American Quarter Horse Association facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
American Quarter Horse Association

American Quarter Horse Association logo
Amarillo Location in Texas American Quarter Horse Association
Abbreviation	AQHA
Formation	March 14, 1940; 85 years ago (1940-03-14)
Legal status	Association
Headquarters	Amarillo, Texas
Region served	Worldwide
Membership	221,251
President	F.E. "Butch" Wise

The American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA) is a big group that helps take care of the American Quarter Horse. It's based in Amarillo, Texas, but it works all over the world. AQHA makes sure these horses are well-known and helps keep track of their family trees.

This group also organizes many fun horse events and keeps the official list of all American Quarter Horses. Plus, they have a special museum called the American Quarter Horse Hall of Fame and Museum. They also teach people all about these amazing horses. AQHA started in 1940 in Fort Worth, Texas. Today, it has over 234,000 members, with more than 32,000 from other countries.

History of the American Quarter Horse Association

Outside of the American Quarter Horse Association's Heritage Center and Museum in Amarillo, Texas

The American Quarter Horse Association began on March 15, 1940. This first meeting happened in Fort Worth, Texas. The idea came from articles written by Robert M. Denhardt in the 1930s. He wrote about the history and special qualities of the Quarter Horse.

In 1939, Denhardt wrote an article in Western Horseman magazine. He suggested that people interested in these horses should meet. About 75 people came to the meeting in Fort Worth. They decided to create a non-profit group to keep records of the breed. Thirty-six people bought shares in the new group. They also chose a board of directors and leaders.

Early Challenges and New Groups

For the first five years, AQHA was the only group that registered American Quarter Horses. But there were some disagreements. People argued about which horses could be registered. They also debated how much non-Quarter Horse blood was allowed in the breed.

Another issue was that only people who owned shares in AQHA could vote. Some horse breeders felt this gave too much power to a few people. Horse racing was also a big topic. Some breeders wanted AQHA to support racing more. They also wanted to add more Thoroughbred horses to the Quarter Horse breed.

Because of these disagreements, two new groups were formed.

• The American Quarter Racing Association (AQRA) started on February 1, 1945. This group focused mainly on horse racing. They set rules for races and created a system to help rank horses. They registered Quarter Horses and even Thoroughbreds. They also registered "Paint" horses, which did not have their own registry yet. For example, a famous Paint horse named Painted Joe was registered with AQRA.
• The National Quarter Horse Breeders Association (NQHBA) began in December 1945. This group had easier rules for registering horses than AQHA. They were not just focused on racing. They allowed Thoroughbred crosses to be registered easily. They even registered Thoroughbreds themselves.

Merging for a Stronger Future

Leaders in all three groups realized that having separate organizations was not helping. They started talking about joining together. In July 1949, AQHA offered to merge with both AQRA and NQHBA.

AQRA voted to join AQHA in September 1949. NQHBA did the same in November 1949. AQHA then took over both groups. All their horse records were moved to AQHA's main office. This office had recently been set up in Amarillo, Texas.

The AQHA headquarters moved a few times. It was in College Station, Eagle Pass, and Fort Worth. In 1947, it moved to Amarillo, where the secretary, Raymond D. Hollingsworth, lived. They first rented a space. Then, in 1952, they built their own building. They stayed there until 1989, when the Hall of Fame building was built near Interstate 40.

Registering Your American Quarter Horse

AQHA keeps track of American Quarter Horses in its official stud book. This book lists all registered horses and their parents. Most horses registered are offspring of two registered American Quarter Horses.

However, AQHA also has an "Appendix" section. An "Appendix" American Quarter Horse is a horse that is a first-generation cross. This means it's either:

• A registered Thoroughbred crossed with an American Quarter Horse.
• A "numbered" American Quarter Horse crossed with an "appendix" American Quarter Horse.

Horses in the "Appendix" can move into the main stud book. To do this, they must meet certain performance goals. They need to do well in racing or horse shows. This earns them a "Register of Merit" (ROM). Today, there are over 2.8 million Quarter Horse registrations. About 430,000 of these are for horses outside the United States.

Modern Registration Rules

AQHA allows horses born using artificial insemination or embryo transfer to be registered. However, cloned horses cannot be registered. To make sure horses are who they say they are, AQHA now uses DNA testing. This helps confirm who the parents are.

In the past, AQHA had different rules about horse colors. Horses with too much white or certain light colors like cremello could not be registered. This was partly because people didn't fully understand horse color genetics. They also worried about a health problem called lethal white syndrome. Some also thought too much white meant the horse wasn't a purebred Quarter Horse.

Today, DNA testing helps us understand these things better. It can confirm parentage and find genetic diseases like lethal white syndrome. So, AQHA now allows horses with "high white" markings. These include patterns like sabino and other pinto patterns. Many horses that used to only be registered as American Paint Horses can now be registered with both AQHA and the American Paint Horse Association (APHA).

Since we now understand how colors like Palomino, cremello, and perlino are made, these colors are also allowed. They are not linked to lethal white syndrome. Horses with these special colors can also be registered with groups like the Palomino Horse Breeders of America (PHBA) and the American Buckskin Registry Association (ABRA).

AQHA is also working to stop registering horses with a genetic disease called HYPP. They also helped develop a test for another disease called HERDA in 2007.

Competition and Awards for Quarter Horses

AQHA celebrates the achievements of American Quarter Horses and their owners. They give out many awards each year and for lifetime achievements. AQHA gives points to horses that do well in horse shows, rodeos, and horse racing.

The number of points depends on how well the horse places and how many other horses were in the event. These points lead to awards for top competitors each year. They also lead to special lifetime awards for both horses and riders.

AQHA Affiliates Around the World

As of 2023, AQHA has partner groups in 49 US states. They also have groups in 7 Canadian provinces and 34 other countries. This shows how popular American Quarter Horses are globally!

Horse Shows and Rodeos

People show American Quarter Horses in many different types of events. These include:

• Halter classes: Where horses are judged on their looks and build.
• Western style events: Like Western Pleasure (judging a horse's smooth gaits), Reining (showing off fancy spins and stops), and cutting (separating a cow from a herd).
• English riding events: In the hunt seat style, such as Hunter Under Saddle (judging a horse's movement and manners), working hunter (jumping over obstacles), and hunter hack (a mix of flat work and jumping).
• Driving classes: Where horses pull a cart.
• Timed games: Fun, fast-paced events.
• equitation and halter showmanship: Classes where the rider or handler is judged on their skill.

The biggest AQHA event each year is the AQHA World Show. It happens every November in Oklahoma City.

Year End Awards for Top Performers

AQHA gives out many awards at the end of the year. Here are some of them:

Lifetime Awards for Amazing Horses

AQHA also has special awards for horses that achieve great things over their lifetime.

AQHA also recognizes horses that compete in other events. These include horses in the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) rodeo events. They also recognize horses in the United States Team Penning Association, National Cutting Horse Association, National High School Rodeo, or National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association.

Racing American Quarter Horses

On the racetrack, AQHA gives out year-end champion awards. These are for horses based on their age and gender. There are also awards for broodmares, distance horses, Canadian champions, owners, breeders, trainers, and jockeys. For example, there's a champion two-year-old colt, filly, and gelding. The World Champion is chosen from the winners of these age and gender groups.

Besides the yearly awards, there are three lifetime awards for racehorses:

• Race Register of Merit: Given when a horse gets a speed index of 80 or higher.
• Superior Race Horse: Achieved when a horse earns 200 racing points.
• Supreme Race Horse: This award is for horses that win over $500,000. They must also win two Grade 1 stakes races and a total of ten races.

In 1993, AQHA started a special series of races called The Bank of America Racing Challenge. It includes about 60 races across North and South America. The winners of these races get to compete in a big Championship Day at the end of the season. This challenge offers nearly $6 million in prize money and bonuses!

Fun Pleasure Riding Programs

AQHA also has a Horseback Riding Program for members. This program rewards members for pleasure riding their American Quarter Horses. Riders keep track of their riding hours. They receive special awards and prizes for their time spent riding. The horse must be registered with AQHA to join.

For leisure riders, AQHA also organizes about 100 trail rides. These rides are open to all horse breeds. They take place in beautiful locations around the world. Some are on public lands, and others are on private lands not usually open to the public. You can find the schedule for these trail rides on the AQHA website.

See Also

• American Quarter Horse
• American Quarter Horse Hall of Fame