World Championship Paint Horse Show
newcomers can vie for Rookie of the World honors

FORT WORTH, Texas—New at this year’s World Championship Paint Horse Show— scheduled June 26 to July 9 in Fort Worth—is the Rookie of the World award, which will be presented to five competitors who are new to exhibiting at the event.

Those eligible include competitors and owners who have never earned a point at an APHA World Show.

The Rookie of the World award will be presented in five divisions:
• Youth 13 & Under
• Youth 14-18
• Novice Amateur
• Amateur
• Open

The winners will be chosen based on the total number of points they earn at the World Show, with the highest-advancing rookie in both Youth divisions and in the Amateur and Novice divisions receiving awards, as well as the owner of the highest-advancing horse(s) in the Open division.

The award is not based on a one-horse/one-rider or a one horse/one-owner combination. Instead, in the Open division, points will be combined on all the horses a person owns. In the Youth and Amateur divisions, points will combined on all horses a person exhibits.

Tabulation will be based on how many APHA points are earned in each division under each judge.

Each division winner receives $1,000 cash and a custom-made trophy belt buckle.

"APHA created the Rookie of the World awards to encourage exhibitors who are either new to the World Championship Paint Horse Show or have never earned points there" said Tina Anderson, Ph. D., APHA director of shows.

"With more than 1,800 horses and 4,500 entries, the World Show has grown quite large. We want to make sure all exhibitors, even those new to the competition, have the opportunity to gain recognition. The Rookie of the World Awards allow us to do just that.

"We fully expect to see some very talented people vying for Rookie of the World honors, and then becoming veteran exhibitors for years to come."

The award is sponsored by Horse Illustrated, Young Rider and Gist Silversmiths.