Today is your last chance to book rooms at the lowest rate available if you’re attending the World Show in Ft. Worth. Go to the link below to find information on our recommended accommodations during the show.
http://www.appaloosa.com/pdfs/08W_PreferredHotels.pdf
Sunday Sept. 21st, members of the Western Montana Appaloosa Club met at President Jan Phillips’ home to create Appaloosa ornaments for the National Christmas Tree. The Bitterroot National Forest was honored with selection for the National Tree and the smaller trees for the Senator offices.
While ornaments have come in from all over Montana, club member Janet Sager suggested we try to get some Appaloosas on the trees. After a lunch of elk burgers & fixin’s, folks settled down to make ornaments. We got a great variety of ornaments and had a wonderful time visiting and creating the 22 
ornaments. Other members unable to make it are making ornaments at home and sending them in for inclusion with our Club effort. Shown in the photo l-r are John Wilson, Janet Sager, Caitlin Sager and Linda Burkett.
Jan Phillips
Forest Edge Appaloosas
email: fe_appys@bigsky.net
Thanks to Jan for the note and photos. A really good example of club members working to enhance the value and image of their organization — and having some fun together, too.
The location for this year’s National Championship Endurance Ride on Saturday, October 4th, has been changed to Lake Carl Blackwell, 8 miles west of Stillwater, Oklahoma. Apparently the original location is flooded. I’m a little confused about whether the condition is natural or man-made, but the ride has been moved to dry ground. We’ll provide any additional details as we receive them.
.
Yes, it’s exciting to hear the name of our breed mentioned so often in the media, even if it’s in reference to a movie about a town. The “buzz” has been good for ApHC website traffic, so we’ll take whatever auxiliary benefits come our way. Of course, most of us involved with horses have a special affinity for Western movies anyway, and just the title of this one ensures that we’ll go see it. And who doesn’t like Ed Harris, Viggo Mortensen, Jeremy Irons and Renee Zellweger?
Based on a Robert Parker novel of the same name, Appaloosa tells the story of Virgil Cole and Everett Hitch, two itinerant gunmen who’ve ridden together for more than a decade as lawmen-for-hire. The tiny frontier town of Appaloosa contracts them to protect the community from local rancher Randall Bragg, who’s shot and killed the previous marshall for standing up to him and now rides roughshod over the town. See the full feature article by Tom Wilmes in the October-November issue of American Cowboy magazine.
The Warner Brothers website says the movie is in theaters now, but I think I read somewhere that it opens nationwide in early October. Whenever it shows up, I’ll be there.
A friendly reminder – Don’t miss your chance to breed your mare to one of the finest Appaloosa stallions in the industry! The ApHC is hosting a Stallion Service Silent Auction at the 2008 World Championship Appaloosa Show in Fort Worth, Texas, giving all Appaloosa breeders and enthusiasts a chance to bid on breedings to world class Appaloosa stallions.
Bid on breedings to quality stallions, including: Authentic Sonny, Choc Full of Chips, Distinctive, Heza Dreamer, Impulsive Invitation, Impulsive Zipper, JR Hunter, Maid Magic, Mr. Cool Hand Luke, Nastyattitude, Rather Inclusive, Renaissance Man, Sacred Dream, Skipa Maxi Treat, State of the Art, Supreme Court Dream, The Radio Flyer, Undertack, Zip Me Impressive, Zips Dark Chocolate and Zips Strawsam MMR.
Foals resulting from breedings through this unique opportunity will be eligible for the World Championship Appaloosa Sale Incentive classes and compete for large payouts as two-year-olds. Place your bid at the Stallion Service Silent Auction center in the John Justin Lobby, right next to the ApHC Information Booth. Bidding begins at noon, Friday, Oct. 24, and will continue until the end of the last class Saturday, November 1. Winning bids will be announced on the ApHC website on Friday, November 7th (but I’ll bet you’ll know sooner than that).
For more information, contact Sandra Matthews at (719) 651-1771 or via email at sandmarc@redgeckointernet.net; Frank Larrabee at (505) 249-6736 or via email at larrabeeapp@aol.com.
TRAIL END has been invited to screen at the Gene Autry Film & Music Festival.
Screening Details:
Friday, September 26 – 1:00PM
Museum Auditorium
Saturday, September 27 – 3:30PM
Senior Center
Gene Autry Museum
Heritage Hall
47 Prairie Street
Gene Autry, OK 73436
Q&A to follow with Shannan Keenan; For ticket information visit: Gene Autry Film & Music Festival
I hope to see you in Oklahoma!
Take care,
Shannan
www.justhank.com/trailend.htm
www.myspace.com/trailend
Here are excerpts from the American Horse Council’s guide, which is available by request from AHC:
Why candidates care
Anyone running for federal office, whether they are running for re-election or as a new candidate, has an obvious interest in the concern of those who they will be asking to vote for them. Federal candidates want, and need, the support of their constituents and an election year is when they come to you asking for your vote and support. Without that, they cannot be elected. So 2008 is a real opportunity for the horse community to get involved and make itself, individually and collectively, important to candidates.
Why is the horse community important?
• 4.6 million Americans are involved in the horse industry;
• The constituency group is broad; there are horses in every state;
• 25% of horse owners have incomes over $100,000 annually;
• Riding, whether for showing or recreation, is a healthy activity and the industry can use national concerns about health and exercise to its advantage;
• The horse industry has an economic impact of $102 billion on the U.S. economy and supports 1.4 million full-time jobs;
• Horse owners pay $1.9 billion in taxes each year;
• The industry attracts investments of nearly $25 billion in capital equipment and structures and stimulates more than $4.1 billion in taxes and land purchases each year;
• Breeding, raising and training horses is an activity that promotes the use and preservation of public lands and parks. It is a green buffer to urban sprawl in many states. Green space is an issue in all parts of the country.
Be able to explain your issues
Specific issues that affect the horse industry are raised in each Congress as bills are introduced. But there are several areas of general concern that are of overriding importance to all segments of the horse community, which involves racing, showing and recreation and different breed and disciplines. These include:
Taxes
Welfare and Safety
Comprehensive Immigration Reform
Gaming Legislation
Access to Public Lands
Movement of Horses; Diseases
Know the candidates
Visit their websites; go to town hall meetings; consider endorsements by trusted officials, groups and organizations; watch the debates; read a wide array of news sources for a variety of viewpoints.
Start a relationship
Invite a candidate to your home, farm or business;
Invite a candidate to your organization’s meeting, show or event;
Include a candidate and their family on a trail ride;
Organize a “meet and greet” for candidates;
Take advantage of campaign events in your area to have a face-to-face conversation;
Write letters to let them know what issues are important to you.
Ask candidates to complete a questionnaire about issues important to the horse community;
Invite a candidate to write something for your organization’s newsletter or publication.
Fundraise
Volunteer
Register to Vote
Vote!
Follow-up after the election
Know the rules
While there are few restrictions on activities that individuals may engage in with respect to candidates running for federal office, there are limitations on what associations and corporations may do under the IRS Code and Federal Election Commission Act.
The Appaloosa Horse Club (ApHC) would like to congratulate Richard Rignall, as the winner of the $100 Office Depot gift card contest! Rignall, lifetime ApHC member from Grand Junction, Colo., won the contest through the Appaloosa Members Advantage Program, a joint effort of the ApHC and the National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA).
To qualify, Rignall, and many other ApHC members, signed up for an Office Depot account through the Appaloosa Members Advantage Program. Every ApHC member that is enrolled in the Appaloosa Members Advantage Program is eligible for amazing giveaways offered by major retailers, such Office Depot. Enrollment also offers the opportunity to win prizes at ApHC-sponsored events, like the John Deere Gators awarded to Ayden Keller at the 61st National Appaloosa Show and Irvine Bell at the 2007 World Championship Appaloosa Show!
ApHC members who become a part of the Appaloosa Members Advantage program are not only eligible for amazing prizes, but significant discounts for premium brands such as John Deere, UPS, Sherwin Williams, Toshiba, Office Depot, OfficeMax IMPRESS and Equine Travel Advantage.
Most importantly, there is no charge for ApHC members to activate their Appaloosa Members Advantage!
To begin saving, ApHC members must contact Jen Evely at (888) 304-SPOT (7768) to activate the Appaloosa Members Advantage. Not an ApHC member? Joining is easy! Visit www.appaloosa.com to become a member, then call the toll free number for the additional perks.
Don’t miss out on major discounts, enroll in Appaloosa Members Advantage today!
Are you looking for a good hotel to stay at while attending the 2008 World Championship Appaloosa Show?
Click on the following link to view the 2008 World Championship Appaloosa Show Preferred Accommodations listing. When booking a room be sure to ask for the Appaloosa World Show rate.
http://www.appaloosa.com/pdfs/08W_PreferredHotels.pdf
We look forward to seeing you at the show!
The 2009 Color Breeds Council Judge Evaluation will be held January 25 through January 28, 2009, at the Biltmore Hotel Oklahoma in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The 2009 International Equine Judges Seminar will be held January 28 through February 1, 2009, at the same location.
We will have our ApHC Judges Session on Wednesday the 28th.
Phil Dawson called our office with the latest update on their trip(America Fundraisers). They are 15 miles inside Virginia. The two horses are doing very well. Warm days – today 75 degrees and about 55 in the evenings.
America Fundraisers saw a need. The need was American Children with long term illnesses. America Fundraisers Incorporated was created by a horse trainer Phil Dawson.
This is why all of the fundraising that America Fundraisers Inc. does incorporates the use of horses. America Fundraisers is a non profit corporation, a 501(c)(3).
Phil believes in Children, America, and Horses. Children are the future of America. But not all Children in America are lucky enough to experience even the smallest joys that other American Children take for granted. In this world there are people that will do anything to help those children who are not so lucky. America Fundraisers, Inc. is made up of those people.
Each year America Fundraisers, Inc. picks a new fundraising project. This year starting at Billingsley Creek State Park in Hagerman, Idaho and ending in Pocahontas State Park, just south of Richmond, Virginia, America Fundraisers, Inc. are riding cross country on horse back to raise donations for American Children suffering from long term illnesses. Please join America Fundraisers by logging on to americafundraisers.org and tracking the two Appaloosa horses, Apache Double Twice “Billy” and Apache Gold Jet “Jet” on the map section of the web site. America Fundraisers, Inc. and these two amazing horses are riding for our American Children. We encourage Veterans, Horse owners, Horse lovers, and all of those with children in the family, to support America Fundraisers as they ride Jet and Billy through 12 (twelve) states by logging onto americafundraisers.org and Donating to American Children with long term illnesses.
America Fundraisers, Inc. helps with your donation. A dollar, $2.00, or more is appreciated. The corporation helps those kids by helping with medical expenses that are incurred during the long term of their illness. Congenital Heart Disease, Cancer, Blood disorders (that may be terminal) just to name a few. Don’t give up. Support.
Sometimes we need to appreciate the mammoth job of delivering all the non-electronic mail still being generated. For example, ApHC staff worked very hard last week to prepare World Show premium books and paperwork for owners of horses qualifying for the show. Out on Friday and we’ve already started to receive entries! I had assumed that only bills arrived that quickly.
I’ll have to check on exact numbers, but I’ve heard that we have more horses qualified this year than in 07. I think it’s something like 40 more (horses and/or people). One way or another, that’s a good sign.
Organizers of the 2008 European Championship Appaloosa Show October 2-5 in Aachen, Germany, announce that live streaming video from the show will be available. To view the show, visit www.rh-video.de/rh_player.htm. News about the European Championship can also be found at www.aphc-germany.de and at www.wittelsbuerger.com, said to be Europe’s leading western horse website (probably true since they reach 200,000 visitors monthly). WittelsbuergerTV will not only webcast the event, but will also send reports and results after the show.
ApHC is again supporting the European Championships with medallions — and judges. Through the U.S. Livestock Genetics Export organization, ApHC receives funds to help with international marketing, market development and outreach.
According to our records, last year’s show included 261 open entries, 89 non-pro and 61 youth. The Aachen facility is an outstanding one and the show promises to be a true showcase for the Appaloosa breed.
In an effort to better represent and serve the horse industry in Washington, DC, the American Horse Council and the Appaloosa Horse Club have organized a new grassroots effort entitled, “The Congressional Cavalry program.” ApHC members can participate and help to make a difference in federal legislation and regulations that affect the horse industry.
A new Congress will begin in January of 2009. If you care about the national issues that impact you and the horse community, now is the time to get involved.
All ApHC members, including owners, breeders, veterinarians, trainers, competitors, recreational riders, service providers, and others who wish to be involved in grassroots efforts in Washington are encouraged to join the Congressional Cavalry program. The purpose of the program is to enlist individuals from all segments of the horse industry and in every Congressional district who will agree to contact their Representative/Senator or federal official when asked.
Cavalry members will be mobilized when there is a need for grassroots contacts, such as letters and phone calls. Members of the program will be put on an email or fax list so they can be contacted and activated quickly. The AHC will provide participants with whatever information is necessary. Participants will be free to do as much as they feel comfortable doing.
If you want to sign up or have any additional questions about the Congressional Cavalry program, please contact the American Horse Council at 2.2-296-4031 or ahc@horsecouncil.org.
Looking for a bright new way to advertise your farm, ranch, business or Appaloosa stallion at the 2008 World Championship Appaloosa Show? Look no further than the ApHC-hosted World Show Scoreboard! This new opportunity allows you to display your message directly in front of your target audience in the John Justin Arena at the Will Rogers Memorial Center in Fort Worth, Texas. With prices as low as $99.99, everyone can take advantage of this unique opportunity! Already a buckle or class sponsor? Don’t worry, we can combine this exciting advertising opportunity with your show sponsorship for significant savings!
Call Today for all the details! Contact Merida McClanahan, Director of Marketing, for more information at (208) 882-5578 ext. 235
All Posts