The American Paint Horse Association and the National Reining Horse Association have formed an alliance that offers increased promotion and additional monetary incentive for Paint Horse owners competing at select NRHA events. Upping the ante on payouts already provided by the APHA Gelding Plus Program, the Paint Preferred Program will award money to the owners of the highest placing Paint Horses at these competitions, which include the NRHA Futurity and Derby, both held annually in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
“We are proud of the strategic marketing alliance with APHA,” said NRHA Executive Director Dan Wall. “This agreement further solidifies our ongoing efforts to promote Reining and the American Paint Horse. NRHA and APHA members can look forward to competing for nearly $100,000 in APHA performance incentive funds. It will truly pay to ride a Paint.”
APHA Executive Director Jim Kelley agrees that riding a Paint will pay off in big dividends for talented reiners. “Our members have a reputation for proving that Paint horses, in both our Regular and Breeding Stock registries, have exceptional abilities in the reining arena. We want to reward them for their efforts,” says Kelley.
Once again, at the 2005 NRHA Derby, scheduled for May 16–21, APHA will pay $2,500 to the owner of the highest-advancing Paint Horse in the Open Division and another $2,500 in the Non Pro Division.
Also in 2005, APHA will pay out bonus money to owners whose Paint Horses finish in the NRHA Top Ten standings in eight divisions: Open, Intermediate Open, Limited Open, Non Pro, Intermediate Non Pro, Limited Non Pro, Novice Horse Open, and Novice Horse Non Pro. If the year-end World Champion in any of these divisions is a Paint Horse the owner will earn $2,500. Additionally, $1,500 will be paid to the Reserve World Champion and $500 to any Top Ten horses if they are Paints!
The partnership with NRHA was created to reward Paint Horse owners who compete outside the APHA show ring. Unlike the Gelding Plus Program, there is no restriction on the gender of the horses competing.
“The NRHA is really excited about the alliance we have formed with the APHA,” says Dan Wall. “NRHA has always had a good working relationship with the staff and members of the APHA. The alliance solidifies our efforts to bring the best horses and competitors to both organizations and it will add even more weight to each association’s reining competitions in the way of credibility, prize money, and year-end earnings. To be able to award reining competitors $20,000 in added Futurity and Derby competition money as well as the year-end awards is quite impressive.”
Besides benefiting owners and members, promotional benefits will be offered with the new partnership between NRHA and APHA. It will provide cross-promotion for both associations, which will share performance information on horses’ records.
“We are very excited to now recognize NRHA earnings on official APHA performance records,” Wall said. “This is a tremendous marketing tool for breeders and owners within both associations. I believe to be able to work with the APHA to recognize registered Paint Horses in the year-end standings, and as a very competitive breed in the sport of Reining, will bring NRHA to the next level of recognition within the equine disciplines.”
For more information about the American Paint Horse and APHA, visit apha.com, or call (817) 834-2742, extension 433.
