March Board Of Directors Report from  Sandra Matthews Territory II, Zone C

Happy spring to all you Appaloosa lovers! I’ve returned from our Board of Directors meeting which was held in Albuquerque, New Mexico and where we discussed many issues important to the club and the members.

In less than 3 months, we will be having our 61^st National Appaloosa Show in Jackson, MS. Things are moving along and staff members have made several trips to make sure things are prepared. Several exciting things are planned. Ray Ainsworth, who currently stars in the highest rated television show on RFD TV, will be conducting several clinics during the show, and while he is there two episodes of his program will be filmed. Callaway, an emerging young singer from Mississippi and managed by Randy Jackson of American Idol, has agreed to do a benefit concert on June 28 with some of the proceeds going to the Appaloosa Youth Foundation. The Cowboy Way Trading Post will have a moonlight madness sale after the concert. Riata Ranch Cowboy Girls of California will giving exhibition performances, and there will be a freestyle reining exhibition. Watson Ford has signed a 3-year agreement with almost $100,000 sponsorship. This includes vehicles, cash and an exhibitor’s social. They will mention the show in much of their local television, print and billboard ads, all of which translates into thousands of dollars of advertising for us. Cypress Depot is pre-cutting and donating lumber to make stalls solid walled for tack rooms or to make stalls safer for stallions. They will also be taking advance orders for lumber and other supplies needed for stall decorations.

New classes added to the National Show are FPD halter classes and a Cowboy Mounted Shooting Association class. Also, there will be a Youth Judging Contest for both youth (18 & under) and collegiate divisions with both individual and team competitions.. So all you youth get a group together, be it 4-H, FFA, AYA or college, and join in the fun! Contact the Youth Coordinator at the ApHC for more information.

Our IT department is working on a really cool members only page. This page will allow you to track work you have in progress at the club as well as view information on all your Appaloosas. It is currently undergoing final design changes and internal beta testing. Additions to the web site will include adding video clips, scrapbooks and photos as well as profiling regional clubs and international affiliates.

Our presence internationally is growing. We approved the Appaloosa Horse Breeders Society of South Africa (AHBSSA) and the Asociacion del Caballo Appaloosa de Mexico as IRIP approved International Associations in 2009. We also reopened the Canadian Re-Registration Window for a 12-month period starting in July 2008.

A reminder to all youth members of college age to get your application in for the Appaloosa Youth Foundation scholarships. Deadline is June 10.

We took a gigantic step in the area of marketing. We authorized the Marketing Department to sign a 4-year contract with IEG Valuation Service for their assistance in obtaining marketing partners. After evaluating our association, they will help match us with corporations who would be interested in being affiliated with us.

Starting at the 2008 National and World Show, we will, on a trial basis, in the open classes only, eliminate the line-up under each judge and recognize the overall top 16 placings. Those in 11^th-16^th place will receive finalists ribbons and the top 10 will receive top 10 ribbons. Members of the show committee believe this will add more excitement, pomp and recognition to the winners. We want to know your opinions on this in order to determine whether to continue this practice in 2009. This does not affect the youth or non-pro classes. They will continue to have a line-up under each judge.

The show committee has recommended changing the non-pro age group divisions to 19-44 and 45 and over and non-pro would be limited to showing in one age group or the other. I have heard arguments both for and against this proposal. Please let your directors know your position on this, as it will be discussed again in July.

The show department will be looking into changing the dates of the Youth World Show to the end of the National Show rather than the beginning. It appears that in the east, the dates on which high school students take mandatory state education tests fall at the same time as the Youth World Show and therefore precludes them from attending. We will be looking to see how this will affect students in other areas of the country.

A committee will be looking into developing a formula for adjusting World Qualifying points annually. There would be a year lag between adjusting the points and publishing the required points so there should be no confusion as to how many points would be needed to qualify. This formula is to be presented at the July board meeting.

The Board of Directors also approved the initiation of developing an Appaloosa Horse Club 501©3 Foundation. This would make it easier for donations to be made to the association, enhance our ability to support various aspects of the breed and equine activities and allow us to apply for grants. A board of directors separate from the ApHC would run this organization.

An auxiliary registration is being looked at. This would be a place where horses that look like an Appaloosa but do not fit into the regular registry or have an Appaloosa parent and a non-approved outcross parent would be able to get registration papers. They would never be able to be registered in the main registry nor would they be allowed to compete in ApHC events. If enough interest was shown, events and awards for these horses could possibly be set up.

In 2007, our registration numbers this year were down 12% but this trend is evident in many of the other major breed associations, and it is not specific to the ApHC. However, transfers were up 4% so horses are selling. The Performance Permit program outdid its expectations with 596 permits processed last year. 30 additional permits were applied for by the end of 2007 but were not included in the total because processing was not completed by year’s end. Requests for Foundation Pedigree Designation were down 14%. There were 22,728 members in 2007, which is down 1,458 members from 2006.

We need to not only attract new members but also keep them. When someone new shows up at one of your events, have someone take them under their wing and show them the ropes and be a mentor. We want everyone to feel welcome and not get discouraged. If you participate at open shows and you see someone with an Appaloosa, go over and say “hi” and encourage them to use the ACAAP program or drop by a breed show and check things out or even just check out the regional club and see if they’d be interested in joining. There are a lot of things we can do to get our membership to grow if we just all get together and do it.

I hope some of you will make it to the National Show and I’ll be able to meet you. All of the meetings are going to be on the fairgrounds so members will have easy access to them. In the meantime, here is to blue ribbons and spotted foals.