rides and provides activities and programs that promote breeding and ownership.


© 2016 Arabian Horse Association. All Rights Reserved.