|
| Deep
in the heart of Texas Wild! exhibit, an American
Paint Horse is the talk of the town
FORT WORTH-When officials
at the Fort Worth Zoo needed a horse to take
up residence in their new $40 million Texas
Wild! exhibit, they naturally turned to their
neighbors at the American Paint Horse Association
(APHA). They asked the Fort Worth-based association,
which has registered more than 612,000 American
Paint Horses since it was formed 39 years ago,
if it could come up with a horse that would
be an icon of the West, and Texas in particular..
 |
Ollie Oops, the American
Paint Horse at the Fort Worth Zoo's Texas
Wild! exhibit, has quickly become a favorite
with children.
Hirez JPEG (225 kb)
Hirez TIFF (1.91 mb) |
After an extensive search for just the right
horse, Jim Kelley, APHA assistant executive
secretary, found one in nearby Weatherford,
Texas. The easy-going, loud-colored gelding,
which goes by the name Ollie Oops, was a standout.
On behalf of APHA, Kelley acquired it and donated
it to the zoo as a gift from the association.
"Besides Ollie's great looks, he had all
the qualities we and the people at the Fort
Worth Zoo were looking for," said Kelley.
"This horse was born and raised in Texas.
Most recently, he was being ridden by children
in horse show competition, including our World
Championship Paint Horse Show last year. He
has accumulated show points in Trail and Western
Pleasure, and his quiet disposition and fluid
motion fit in perfectly with that type of riding.
"Also, something that was very important
to us is that this horse has a history of being
great around children. He's very gentle, and
we felt he was the perfect fit for interacting
with youngsters and people of all ages at the
zoo."
Michael Fouraker, executive director of the
Fort Worth Zoo, agreed.
"Ollie is sure to be a favorite among
visitors to Texas Wild! With his beautiful coat
pattern and great disposition, the zoo will
be able to use him in a capacity not typically
associated with zoo animals. We hope to have
horse care demonstrations in our Texas Town,
and the public will be able to watch his keepers
practice good horse husbandry.
"Paints are a great representation of a Texas
horse breed," said Fouraker. "The breed's
combination of color and conformation has made
Paints popular among Texans and throughout the
country. We are proud to house a Paint Horse at
Texas Wild!" |
|
|
The exhibit, which covers eight acres and includes more than
300 animals indigenous to the Lone Star State, is one of the
largest such displays of a state's flora and fauna. Throughout
the exhibit, guests discover amazing animal facts, the role
of man as a steward of the land, and our society's successes
and challenges in the area of conservation.
Ollie Oops is located in the heart of the exhibit in an area
called the Texas Town. The 1890s frontier town serves as the
information hub of the entire exhibit.
Visitors will also be able to experience geographic areas
of Texas that include the hill country, the high plains and
prairies, the pineywoods and swamps, the Texas gulf coast,
the brush country, and mountains and deserts.
The exhibit debuted June 15 and more than 1.5 million people
are expected to visit the zoo this year.
"We couldn't be more excited over the chance to introduce
children to horses in this type of a setting," said Kelley.
"And to be able to do it with a beautiful American Paint
Horse makes it extra special to us."
For more information about the Texas Wild! exhibit, log on
to the zoo's Web site at www.fortworthzoo.org,
or call (817) 871-7050.
More about the American Paint Horse Association
The American Paint Horse Association (APHA) has experienced
tremendous growth since its founding 39 years ago. The registry
was started by an adventurous woman named Rebecca Lockhart,
who was an avid admirer of beautifully colored animals and
horses of sound Western stock conformation. When she started
the registry in 1962 for Paints with colorful patterns and
desirable conformation, she attracted 150 members and registered
250 horses by the end of the year.
To date, APHA has registered more than 612,000 horses.
Membership in the association has also experienced dramatic
increases over the years and totaled more than 100,000 Paint
enthusiasts at the end of 2000.
The Fort Worth-based non-profit association employs 165 people
and maintains an operating budget of more than $15 million
for activities worldwide.
For more information about APHA or APHA programs, call (817)
834-2742, extension 788, or log on to www.apha.com. |
