APHA's popular Breeders Trust program expanded to include Paint racehorses

FORT WORTH, Texas-The American Paint Horse Association (APHA) has announced major improvements to a one-of-a-kind incentive program that now includes breeders, owners and others involved with Paint racehorses. Known as the APHA Breeders Trust, the program has quadrupled its payouts over the past four years. Since payouts in the program were first made in 1997, APHA has awarded more than $2 million to participants, with $663,260 awarded to 1,545 individuals just this year.

APHA's lucrative Breeders Trust program is now open to Paint racehorses. In previous years, only breeders, owners and others involved with show horses were eligible to participate. Pictured is Cherokee Indian, a stallion subscribed in the Breeders Trust program. The legendary Paint racer has sired a long list of champions who have earned victories and high honors over two decades in both barrel racing and sprint racing. (photo by Ross Hecox, APHA) . Hirez JPEG (304 kb) Hirez TIFF (1.85 mb)

In previous years, only breeders, owners and others involved with show horses were eligible to participate.

Under new rules for the 2002 breeding, showing and racing seasons, starting January 1, 2002, the payout percentage to those who subscribe a stallion in the program will double. Other improvements to the program are designed to bolster participation even further, which in turn would increase the total payout amount.

In this program, a person may "subscribe," or enroll, a stallion in Breeders Trust for an annual fee. Offspring resulting from breedings to that stallion may then be "nominated," or enrolled in the program, for a specific fee. Enrollment money, including interest accrued in the APHA Breeders Trust Fund, is later paid out to these stallion subscribers, as well as the nominators and owners of the stallion's offspring, based on points earned by those horses at APHA-approved races and shows each year. Depending on the success of the nominated horses, payments to their owners and nominators, as well as the subscriber of the horse's sire, may continue for the life of the competitive horses.

Following are highlights of the program:
-- Stallions, which must be enrolled by November 30 of the year prior to the start of the breeding season, are subscribed annually for their highest advertised breeding fee.
-- Offspring resulting from the stallion's breedings can then be nominated for life for a one-time enrollment fee, ranging from $100 to $800. The fee varies depending on the age at which the horse is enrolled.
-- No horse is accepted in the program after its 2-year-old year, or if it has earned points in APHA competition.
-- Trust money is divided and paid annually, beginning when a subscribed stallion's foals reach their yearling year. Payouts are based on the total number of point-earning horses enrolled in the program and the number of points earned by those horses during a given year.

Recent changes and improvements

-- Racehorses are now included in the program. Points earned at all APHA-approved races starting in 2002 are eligible for the Breeders Trust payout.
-- Starting with payments in March 2003 for the 2002 show and race season, the percentage of the payout to stallion subscribers doubles. The recorded owner of the stallion's offspring-with ownership determined by who owns the horse on December 31 of the show and race season-receives 70 percent of the dividend, the stallion subscriber receives 20 percent and the nominator of the stallion's offspring receives 10 percent.
-- Subscribers of stallions standing for their first breeding season now have until March 31 to enroll their horse without penalty. The November 30 deadline remains in effect for all previously enrolled stallions.
-- The stallion subscription re-enrollment form has been condensed to make re-enrollment easier.
-- Anyone can now subscribe a stallion to the Breeders Trust for a specific year, if that person obtains the stallion owner's permission. The subscriber then receives the money earned from the subscription for that particular breeding season.
-- The minimum private treaty or "does not stand to public" fee increases to $700, effective for the 2002 breeding season.
-- The deadline and late fee schedule for stallion subscriptions has changed to the following:

Learn more about Breeders Trust