Tag Archives: AQHA

2010 Don Burt Professional Horseman and Horsewoman of the Year

The American Quarter Horse Journal — The Most Valuable Professional and the Don Burt Professional Horseman and Horsewoman of the Year awards were presented tonight during the 2011 AQHA Convention Awards Banquet. The awards were presented by AQHA Corporate Partner Professional’s Choice.

Wanda Lounder

The Most Valuable Professional or “MVP” of 2010 is Wanda Lounder. Wanda serves as the Maine Quarter Horse Association second vice president as well as the youth co-adviser. She leads with the goals of “bringing the youth in, not as competitors, but as an organization.” Under her leadership, local youth involvement has grown. In a traditionally individualistic sport, Wanda encourages teamwork, saying she wants “the youth not only to compete and grow as competitors, but to grow as a team, as well.”

When financial uncertainty jeopardized the local futurities, Wanda stepped up again. Her business, Double L Equestrian Center, sponsored several events, such as the hunter under saddle futurity and non-pro green horse trail futurity, and also small-fry classes. Wanda always makes sure the small-fries are recognized with ribbons and even high-point small-fry trophies.

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AQHA Hands Out 2010 High-Point Awards

The American Quarter Horse Journal – At its annual convention in Grapevine, Texas, the American Quarter Horse Association handed out its coveted all-around high-point awards in the youth, amateur and open divisions. Molli Lyn Jacobs and Radical McCue won the Featherlite AQHA Youth All-Around High-Point title; Lindsey Stevenson and RL Cocoas Version won the Featherlite AQHA All-Around Amateur title; and Four Bonnie Bay, owned by Mike St. Clair of Kahoka, Missouri, won the Featherlite Open All-Around High-Point title.

All-Around Youth

In 2010, Molli Lyn Jacobs rode her way into AQHA history books as the Featherlite AQHA Youth All-Around High-Point Champion with Radical McCue. They also collected youth high-point titles in showmanship and performance halter geldings, and finished third in trail, fourth in horsemanship and fifth in hunt seat equitation. Radical McCue is a 2000 bay gelding by Radical Rodder and out of Jetterri McCue by Tuff Joe Jet.

“He’s very athletic and very strong,” says Molli, a high school senior at Garaway High School in Sugarcreek, Ohio. “You could put him through anything, and he’s going to come out stronger than before.”

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Party Girl Stakes to Be Run Saturday

Zingleman Girls Ready for Party

The Michael Zingleman-trained and co-owned entry of Zoobilee and First Down Patriot could grab favoritism in the $40,000 Party Girl Stakes for Louisiana-bred fillies and mares over 350 yards on Saturday at Louisiana Downs.

Zingleman, with Shelly Zingleman, owns First Down Patriot and they are the co-owners of Zoobilee with Curtis Crenwelge.

Zoobilee (Dashin Bye-Our Precious Secret by Streakin La Jolla) is the strong half of the entry with three wins in her latest three starts and stakes victories in her two previous starts.

The 4-year-old mare won the AQHA Members Plus Stakes over open distaffers two starts ago and then came back to defeat Louisiana-bred males and females in the $100,000 Louisiana Champions Day Derby (RG2) at Fair Grounds on December 11.

While competing primarily in high-level allowance and stakes races for the majority of her career, Zoobilee has amassed sevens wins, two seconds and a third-place effort from 14 starts.

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AQHA: Members Are Invited to an Informative Marketing Forum in March

All AQHA members are invited to attend the Marketing Forum during the 2011 AQHA Convention to discuss several important industry issues.

Members of the American Quarter Horse Association are invited to join industry leaders on Friday, March 4, for an informative Marketing Forum during the 2011 AQHA Convention in Grapevine, Texas. All AQHA members registered for Convention are invited.

Marketing Forum

Friday, March 4, 2-4:30 p.m., Gaylord Texan Hotel, Grapevine, Texas

  • Emerging Markets — What do Europe and South America hold for AQHA and other breeds? How can and does the government help?
    Mike Phillips, United States Livestock Genetics Export/USDA
  • China — The Final Frontier
    David Snodgrass, managing director of LTI Associates, China
  • New Tax Laws for Horse Owners
    Jay Hickey, American Horse Council president
  • By the Numbers — What Will 2011-2012 Bring?
    Trent Taylor, AQHA treasurer, executive director of operations
  • Medications and Thresholds
    Dr. Steven Schumacher, United States Equestrian Federation

This marketing forum is open to all interested AQHA members, who are registered for the Convention. The AQHA Convention is March 4-8 at the Gaylord Texan Hotel in Grapevine, Texas. In addition to the Marketing Forum, AQHA members are encouraged to attend the business meetings of AQHA’s 14 standing committees. Registered members are encouraged to comment on agenda items during the open committee meetings.

It’s not too late to register for Convention. Register today by filling out the online registration form.

Learn more about the events taking place during this year’s Convention, including special entertainment by country music singer Paul Bogart, farm tours, special tributes to our year-end award winners and American Quarter Horse Hall of Fame inductions.

American Quarter Horse Association
1600 Quarter Horse Drive
Amarillo, TX 79104

Apollitical Jess Named 2010 World Champion Racing American Quarter Horse

The American Quarter Horse Journal, January 12, 2010 – Champion of Champions (G1) victor Apollitical Jess was honored as the 2010 AQHA World Champion Racing American Quarter Horse tonight during an award ceremony at Heritage Place Sale Co. in Oklahoma City.

The 3-year-old colt is bred and owned by Juan Alberto Tirado Lizarraga Rancho El Cabresto Inc. Also named the champion 3-year-old colt and champion 3-year-old, he won six of eight starts during the year and earned $1,066,011. His victories included track-record-setting wins in the Los Alamitos Super Derby (G1) and the Champion of Champions. Trained by Juan Aleman and ridden by Felipe Garcia and Eduardo Nicasio, Apollitical Jess (Mr Jess Perry-Apollitical Time by Apollo (TB)) also finished second in the All American Derby (G1).

Double Down Special, who defeated Apollitical Jess in the All American Derby, is the champion 3-year-old gelding. Owned by Vanessa Bartoo, trained by John Stinebaugh and ridden by Salvador Martinez and Jacky Martin, Double Down Special (The Down Side-Pamper Me Special by Special Effort) won five of six starts and earned $1,147,067. He set a world record of :18.613 for 400 yards while winning the West Texas Derby (G3), then won the Ruidoso Derby (G1) in addition to the All American Derby. The gelding was bred by Bob and Jerry Gaston.

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Noconi Is 25th Supreme Race Horse

The American Quarter Horse Journal — Champion Noconi is the 25th racing American Quarter Horse since 1983 to earn the distinction of American Quarter Horse Association Supreme Race Horse.

The honor is given by AQHA to a horse that during its racing career earns $500,000 or more and wins at least 10 races, including two or more open Grade 1 stakes races.

Bred and raced by R. D. Hubbard and Johnny T. L. Jones, Noconi on December 5 secured the Zia Park Championship (G1) and earned his second open Grade 1 stakes to finish the needed criteria for the honor. Three weeks later, he also won The Championship at Sunland Park (G1), and has now won 11 of 26 starts, including three Grade 1s, with earnings of $1,230,504. Now 6, Noconi was the sport’s 2008 champion 3-year-old gelding.

Noconi has been trained throughout his career by champion trainer Paul Jones. Noconi, a nine-time stakes winner, including the 2008 All American Derby (G1), is by Mr Jess Perry out of the Dash For Cash mare My Dashing Lady.

Prior to 1983, there were 71 Supreme Race Horses that were retroactively given the award.

There were three other Supreme Race Horses named in 2010, including world champion Freaky, champion Stylish Jess BR and Spit Curl Diva.

American Quarter Horse Association
1600 Quarter Horse Drive
Amarillo, TX 79104

Champions Announcements Broadcast Live January 12

The American Quarter Horse Journal – The American Quarter Horse Association will announce the 2010 AQHA Racing Champions awards live at 6 p.m. CST on Wednesday, January 12, from Heritage Place in Oklahoma City. With an elite awards-ceremony atmosphere, this year’s event will include champagne and valet parking for attendees. If you can’t make it to the event, the show will be broadcast free of charge on Q-Racing Video.

This year’s awards are wide open, with a number of legitimate contenders in many categories.

The freshman crop saw a number of top performances throughout the year, including that of 2-year-old colt American Runaway, who won the Ruidoso Futurity (G1) and was second in three other Grade 1’s while leading the AQHA Racing-Horseplayernow.com 2-Year-Old Poll for much of the year. The 2-year-old filly category includes 10 tough contenders that include A Snowy Cartel, the only freshman to notch two Grade 1 wins, while California starlet Flying Fig was three times the runner-up in Grade 1 races with purses of $1 million-plus.

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Racing Champions Announcements are January 12 in Oklahoma City

The American Quarter Horse Journal – Who will be the 2010 World Champion Racing American Quarter Horse?

Watch the 2010 AQHA Racing Champions announcements live from Heritage Place in Oklahoma City on January 12 to find out. The program begins at 6 p.m. CST, and will be available worldwide and free of charge at www.qracingvideo.com. This year’s program will be hosted by Tom Dawson and co-hosted by Remington Park’s Dale Day.

This year’s presentation features three permanent additions to the program: recognition of the new AQHA Dams of Distinction, Supreme Race Horses and open Supreme Champions. In 2010, there were two Dams of Distinction, three Supreme Racehorses and one Supreme Champion.

AQHA will also honor Stolis Winner, who displaced Refrigerator as American Quarter Horse racing’s all-time leading money-earner. Stolis Winner is owned by AQHA Past President Jerry Windham of College Station, Texas.

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Noconi Looks to Move Up The Rankings

The American Quarter Horse Journal, December 22, 2010 – Pollsters made no changes to this week’s AQHARacing.com-Horseplayernow.com national polls for 2-year-olds or the older horses, but that figures to change this coming week. Sunday’s Championship at Sunland Park (G1) features the current No. 8-ranked older horse in the land, Noconi, against a field that includes all-time leading AQHA money-earner Stolis Winner and the highly touted Rylees Boy.

The Championship at Sunland contenders figure to move up the national rankings with top performances, but the season’s No. 1 ranking remains securely with Apollitical Jess, winner of the Champion of Champions (G1) and this week’s unanimous choice at the top of the poll.

As for the 2-year-olds, the consistent futurity finalist American Runaway, hero of the Ruidoso Futurity (G1), remains on top of the rankings with just one poll remaining in 2010.

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AQHA 2011 Rule Changes

New rules to take effect January 1.

At the 2010 AQHA Convention, many showing rules were voted on that will take effect January 1, 2011. Check out which rules have changed before next year’s show season starts.

More Horses
Previously, only two horses could be shown per exhibitor in classes that are worked individually. Beginning January 1, exhibitors can show three horses in individually worked classes.

“If the open classes are combined into an all-ages class at a weekend show, then it goes back to four horses total,” according to Charlie Hemphill, AQHA senior director of shows and new events.

In grouped classes, such as horsemanship, Select exhibitors can show one horse in the amateur class and a different horse in the Select.

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