A new look along with some new features for the www.appaloosa.com Web site went live last week. Basic enhancements such as consistent color schemes, easier navigation, and better organization should make the visitor experience more useful and enjoyable.
Of particular interest is the addition of access to show point records for Open horses (youth, Non-Pro, and racing will be added as soon as possible). We are also “days away” from providing access to on-line pedigrees – with the disclaimer noted where appropriate for individual horses that have not been officially parentage verified.
You are invited to take a tour and see some of the changes as well as the work in progress. Thanks to everyone for your support and patience.
*We are also working on a complete re-design of the Youth site.
The South Texas Appaloosa Breeders of San Antonio hosted the 14th Annual Inclusive Riding event at the San Antonio Livestock Exposition for during the Appaloosa Horse Show Feb. 17, 2007.
The R.O.P.E.R (Riding Opportunities Promoting Exceptional Riders) Special Olympics Equestrian Team, showed off their riding skills by completing an obstacle course. Sherri Mell, Cowgirl Hall of Famer soon to be inducted into the Appaloosa Hall of Fame, coaches the R.O.P.E.R athletes, and prepares them for events such as Inclusive Riding.
R.O.P.E.R athletes were honored after the competition with multiple gifts and goodies from various organizations.
The Appaloosa Horse Club (ApHC) became a part of Inclusive riding for the first time by sending goodie bags for each participant. The packages contained DVDs, medallions, magazines and a stuffed Appaloosa Horse, along with certificates. The South Texas Appaloosa Breeders provided blue ribbons, and each athlete received San Antonio Stock and Rodeo posters and bumper stickers.
Michael Aguilar, A level athlete and captain of the R.O.P.E.R, team received a buckle following the event.
Debbie Letham, an Appaloosa Horse Show judge and ApHC director, presented the special awards to the athletes.
Horses who participated in this year’s event included—Dubs Charge, Dubs Poco Roper, Genuine Lil Judi (owned by Sherri Mell and Suzanne Koch), Lucky (owned by Morgan and Linda Harper) and Roanie (owned by Krystal Favor).
Thanks go out to all of the volunteers who led, assisted and set up the pattern, Gary Weers who voiced the announcements at the event.
I wanted to offer a short note from the USLGE meeting in Las Vegas. It’s been a really good opportunity to meet (in some cases catch up with acquaintances from w-a-y back) and visit with folks from the livestock world as well as several representatives of state departments of agriculture. As a member, ApHC is able to request funding from USDA’s Foreign Ag Service to conduct trade missions and other demand building programs in a variety of countries. It’s apparent from discussions with AQHA, APHA and other breeds that our goals are similar and that there are several ways we can work together to promote the U.S. equine industry.
USLGE is nearing completion of an equine CD entitled “How to Buy an American Horse.” It’s a neat promotional tool specifically targeted to potential customers in Europe. Appaloosas are featured along with Quarter Horses, Paints, Thoroughbreds, and Tennessee Walking Horses.
The other key point from the meeting is the implementation of a Strategic Plan for the organization. Equine groups identified three priority areas that USLGE can and should focus on: 1) Trade missions and “reverse” trade missions, with the main goal of building relationships with breeders, potential buyers, youth and industry groups in targeted countries. 2) Education — breed information, production, responsibilities of horse ownership, etc., and 3) QSP (Quality Samples Program), which technically comes from a different funding source within USDA and focuses on finding innovative ways to market and deliver live animals, semen and embryos.
In case you’re wondering, yes, the competition is serious in countries we’ve identified as priorities for ApHC activities — Germany, Italy, France, Brazil, Canada, Mexico, Australia, and New Zealand. And, as with the environment in the U.S., we also must find ways in those countries to work with, not against, the growth curve of various speciality associations such as NRHA, NRCHA, NCHA, etc.
Calendar
Monday – Regional Club Committee meeting;
Tuesday – International Committee meeting;
Wednesday – Friday – U.S. Livestock Genetics Export, Inc. annual meeting, Las Vegas (Krystina and Steve attending)
Thursday – Marketing Committee meeting;
Jackson, Mississippi Site Visit
Keri LeForce, Kelly Augenstein and Krystina Burns are making a trip later this week to Jackson to do some advance work on the 2008 National Show. Plans include meeting with the Dixie National trade show coordinator, hotel site visits, a meeting with the new Chief of Police in Jackson, meeting with a local sponsorship coordinator and making some concrete plans regarding the location of show services during the event.
The powers-that-be in Jackson continue to be very responsive to us regarding our requests for facility improvements. They’ve been giving regular updates on the status of the new stalls that are being built for our show and have placed some items in their budget for the upcoming year to improve the condition of one of the stall barns. We expect that this cooperation will continue and we’ll provide updates as they are available.
USDA-NAHSS Web Page Updated for Latest Disease Outbreaks
The United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Animal Health Surveillance System (NAHSS) is a network of many Federal and State government agencies integrated into a comprehensive and coordinated system of animal health monitoring and surveillance. The overall goal of the system is to collect, collate, and analyze animal health information and to promptly distribute this information. The program is intended to improve the protection of the national animal health and to increase the efficiency of existing animal health surveillance programs.
The NAHSS website contains information on all the major livestock groups, including an Equine Health Monitoring & Surveillance section. Two new web pages have been recently added to this section, which can be found at http://www.aphis.usda.gov/vs/nahss/equine/.
The first new web page is on Equine Herpes Virus. An outbreak of neurologic Equine Herpes Virus type 1 (EHV-1) occurred in late 2006 and involved a group of 15 horses shipped from Germany that was subsequently shipped to eight states. There was a significant impact on the horse industry because of this outbreak, especially in Florida. The new website gives details and current information on this outbreak, as well as further information on the disease, and links to state websites with EHV-1 information.
The second of the new pages is on Equine Viral Arteritis (EVA). An outbreak of EVA occurred in Quarter Horses in 2006, with the virus confirmed on premises within six states (Kansas, Montana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Utah, and Alabama). This outbreak had a devastating impact on the Quarter Horse breeding industry. The new web page gives detailed information on this EVA outbreak, along with background information on the disease and on its management and control.
Along with the new pages on EVA and EHV-1, you can find information on Vesicular Stomatitis, Equine Infectious Anemia, Eastern and Western Equine Encephalitis, West Nile Virus and more. The NAHSS Equine Health Monitoring & Surveillance website is an important and useful website to learn about current equine health and disease information.
Terry LeDuke, Vincent, Alabama, receiving his ApHC 40-year ring from Jessica Dixon, Judges Coordinator.
Congratulations and thank you Terry!
A trio of ApHC representatives at the recent Color Breed Council Judges Seminar in Oklahoma City: On the left is the legendary and intrepid ApHC judge and ring steward deluxe Rick McMasters from Madison, Tennessee; the rose among thorns is Jessica Dixon, ApHC Judges Coordinator; on the right is another legend, “experienced” judge and ApHC board member Gene Carr, from Hayti, South Dakota.
Writing to let you know that the grand prize winner in the Horse &
Rider 45th anniversary sweepstakes is a longtime Appaloosa owner,
Deborah Danforth of Castleton, Vermont. Her prize is a private clinic
with Stacy Westfall, a member of Team H&R, winner of The Road to the
Horse Colt-Starting Challenge, and the only person to win a freestyle
reining while riding without a saddle or bridle. Deborah’s daughter,
Lindsy, plans to ride their Appaloosa reining mare, Victoria Bright,
in the private clinic with Stacy. The family owns four Appaloosas,
total, and Deborah is a 4-H leader who also judges 4-H and open
shows. She’s had Appaloosas since 1973 and came up through the ApHC
youth program. She’s an administrative assistant in the teaching
department of Castleton State College’s Department of Business.
(From Juli Thorson)
There have been numerous opinion pieces written about the “death” of Barbaro. One that caught my eye was in the New York Times. Here’s an excerpt:
Humans are not especially good at noticing horses, but Barbaro was easy to notice. And if his life caused us to pay attention to the possibilities of all horses, his death should cause us to pay attention to the tragedy inherent in the end of so many horses. Barbaro’s death was tragic not because it was measured against the races he might have won or even against the effort to save his life. It was tragic because of what every horse is.
You would have to look a long, long time to find a dishonest or cruel horse. And the odds are that if you did find one, it was made cruel or dishonest by the company it kept with humans. It is no exaggeration to say that nearly every horse – Barbaro included – is pure of heart. Some are faster, some slower. Some wind up in the winner’s circle. But they should all evoke in us the generosity of conscience – a human quality, after all – that was expended in the effort to save this one horse.
USDA has decided to allow livestock producers who have already registered their premises as part of the still-developing national animal identification system to de-list their operations. A spokesperson for USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service said last week that since national animal ID is strictly voluntary, producers should be allowed to decide to stop participating at their discretion.
The Color Breed Council hosted a successful judges’ seminar in Oklahoma City last week. Special thanks to Jessica Dixon, ApHC Judges Coordinator, for her efforts on our behalf. Keri and Steve were also in attendance. Jim Jirkovsky, Chairman of the Judges Committee, Debby Letham (thanks – again – for your assistance in providing horses for the live judging), and Gene Carr were active participants. We had a good group of new applicants and a large contingent of current judges, several of whom received service pins in recognition of their years in the show ring. We also took advantage of the opportunity to meet with representatives of several breed associations. The Pinto folks allowed us the use of their conference room for a committee call and we paid a visit to the National Reining Horse Association office.
The registration and international membership forms are currently being translated into 5 languages: German, Portuguese, Spanish, French and Italian. Forms will be available on the website and will be provided to each of our international affiliates. Forms will be available by March 1.
The ApHC is proud to announce its new partnership with the American Association of Equine Practitioners. This relationship will bring you up-to-the-minute veterinary information via:
* Links to www.myhorsematters.com at www.appaloosa.com and www.appaloosajournal.com
* Articles by veterinary professionals on the latest health topics to appear on www.appaloosa.com, www.appaloosajournal.com and in Appaloosa Journal
* Educational brochures for membership distribution
* Veterinary speakers at Youth World/National and World shows and regional club events, and more!
The beta testing of our new-look website is nearly complete and if all goes as planned, the site should be live early next week.
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