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| Paint Horse
gelding earns $10,000 in APHA prize money at
NRCHA futurity
FORT WORTH, Texas-The American
Paint Horse Association (APHA) Gelding Plus
program and Guninics Smoke both came up winners
at the National Reined Cow Horse Association
(NRCHA) Futurity held recently in Reno, Nevada.
As the highest-placing Paint
gelding in the Non-Pro and Open divisions of
the futurity, Guninics Smoke took home $10,000
in prize money from APHA.
"One of the great opportunities
at this event was having the ability to showcase
the Gelding Plus program and APHA to thousands
of NRCHA members," said APHA Assistant Executive
Secretary Jim Kelley.
Awarding prize money to a
deserving horse like Guninics Smoke further
stimulated interest in the Gelding Plus program
from horse owners and trainers, Kelley said.
Owned by Pat and Judy Hubbert
of Sebastopol, California, Guninics Smoke was
shown by the Hubberts' daughter Debbie in the
Non-Pro division and by Pat in the Open.
In August, APHA made four
Gelding Plus payouts totaling $20,000 at the
National Snaffle Bit Association Reichert Pleasure
Celebration in Waterloo, Iowa. In addition to
the awards at that event and the NRCHA Futurity,
APHA plans to give out $20,000 more in prize
money in the weeks ahead.
At select futurities, the
highest-advancing registered Paint geldings
in both the Open and Non-Pro divisions will
each receive a $5,000 cash award from APHA.
Dates, events and locations of these events
include:
Nov. 24-Dec. 2-National
Reining Horse Association Futurity, Oklahoma
City, Okla.
Nov. 24-Dec. 10-National
Cutting Horse Association Futurity, Fort Worth,
Texas
Dec. 2001-Barrel Futurities
of America World Barrel Futurity, Oklahoma
City, Okla.
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Added money means added incentive
The APHA developed the Paint Gelding Plus program two years
ago to give owners and breeders of Regular Registry and Breeding
Stock Paint geldings an added opportunity to earn prize money
and increase the market value of their horses.
By the end of the year, APHA will have awarded
cash bonuses totaling $50,000 through the incentive program.
In 2001, enrolled geldings will reach the Barrel Futurities
of America age requirement, qualifying for Paint Gelding Plus
bonuses.
Then, a total of $60,000 will be awarded
annually.
The program is already stimulating increased
interest in Paint Horses, especially performance-bred geldings.
APHA goes to bat for geldings
"The APHA really stepped up to the plate by adding money to
the purse and helping us in what we're trying to do in the
area of performance," said Karla Clark, NRCHA show secretary.
"Our event is hard to do, and people have more incentive to
give it a try because the money is so good.
"I think this is a fabulous program," Clark
continued. "Any time you can add money to the purse, it adds
interest and makes a show more appealing."
Clark predicted that next year, as people
become increasingly aware of the high-dollar awards, even
more Paint geldings will be vying for Gelding Plus prize money.
"It's a great incentive for people, because
they're saying, 'Now I can take my gelding somewhere and make
some good money with him.' "
Find out more
Seeing to it that Paint geldings get the credit they deserve,
while adding market value to the horses at the same time,
drove the concept of developing the Paint Gelding Plus Program.
To qualify for Gelding Plus, the horse
must be foaled in 1997 or later and registered as a gelding
prior to his 3-year-old year, or gelded and his status change
reported prior to his 3-year-old year. Enrollment is automatic
and applies to horses in the Regular or Breeding Stock registries.
Owners of the horses must be current members of APHA.
For more information on the Gelding Plus
Program, visit the APHA's Gelding Plus Web site at http://www.apha.com/geldingplus
To learn more about the American Paint Horse Association, visit
the association's Web site at http://apha.com
or call (817) 834-2742, extension 788. |
