Hall of Fame
The American Paint Horse Foundation honors those who paved the way and shaped our breed by inducting them into the Hall of Fame.
History of the Hall of Fame
In celebration of its 50th anniversary, APHA set out to honor the breed’s most influential horses and horsemen. But with such a colorful history, so many milestones and priceless contributors, choosing just 25 horses and 25 horsemen was an arduous task. A five-member Hall of Fame Selection Committee was charged with developing the induction criteria, reviewing the association’s long list of history-makers, and narrowing the field of candidates down to 50 inaugural inductees.
This first Hall of Fame class was inducted during the 2012 APHA Convention in Fort Worth. Each inductee received an irreplaceable bronze award created by renowned equine sculptor Clay Gant of Cowboy Bronze. Bronzes for each equine inductee were painted to match the horse’s coat pattern.
Ten more outstanding contributors to Paint Horse history comprised APHA’s second Hall of Fame class and were inducted during the 2014 APHA Convention. The 2014 class, comprised of five horsemen and four horses were inducted during the 2015 APHA Convention. Three couples, two horsemen and five horses made up the 2015 class and were inducted during the 2016 APHA Convention in Richmond, Virginia. The 2016 Hall of Fame class is made up of two horsemen and six horses and will be inducted during the 2017 APHA Convention in Irving, Texas
We encourage you to spend some time learning their unique stories, and to be inspired by their passion for the American Paint Horse.