APHA FILE PHOTO
A Seed Planted Though barrel racers had long talked among themselves about the need for Paint-specific incentives, it wasn’t until early 2013 that the first steps toward actually creating a program were taken. “Myself and several of my friends
who breed, own and run Paint Horses had talked for many years about how we thought there needed to be a program in place that would help the barrel horses,” Melanie said. “Pancho contacted me one day and voiced his opinion that there needed to be a program, and that sort of got the ball rolling.” In mid-January, about 20 Paint
supporters—including APHA mem- bers, barrel industry contacts, Racing Committee Chairman Pancho Vil- larreal and APHA Executive Director Billy Smith—gathered at the Heritage Place Winter Mixed Sale in Okla- homa City to discuss ideas to help strengthen the industry. “The first thing we did was sit
down and discuss some of the issues facing Paint barrel horses,” Melanie said, “the main thing being lack of a program for them to participate in. We also discussed the lack of added money just for Paint Horses.” Thanks to their speed, agility and trainability, Paint Horses are a favorite mount among barrel racers—especially those who like chrome to help them stand out from the crowd. And though it was appar- ent that registered Paint Horses were competing in barrel races around the country, entries at APHA-approved shows have always been somewhat lackluster. Melanie points to issues like arena footing and lack of jackpot prize money as reasons why many barrel racers choose open events rather than breed shows. “Barrel horses cannot safely run on the same ground that most of your show horses compete on,” she explained. “The ground is just not prepared the same, and if you do not have the right ground, horses are going to slip, fall and bow tendons. That’s one of the major issues and, of course, the money as well. The
industry standard for barrel horses is 80 percent payback—80 percent of your entry fees are going to be paid back, and often there is added money as well. To go to a breed- sanctioned show and pay a hefty entry fee with not a whole lot of money paid back, if any, doesn’t make a whole lot of sense.” The January meeting’s discus- sions proved to be a foundation for the PBRIP program. Designed by APHA members for the good of the speed-bred Paint market, PBRIP represents a solution to the needs outlined by industry supporters. “One of the first things we did was those of us who were directly involved reached out to people we know and said, ‘What do you want? What do you need for your barrel horses?’ Then we started taking parts and pieces, and this is what we’ve gotten from it,” Melanie said.
A Cloverleaf of Components By February, a handful of key
players—including Melanie, Pan- cho, Lisa Mullinax and Shannon McCartney—began outlining the PBRIP program structure. APHA soon came onboard as a supporter of the program. The association helped iron out details of the program and agreed to serve as its administrator. Currently, three components comprise the PBRIP program: event approval, exhibitor enrollment and an annual stallion service auction. Though barrel races can already apply for APHA dual-approval sta- tus—meaning they are considered special events where Paint Horses can earn APHA points and awards— PBRIP affords a new opportunity that benefits both producers and exhibitors. Now, barrel races can apply for PBRIP sanctioning along with APHA dual-approval. In addi- tion to being able to earn APHA points and other awards, contestants riding Paint Horses at PBRIP- sanctioned shows will also be eligible for exclusive side jackpots reserved for PBRIP-enrolled exhibitors, which will help attract more competitors.
PBRIP is a grassroots incentive program for Paint barrel horses and the APHA speed-bred market in general. Designed by APHA members, the three main com- ponents of PBRIP are event approval, exhibitor enrollment and an annual stal- lion service auction.
PBRIP Benefits
The Paint Barrel Racing Incentive Program is designed to bolster the Paint barrel racing industry in a number of ways, including: • Stimulating the market for speed-bred Paint Horses
• Increasing the value of Paint barrel horses
• Providing new financial incentives to compete aboard Paint barrel horses
• Tracking achievements by Paint barrel horses by way of points and PBRIP money earned at dual-approved events
• Attracting more entries to PBRIP- sanctioned shows
• Encouraging APHA membership and loyalty
• Offering a streamlined avenue to APHA participation, including World Show qualification, merit awards and year-end awards
PAINT HORSE RACING MAY 2013 13
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