MARCH/APRIL 2018 THE RIDER /29 INSIDE


AQHA Director’s Report .......29 OQHA News ..........................30 Teen Ranch.............................31 Talking Horses .......................32 EOQHA News........................33 QROOI News.........................35


AQHA Director’s Report View the 2017 AQHA Annual


Second Vice President Butch Wise Butch Wise of El Reno, Okla-


By Kathy Patterson AQHA Director


2018 AQHA Executive Committee The American Quarter Horse


Association Executive Committee was elected at the 2018 AQHA Convention in Jacksonville, Florida. Though AQHA operates primarily upon the decisions of its members through the board of directors, the five-person Ex- ecutive Committee is responsible for implementing these important deci- sions and governing AQHA between the annual meetings of the member- ship and the board. The AQHA Exec- utive Committee – consisting of a president, first vice president, second vice president and two additional members – is elected each year by the board at the convention. Each member serves a term of one year until the se- lection of his/her successor. The Exec- utive Committee convenes quarterly at AQHA Headquarters in Amarillo to conduct business and consider all dis- ciplinary matters.


President Dr. Jim Heird Dr. Jim Heird was an AQHA di-


rector for Colorado in 2009 and be- came a director for Texas in 2011. He has served on the judges, international and show committees, and on the show council and AQHA Animal Wel- fare Commission. Dr. Heird was the chairman of the judges committee, 1989-1991; show committee, 2008- 2010; international committee, 2013- 2015; show council, 2008-2011; and commissioner of the Animal Welfare Commission, 2011-2015. He currently serves as the Executive Committee representative on the American Quar- ter Horse Foundation Council. Dr. Heird and his wife, Dr. Eleanor Green, dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine at Texas A&M, live in Col- lege Station.


First Vice President Stan Weaver Stan Weaver of Big Sandy,


Montana, has been an AQHA director since 2011. He is a former member of the studbook and registration, public policy, and Hall of Fame selection committees; Foundation, marketing and ranching councils; and served as chairman of the ranching council. He was also instrumental in developing the AQHA Ranching Heritage Breed- ers program. Weaver and his wife Nancy own and operate Weaver Cattle Co., a cattle and farming enterprise in North Central Montana. They have three children Kelly Anne, David and Daniel all raised and still involved with the ranch.


homa, was named an honorary AQHA vice president in 2015 after serving as an AQHA director from 2001 to 2015. He currently serves as the Executive Committee representative on the AQHA Racing Council. Wise is a for- mer member of the studbook and reg- istration, nominations and credentials, and racing committees, and the racing council. He was the chairman of the Hall of Fame selection committee from 2013 to 2015 and also served as chairman of the racing council. In 2014, he was a member of the AQHA Governance Task Force. Wise and his wife, Nancy, have two sons and two daughters. Their sons are Clay and Parker Wise, and daughters are Mal- lory Wise and Ashlie Blair. Blair and her husband, Shawn, have two chil- dren, Derek and Lacie.


Member Norman Luba Norman Luba of Louisville,


Kentucky, has been an AQHA life member since 1995 and an AQHA di- rector since 2011. He has served on the AQHA Stud Book and Registra- tion Committee, where he served as chairman; AQHA Public Policy Com- mittee; and served as chairman of the AQHA Affiliate Advisory Board. Luba and his wife, Dr. Lorraine Luba, a veterinarian, have two sons – Christopher and Colin, a former AQHYA president who is married to Catherine.


Member Dr. Scott Myers Dr. Scott Myers of Sharon Cen-


ter, Ohio, has been an AQHA life member since 1993 and an AQHA di- rector since 2011. He currently serves on the nominations and credentials committee and is the committee’s cur- rent chairman. Dr. Myers is a former member of the AQHA Hall of Fame Selection Committee, American Quar- ter Horse Foundation Council and AQHA Equine Research Committee. Dr. Myers and his wife, veteri-


narian Dr. Leslie Myers, have two daughters, Taylor and Mallory.


2017 AQHA Annual Report The American Quarter Horse


Association has released the 2017 AQHA Annual Report, which is avail- able


to download


www.aqha.com/annualreport. The an- nual report contains complete statis- tics for AQHA membership, horse registrations and transfers, show and race statistics, and more. “AQHA’s annual report dives


into the Association’s functions, goals and how we operate as a business ded- icated to serving our members in the best way possible,” said AQHA Exec- utive Vice President Craig Huffhines. “I encourage all AQHA members to read through the report for a statistical look at our Association.” Included in the Annual Report are the top-10 membership states/provinces/coun- tries in 2017: 1. Texas- 36,182 2. Cal- ifornia- 14,630 3. Oklahoma- 11,241 4. Colorado- 7,638 5. Ohio- 7,374 6. Florida- 6,475 7. Germany- 6,346 8. Alberta- 6,087 9. Missouri- 6,061 10. Arizona- 5,401


at


Report at www.aqha.com/annualre- port or download the executive sum- mary for a quick overview. Also in the report, 2017-18 AQHA President Ralph Seekins explains the priorities he focused on during his term as pres- ident.


Hall of Fame Inductees The 2018 American Quarter


Horse Hall of Fame inducted 11 leg- ends at convention: Princess Abigail Kawananakoa of Nuevo, California; Dr. Tom Lenz of Louisburg, Kansas; the late AQHA Past President Gene Graves of Grand Island, Nebraska; Georga and the late Raymond Sutton of Gettysburg, South Dakota; and the late Robert Sutherland of Kansas City, Missouri; the 1949 mare Maroon (TB), the 1960 stallion Otoe, the 1985 stallion Runaway Winner, the 1985 stallion Smart Chic Olena and the 1963 stallion The Ole Man. Learn more about the class of 2018 on the AQHA website. In addition to the Hall of Fame


inductions, Cathy Hanson of Fall- brook, California, was presented the 2017 Merle Wood Humanitarian Award.


Professionals of the Year The 2017 Don Burt Professional


Horseman of the Year, AQHA Profes- sional Horsewoman of the Year and Most Valuable Professional awards were presented on Saturday, March 3. The 2017 Don Burt Professional Horseman of the Year was Dan Trein of Seville, Ohio. The 2017 AQHA Professional Horsewoman of the Year was Holly Hover of Cave Creek, Ari- zona. The 2017 Most Valuable Profes- sional was Gretchen Mathes of Harwinton, Connecticut. Additional awards were presented to the 2017 Zoetis AQHA Best Remuda winner, Silver Spur Operating Co., and the 2017 AQHA Ranching Heritage Breeder of the Year, Crago Cattle Co.


AQHA Incentive Fund Checks Are In The Mail Owners of American Quarter


Horse Association Incentive Fund-en- rolled horses, as well as foal and stal- lion nominators, should start seeing their checks arrive for points earned during the 2017 show season. More than $1.26 million was paid to owners and nominators that earned Incentive Fund points in 2017. Each point earned at an AQHA-approved show in the open and/or amateur division by an Incentive Fund-nominated horse is worth a specific amount. For 2017, that amount was $21.21. In 2016, a point cap was intro-


duced, which equaled the average points earned, plus one. The point cap for 2017 was 21. The total payout for 2017 is $1,267,346.92. Last year, the Association an-


nounced it would soon be ceasing the AQHA Incentive Fund program. As a means to conclude the program, the AQHA Incentive Fund is not accept- ing foal nominations past 2018 and, effective last year, is no longer accept- ing stallion nominations. The AQHA Incentive Fund was a landmark pro- gram for the equine industry, having


The Canadian Quarter Horse Association is an affiliate of the AQHA. Annual membership is


on-line, visit the CQHA web site: www.cqha.ca, and choose


Choose “Affiliates” to link to provincial Quarter Horse & Racing Association sites. Contact: CQHA President,


Wayne Burwash, ph: 403-246-8283, email: president@cqha.ca


paid out more than $80 mil- lion in its lifetime. The fund was so successful that it be- came a model for many oth- ers. However, multiple factors in the past decade contributed to the Incentive Fund’s decline. Ultimately, lack of participation has led the AQHA Executive Com-


mittee to approve the incen- tive program’s termination. The conclusion of the pro- gram will allow time and re- sources to move to the research and development of new potential incentive programs. For more infor- mation on the incentive fund,


visit


www.aqha.com/incentive- fund.


Till next time if I can


be of assistance, please con- tact me at: Phone: (519) 345-2861, or by e-mail at: tbrkathy@hsfx.ca.


“Membership” section.


free to current members of AQHA. To enroll


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