American Paint Horse Association awards
more than $1 million in Breeders Trust incentive awards

FORT WORTH—American Paint Horse Association (APHA) Breeders Trust, an incentive program for Paint Horse owners, exhibitors, racers and breeders, paid out a record $1,008,571 recently to 2,486 people. This was the second consecutive year the program paid out more than $1 million.

The Breeders Trust incentive funds are based on a point value system, with each point being worth a specific amount of money. Yearly dividends are paid to subscribed stallion owners, foal nominators and recorded owners of horses enrolled in the program.

Rookie Amateur wins highest dividend
Alisa Bernhard of Germantown, Wisconsin, was a big winner in APHA’s Breeders Trust program during her first year showing as an Amateur. Bernhard’s 8-year-old sorrel overo gelding, Fleetstreet Max, was the Number 1 horse in 2004 by money earned. “Max” earned 1,615 points for a total dividend of $24,4165.80.

“I sure am glad that my horse is enrolled in this program,” Bernhard said. “The money he earned helps pay for all the shows I attended last year.”

In the Breeders Trust program, the stallion subscriber receives 20 percent of the dividend, the foal nominator 10 percent, and the foal’s recorded owner on December 31 of the showing year receives 70 percent.

Bernhard was awarded $17,091.74 of Max’s Breeders Trust earnings. Bernhard’s mother, Susan, received $2,441.67 of the purse as the nominator. Angela Brama of Stillwater, Minnesota, received $4,883.35 as the subscriber of Max’s sire, Fleet Machine.

Alisa Bernhard said that her prized gelding has a unique personality.

“He has a lot of energy, loves to play, is extremely smart, learns things quickly, and loves to show,” Alisa said. “When he’s in a class, he always has his ears up and likes to look at everything. He’s the kind of horse I can get on bareback … He is so much fun!”

Zippos Sensation named Number 1 stallion for fourth year
Zippos Sensation’s foals earned the most money in 2004, making the 12-year-old sorrel overo stallion the Number 1 Breeders Trust stallion for the fourth consecutive year. Sixty-two of his foals earned a total of $56,165.80.

“Zippo,” who was sired by Zippo Pine Bar AQHA and is out of Satin N Lace, is owned by Lynn and Andrea Simons of Aubrey, Texas. The stallion was bred by Joe Bachmuth of Cullman, Alabama.

The Simons first subscribed Zippo to Breeders Trust in 1996. The stallion now has 207 offspring nominated to the program.

Andrea said that they promote the program anytime someone is interested in breeding to Zippo or purchasing one his foals. Many of the Simons’ clients have been able to pay their show fees through the program by owning nominated foals, who earn money through Breeders Trust.

Zippo’s highest money-earning foal in 2004 was Zippos Easy Rider, earning 547 points worth $8,269.95 in Breeders Trust money.

The Simons were awarded a special Leading Stallion custom belt buckle, courtesy of Gist Silversmiths.