NEWS

Guidelines for the American Morgan Horse Association's Open Competition Program for the 2019 season are now available online, and can be found here. For more information on this program, contact Kristen Kelly at (802) 985-4944 ext. 401 or kristen@morganhorse.com. -- via AMHA

The American Saddlebred Horse Association is accepting applications for the first Licensed Officials Live Clinic on March 14-16, 2019. The clinic will be held live in Scottsdale, Arizona. Apply now for March 14-16 Live Clinic Licensed Officials Requirement Templates are now available for the American Saddlebred, Hackney, Roadster and Saddle Seat Equitation judges licenses. Below is the link to these templates to learn more about becoming a licensed judge. They include eligibility and prerequisites, application requirements and license maintenance. Licensed Officials Requirements The next webinar is on September 9-10, 2019. -- via ASHA

The American Hackney Horse Society has released the Kentucky State Fair qualifying rules for Adult Amateur and Junior Exhibitor Hackney Pleasure Driving pony classes at the 2019 World's Championship Horse Show. The qualifying period for the 2019 WCHS is July 1, 2018, through June 30, 2019. * All ponies must qualify to compete in the Adult Amateur and Junior Exhibitor Hackney Show Pleasure Driving Divisions of the Kentucky State Fair World’s Championship Horse Show. * Ponies will be entered in these divisions only if they have been shown in a minimum of six (6) classes, in three (3) or more different competitions, in the Hackney Show Pleasure Driving or Hackney Country Pleasure Divisions, beginning July 1, of the

The 2019 American Morgan Horse Association Convention is just 10 days away.  This is a different kind of Convention and is one you won't want to miss! Lunch at Sea World; clinics and a barbeque dinner/dance at Twisted Rose Farm; a Night Under the Stars; the Howie Schatzberg Golf Tournament; and the AMHA Awards Gala are just some of the special events planned, along with the usual array of exciting seminars and meetings. We are honoring the Early Bird price, so don't miss out!   Planning on just attending the Awards Gala? Get your tickets before February 1, as tickets may not be available after that date.  Go to

The American Saddlebred Registry will be offering an amnesty on penalty fees for complete transfers of ownership postmarked in February 2019. This means that penalty fees will not be assessed regardless of the date of sale. The $65 transfer fee will apply. This is a great opportunity to update recorded ownership on registered horses where the chain of ownership is not current. In order to be eligible for the amnesty rate all necessary signatures, documents and fees must be included with the original submission. In addition, for those not in possession of the registration certificate with the gold seal, a notarized affidavit will have to be submitted along with four current color photos and a $50 fee. A

The American Saddlebred Registry Kentucky, Kentucky Amateur and National 3-Year-Old Futurities payment deadline for previously nominated yearlings, 2-year-olds and 3-year-olds is Thursday, January 31, 2019. Payments must be faxed, emailed or postmarked and mailed on or before January 31. In addition, owners of 3-year-olds (foaled in 2016), not previously nominated in the foaling year, may “buy-in” to the ASR National 3-Year-Old Futurity by January 31, 2019. Any registered 3-year-old will be allowed to be nominated for a one-time payment of $5,000. If the sire and/or dam were not nominated, an additional fee of $100 for the sire nomination and $25 for the dam nomination must also be p

It was standing room only at the United Professional Horsemen's Association’s Safe Sport forum held during the recent UPHA National Conference in Palm Springs, California, January 15-19, 2019. "Safe Sport: An Open Forum" was presented by the UPHA Governance Committee, moderated by its chair, Tammie Conatser, and UPHA Governance Committee member, Donna Pettry-Smith. During the forum, attendees had the opportunity to ask questions about Safe Sport policies and procedures and express their concerns to the panelists, which consisted of USEF General Counsel, Sonja Keating; USEF Chief Executive Officer, Bill Moroney; and US Center for SafeSport representative, Eric Barreras. The forum was approximately two and

The American Morgan Horse Association has released updates on the National Museum of the Morgan Horse. * The museum director position was eliminated from the NMMH budget effective December 29, 2018. Therefore, the museum is temporarily closed to all research requests and other collections/archives questions while it transitions through a restructuring period. For any questions assistance during this time, email AMHA at info@morganhorse.com. * The Board of Directors continue to work diligently to ensure the proper placement and continuation of the National Museum of the Morgan Horse. Unfortunately, the previously outlined proposal from the Easter

The American Morgan Horse Association offers 5 percent of the net from the annual AMHA/World Morgan Futurity Stallion Service Auction to financially challenged Morgan competitions. Grant requirements must be met, and the maximum amount a show can receive is $1,000. Applications are currently being accepted and must be received by AMHA before January 31, 2019. To have a show considered for a 2019 Morgan Show Grant, download the application here. -- via AMHA

The year 2018 was one of change for the United Professional Horsemen's Association Ribbons of Service program. Participation levels were developed as an incentive to reward youth with gifts and recognition for completing community service hours and collecting donations for their approved nonprofit charity. In an effort to include college students, the program participant age was increased to 21 & under. These changes proved to be rewarding as participants were honored with gifts and scholarships at the 2019 UPHA National Conference which took place January 15-19, 2019 in Palm Springs, California.  Congratulations to the Ribbons of Service participants completing a minimum of 10 community service hou

The 2019 United Professional Horsemen's Association National Conference concluded on January 19 with a spirit of unity and purpose that left attendees optimistic and excited for the coming season and the future of the industry. American Hackney Horse Society, American Road Horse & Pony Association, American Saddlebred Museum, American Saddlebred Horse Association, American Saddlebred Registry, and UPHA hosted meetings and forums on various topics of concern to the collective memberships. Many of the forums and meetings were attended by American Morgan Horse Association leadership and general membership as well. Of great consequence was the formation of an ad hoc committee with representati

The American Morgan Horse Educational Charitable Trust/World Morgan Futurity Stallion Service Auction has an all-star lineup of 2019 Morgan stallions generously donated by their owners, which includes new prospects, returning stallions, and some world champions crowned at the 2018 Grand National. All proceeds from this auction will benefit the World Morgan Futurity, regional shows, and American Morgan Horse Association's show grant and marketing programs. This year's auction will begin online, and the top 10 bids will go to the live auction, to be held at the AMHA Convention, February 7-9, in San Antonio, Texas. This year's stallions available via auction include: Astronomicallee

The American Morgan Horse Association is hosting a “live” US Center for Safe Sport Training in conjunction with its upcoming 2019 Annual Meeting and Convention being held in San Antonio, Texas. The training, led by US Center for Safe Sport Training and Technical Assistance Manager Dan Mills will be held from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. local Central time on Wednesday, February 6 at the Hyatt Regency Hill Country Resort & Spa, located at 9800 Hyatt Resort Drive, San Antonio, Texas 78251. This training can be completed in lieu of the online course with the US Center for Safe Sport and will satisfy the training requirement for US Equestrian members. If you attend this live training presentation, your safe sport training requi

** Following is an Open Letter Released to Association Members of UPHA, ASHA, AHHS, AMHA and ARHPA ** To our Members, A unified effort is under way to increase negotiating power with the United States Equestrian Federation (USEF). Leadership from the American Saddlebred Horse Association, the American Hackney Horse Society, American Road Horse and Pony Association and United Professional Horseman’s Association agreed to band together to address many concerns regarding USEF including minimal promotion of these breeds, lack of communication and unresolved policy issues. The American Morgan Horse Association has been invited to participate pending their board approval. Our organizations believe

The American Saddlebred Horse Association, in conjunction with the United Breeders Committee (UBC), has announced the winners of the Stallion Sweeps program. In its inaugural year, the program was a huge success. All funds raised from this program will be used to promote American Saddlebred breeding. The ASHA and the UBC are extremely grateful to everyone that made this program a success, especially the stallion owners that donated seasons. Tickets were available for purchase until Thursday January 17, 2019. The drawing was held Friday, January 18, 2019, at 12 p.m. ET. The winners for each breeding are:  Callaway’s Northern Kiss - Deborah Orr Carl Lynn - Ther

The United States Equestrian Federation has announced that it has initiated proceedings to terminate the recognized affiliate status of the American Endurance Ride Conference as soon as possible following the AERC Board of Director’s approval of a disaffiliation motion on January 14, 2019, indicating that it wishes to terminate its affiliation with USEF as of December 1, 2019. While USEF shares AERC’s concerns regarding horse welfare, the Federation considers this delayed disaffiliation to be contrary to the best interest of the future of endurance sport on a national and international level. During AERC’s p

The Minnesota Limited Breeders Stallion Service Auction allows participants the chance to breed to top American Saddlebred stallions and win prize money in the Minnesota Limited Breeders Stake. This year includes services to top stallions, including Sir William Robert, Booker Noe, Gothic Revival, Samur, Delirium, Diabolical and many more. Phone bidding has started and will continue until 7 p.m. on February 9. Contact Margaret Easton (612) 618-0285; Stephanie Beckman (952) 412-5812; or Don Tradup (507) 884-1503 to place your bids. Also, members of the Minnesota Limited Breeders committee will be on hand to answer questions and take live bids until 7 p.m. on February 9, 2

The 2019 American Morgan Horse Association Convention is going to be a new kind of Convention. Slated to take place February 7-9 in San Antonio, Texas, at the Hyatt Regency Hill Country Resort and Spa, the weekend begins Thursday with the AMHA Board of Directors meeting and Open session, followed by a two-hour discussion on the state of the Morgan industry and the USEF Safe Sport Act. A barn clinic will take place that afternoon at Diane and Murphy Lents' Twisted Rose Farm, followed by a barbeque dinner and dance on the premises. On Friday, Patrick Benson of "War Horses for Veterans" will give the keynote address followed by a private tour of Sea World. Friday evening will be "A Night Under th

The American Saddlebred Museum is holding a workshop entitled Trophy Flowers on Thursday, February 21, from 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. at the Museum, located at 4083 Iron Works Parkway, Lexington, Kentucky. Floral designer Elizabeth Hemphill of Rose & Thistle will demonstrate how to create the perfect floral arrangement for a trophy. Participants should bring their own vessel which will be used to create a design to take home. Workshop instructor, Elizabeth Hemphill, is a life-long Saddlebred enthusiast. She grew up in Houston, Texas, and has many fond memories of showing her American Saddlebreds across the country. Rose & Thistle specializes in weddings and high-end events, and Elizabeth draws from European tr

Reservations for the host hotel for the 2019 American Morgan Horse Association Convention, the Hyatt Regency Hill Country Resort & Spa in San Antonio, Texas, are selling fast and have been extended to Thursday, January 17. The 2019 AMHA Convention dates are February 7-9. The Hyatt Regency Hill Country Resort and Spa is a beautiful luxury resort and AMHA is offering a special room rate -- a savings of more than $100 with the $35 resort fees included in the room rate. Reserve a room(s) now so you can stay on site! Contact the hotel at (210) 647-1234 and request that your reservation be placed under the AMHA’s Annual Convention group rate for $199 (single/double) plus taxes per night. AMHA cannot guarantee a

AMERICAN SADDLEBRED HORSE ASSOCIATION AOT Awards This award, which was launched in 2018, is designed to recognize the achievements of the AOT’s exhibiting horses registered with the American Saddlebred Registry and competing in all disciplines at all levels. SINGLE HORSE DIVISION Phyllis Brannon, Pittsburgh, PA Courtney Stefanik, Linden, MI MULTIPLE HORSE DIVISION Joan Hammond, Xenia, OH Stacey Kipper-Perrelli, Aurora, CA _____________ ASHA Breed Ambassador Awards ASHA has announced the fourth annual ASHA Breed Ambassador Award winners. The ASHA Breed Ambassador Award was designed to recognize those ac

The Kentucky Tourism, Arts and Heritage Foundation has announced that it has received an endowment gift of $1 million from William Blacklaw of Oregon City, Oregon, which will be used to establish the “Barbara Blacklaw Memorial Fund”  to benefit the Kentucky State Fair World Championship Horse Show. The endowment will be invested in an interest-bearing account. Accrued interest on the endowment will be disbursed annually, commencing in August 2019, to provide additional prize money to the owners of ribbon winners of the Five-Gaited World’s Grand Championship competition held on the final night of the World’s Championship Horse Show each year. “We cannot thank Mr. Blacklaw enough

For the first time ever, the United Professional Horsemen's Association Live Auction items, as well as exclusive once-in-a-lifetime Silent Auction Ride/Drives on current World Champions are now being offered with live bidding to the public. To bid now on the items listed below, click on the following link: UPHALiveBidNow 1) Four-day/three-night stay in Carson Kressley's Park Avenue Apartment in the Big Apple: Coach airfare for two from anywhere in the Continental US. Two tickets to a Broadway show - Your choice of: Phantom of the Opera or King Kong with a private backstage tour with one of the stars, followed by dinner for two

The Board of Directors for the Oklahoma Centennial Horse Show has made the difficult decision to not host a 2019 show. The decision was made in part due to decreasing numbers in participants/horses, financial contributions and dates that would consistently compete with out-of-state shows which made it no longer sustainable to continue in a manner that provided a high-quality horse show for participants. Any questions, contact at okchorseshow@gmail.com. -- via American Morgan Horse Association

The American Saddlebred Futurity of Iowa Limited Breeders' Auction will take place February 9, 2019, at 5 p.m. at Prairie Meadows Racetrack and Casino, in Altoona, Iowa. First-time buyers credit is available prize money in excess of $30,000. Download the flyer for more information. -- via American Saddlebred Horse Association

The American Saddlebred Museum has announced that the 25th Annual Victory Pass Raffle will be held (before Kentucky State Fair room contracts are due) during the Kentucky Spring Premier Horse Show in April. The much-anticipated event is an annual favorite with an exciting chance to win a premium package to the World’s Championship Horse Show in Louisville, Kentucky. For $10 per ticket, or a pack of 12 tickets for $100, attendees can purchase the opportunity to win a prize package worth more than $3,600, including: A week’s stay at the Crown Plaza Louisville August 18-25 4 Lower Level Box Seats for every performance A VIP Parking Pass for the week Golf Cart Re

US Equestrian has announced the 2019 U.S. Saddle Seat Young Riders Coaching Team. Coach Christy Parker (Brunswick, Ga.) and Assistant Coach Mary Mag Wilson (Cave Creek, Ariz.) will work together in coaching the 2019 U.S. Saddle Seat Young Riders Stars and Stripes Teams. The Stripes Team will compete at the 2019 U.S. Saddle Seat Invitational Test Event on May 2-3 in New Orleans, Louisiana, against teams from South Africa. The Stars Team will compete at the 2019 U.S. Saddle Seat Invitational Test Event on October 31 - November 2 in Las Vegas, Nevada, against Canada. Parker has more than 25 years of experience teaching, training, and coaching. She is the instructor of multiple saddle seat Equitation champions and U.S. Sadd

US Equestrian has announced the selection of the 2019 U.S. Saddle Seat Young Riders Stripes and Stars Teams. The Stripes Team will compete at the 2019 U.S. Saddle Seat Invitational Test Event from May 2-3, in New Orleans, Louisiana, against teams from South Africa. The Stars Team will compete at the 2019 U.S. Saddle Seat Invitational Test Event from October 31 - November 2, in Las Vegas, Nevada, against Canada. Following an incredible number of applications received from saddle seat breed members around the country, the following athletes have been selected to the U.S. Saddle Seat Young Riders Stripes and Stars Teams. U.S. Saddle Seat Young Riders Stripes Team Three-Gaited Kerrianne Adamek (Murrysvi

The American Saddlebred Horse Association will join the United Professional Horsemen's Association Conference for 2019 in beautiful Southern California at the Riviera Resort and Spa in Palm Springs, California. Members are invited to join ASHA and attend the ASHA Annual Membership meeting on January 17. ASHA EVENTS AND MEETINGS Wednesday, January 16, 2019 ASHA Board of Directors Meeting Thursday, January 17, 2019 ASHA Luncheon and Awards Presentation ASHA Annual Membership Meeting ASHA Riding Program Council Friday January 18, 2019 ASHA Charter Club Council Saturday January 19, 2019 ASHA Strateg

Voting is open for the 2019 Election of American Morgan Horse Association Board of Directors. Electronic (email) ballots and instructions were emailed to all eligible voters on December 21, 2018. In addition, hard copy ballots were mailed to all eligible voters on December 14, 2018. All 2018 AMHA members 18 years of age and older and in good standing are eligible to cast a vote. Paper ballots were mailed to the addresses on file with the AMHA office. Electronic ballots (in addition to the paper ballots) were emailed if the eligible voter had an email on file with AMHA. Members may vote either by using the paper ballot or voting via the online voting portal. If you did not receive an electronic ballot (in your inbox or junk m

The 34th annual Wisconsin Limited Breeders Stallion Service Auction will be held Sunday, January 13, 2019, at the Thunder Bay Restaurant in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The event begins at 11 a.m. with a buffet brunch followed by the annual meeting at 12:30 p.m. The live stallion service auction will begin at 1 p.m., featuring the nation's top producing stallions. Weanlings declared from the sold stallions will compete for top prize money in 2020 at the Wisconsin Futurity Horse Festival. Prize money is paid to 10 places.  The Dr. Rick Luft Limited Breeders Weanling Stake of Wisconsin was the first American Saddlebred prize program of its kind in the nation. It is the second largest program in

The American Saddlebred Registry will be offering amnesty on penalty fees for complete Transfers of Ownership postmarked in February 2019. This means that penalty fees will not be assessed regardless of the date of sale. The $65 transfer fee will apply. This is a great opportunity to update recorded ownership on registered horses where the chain of ownership is not current. Note, that in order to be eligible for the amnesty rate, all necessary signatures, documents and fees must be included with the original submission. In addition, if you are not in possession of the registration certificate with the gold seal, a notarized affidavit will have to be submitted along with four current color photos and a $50 fee.

Runway and Rescue will take place on Friday, February 15, at 7 p.m. at Churchill Down’s Starting Gate Suite. American Saddlebred Museum board member Carson Kressley will emcee the evening’s festivities, which include a fashion show, entertainment, cocktails, and heavy hors d’oeuvres. This fundraiser event will benefit the American Saddlebred Museum and select, non-profit, American Saddlebred rescues. Rodeo Drive will provide fashions modeled by professionals as well as members of the Saddlebred community. Sponsorship opportunities for Runway and Rescue are available at the $5,000, $2,500, $500 levels and individual tickets are $75 per person ($100 for non-members). Tickets can be purchased on

The American Saddlebred Horse Association has announced that it is in need of understanding the business and corporate affiliations of its membership base. In an effort to gain a more informed look at who its members are, the association is promoting a survey of the membership. Survey responses are greatly appreciated and will be the start of a major opportunity to further the development and promotion of the American Saddlebred. ASHA Sponsorship Survey -- via ASHA

The American Morgan Horse Association has announced the horses that have earned Open Competition Medallions following the 2018 competition year. AMHA will present the awards at the new “Night Under the STARS” event in San Antonio, Texas, at the 2019 Annual Meeting and Convention on Friday, February 8. (Medallions not picked up at this event will be mailed to the owners at the address on file with AMHA the following week.)   OPEN SHOWS Bronze CAL Shining Star Fox Brush Custom Design Leambro Somelikeithot She’s Isadora Silver Glass Rail’s Ebony Tigre Gold Springlake Not

Following the Thursday morning American Morgan Horse Association Board of Directors meeting (which is open to all) on February 7, there will be an entire seminar session covering all things regarding Safe Sport. Moderators will include US Equestrian’s CEO Bill Moroney, and legal counsel, Sonja Keating. Following the Safe Sport Seminar, AMHA will move into an open forum session in a town hall type setting. Attendees with questions and concerns should be sure to attend the seminar so they can receive the latest information and express their thoughts. The Convention will be held February 6-9 in San Antonio, Texas. Visit https://www.morganhorse.com/media-events/convention/ for more information. -- via AMHA