Youngsters and their handlers were invited to the Appaloosa Museum in Moscow this past weekend for an annual event known as Appaloosa Fest. Although the day was chilly, windy and sometimes wet, a good sample of Palouse area kids stopped by to meet and ride a live Appaloosa, try their small hands at roping, decorate their own paper horse and generally experience a bit of horse-related fun. It’s always enjoyable to see the wide eyes of a four-year-old as he/she explores the activity area of the museum and chats enthusiastically about the opportunity to see and touch a real horse.
We’ll have additional information soon about this year’s raffle horse. He’s a colorful attraction at the Appaloosa Museum, but eventually he’ll find a permanent home with the lucky winner of a drawing this fall.
We’ve mentioned in previous posts some of the new ways to promote your spots and celebrate the 70th Anniversary of the Appaloosa Horse Club. We want to let you know that folks in the Performance Department as well as the Marketing Department are able to help you with options and details for placing an order.
If you’re already in touch with someone in the Performance Department about show-related matters, you can also visit with them about advertising and promotion opportunities in conjunction with the 61st National Show. We’ve added streaming video advertising options and some other affordable and effective strategies such as space on the Jackson Equestrian Center concourse, advertising on the official show blog and in the daily Network publication. Of course class sponsorships and banners are also available. Give it some thought and give us a call.
Volunteers from the ION ApHC regional club spent the weekend in Nampa greeting visitors at the Idaho Horse Expo. The three-day event is coordinated by the Idaho Horse Council and a raft of helpers. In addition to the trade show, clinics and exhibitions, there were several opportunities to support youth programs and interact with organizations involved with trail development and preservation.
Thanks to all the Appaloosa gang who invested their time in breed promotion at the expo.
Gene and Lena Winchester, owners of Happy Heart Ranch near Homedale, Idaho, provided a classy Appaloosa representative in the Idaho Horse Expo stallion parade. The daily program gave visitors a good look at various breeds and programs. This two-year-old already has a solid show record and drew considerable interest.
This young man spent considerable time working on his roping skills and remained oblivious to passers-by at the Idaho Horse Expo in Nampa. Attendance was good on Saturday, in part because of cooler weather but also due to some quality clinic sessions, a private treaty sale preview, stallion parade and fund-raising auction for the Idaho Horse Council scholarship program.
More than 8,000 people attended the 18th Annual South Dakota Horse Fair held in Sioux Falls, South Dakota on March 14th-15th. Once again, Appaloosas were given a chance to shine at the South Dakota Horse Fair by having a booth in the breed boulevard hosted by the Center of the Nation Appaloosa Horse Club (CON ApHC). The CON ApHC offered information in the booth about Appaloosas as well as having a live Appaloosa yearling, RDA Fancy Lady owned by R Dream Appaloosas, available for people to see.
The ApHC provided Youth Judging Guides for a judging clinic, and the helpful books were a big hit with many of the youth there to learn more about judging horses. During the Breed Parade, the history of the Appaloosa was shared with the spectators as Appaloosa horses were exhibited in the arena showcasing the versatility and temperament of today’s breed.
Appaloosas were also represented in Stallion Avenue by ImpressMeDocO’Pepper, a 7-year old stallion owned by Colin and Denise Dutenhoffer. Pepper gave many people insight in to what the Appaloosas can be like and visitors could not believe they were actually observing a stallion that was so relaxed that he laid down in his stall in spite of the crowds enjoying the Horse Fair. Pepper also showed off his gentle temperament by allowing a 5-year-old girl ride him bareback in the arena during the Breed Parade.
The South Dakota Horse Fair also hosted a Stallion Versatility Competition, with only the stallions on Stallion Avenue allowed to participate. Stallions participated in 5 events: Western Pleasure, Barrels, Freestyle Reining, Ranch Cutting, and Halter to earn points toward the high place overall versatility award. ImpressMeDocO’Pepper, ridden by Denise Dutenhoffer, participated in four of the five events but did not win the title.
There are some new options to promote your horses or business in conjunction with the National Appaloosa Show and World Championship Appaloosa Youth Show. In addition to the usual avenues such as farm flags, class and buckle sponsorships and Network advertising we can offer video and banner ads during the on-line broadcast of the shows, specific sponsorship of the National Show Blog, and hospitality areas on the Equestrian Center concourse.
On the Appaloosa.com home page there is a new button (Get Spotted Here) which takes you to the full description and rates for various advertising and sponsorship packages. You can also find the same form by clicking on the “Show” button from the regular menu and then clicking on “National Show” where you’ll find the pdf form to read and download.
News from writer and filmmaker Shannan Keenan: TRAIL END has been accepted to the Method Fest Film Festival!
Screening Details:
Shorts Program 5 Choose Your Own Adventure
Sunday, March 30 – 12:30PM
Carlson Family Theatre
Viewpoint School
23630 Mulholland Hwy.
Calabasas, CA 91302
(Los Angeles area)
For more details and ticket info please visit: www.methodfest.com
TRAIL END A HIT IN RED ROCK COUNTRY
TRAIL END had two sold-out screenings as part of the Shorts Program 1 at the Sedona International Film Festival. Due to tremendous support from the audience, TRAIL END tied for 3rd Place out of 60 shorts in the Audience Choice votes. For more information about the festival please visit: www.sedonafilmfestival.com
www.justhank.com/trailend.htm
www.myspace.com/trailend
Ever dreamed of being a real cowgirl? Can you picture yourself horseback riding through the open countryside? If so, then Cowgirl University’s Kindle the Cowgirl Spirit Retreat on May 8-11, 2008, in the Texas Hill Country, is perfect for you. This annual weekend adventure, made possible by the National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame, is not just another themed girl’s-getaway with a cowgirl twist.
Cowgirl U’s Kindle the Cowgirl Spirit Retreat is the real-deal, bringing National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame Honorees together for one benefit – to share with you their stories and teach you skills needed for Western life. Whether or not you have extensive experience in the saddle, this retreat is for beginners and seasoned horsewomen alike. Retreat-goers are welcome to bring their own horse or rent one for the weekend.
Set on the Simmons’ Ranch, a sprawling 2,000 acre working ranch in Burnet, Texas – located approximately one hour northwest of Austin, Texas; one-and-a-half hours north of San Antonio, Texas – Cowgirl U’s Kindle the Cowgirl Spirit centers on horsemanship skills taught by the Honorees who embody that Cowgirl Spirit. As this is a working-cowgirl retreat, women will learn inside tips on how to assess, handle and care for a horse firsthand from some of the nation’s top horsewomen. Retreat-goers will dine on gourmet-ranch cuisine and sleep in comfortable guest homes on the ranch conveniently located to activity and meal areas.
This year’s Honorees include Sherri Mell, 2004 National Cowgirl Hall of Fame Honoree - 2006 Appaloosa Horse Club Hall of Fame. The photo shows Sherri with her parents Suzanne and Hennig Koch, both of whom are also ApHC Hall of Famers. The picture doesn’t necessarily go along with the story, but we always like an excuse to brag about our Hall of Fame folks.
While many cowgirls specialize in just one or two key rodeo events, Mell enters and often wins an array of rodeo and horse show competitions. However, she is best known for her success as a calf roper. Mell is the only woman to win a championship at the National and World shows in calf roping – an event dominated by men. Since 1990 she has led the nation in non-pro calf roping. She is the first woman to win a National Finals Rodeo Championship title riding an Appaloosa, her only mount, and has won more than 100 world and national rodeo and horse titles throughout her career.
The Appaloosa Horse Club is pleased to announce a continued and expanded “Appaloosa presence” at the Ohio Equine Affaire in Columbus OH, April 10-13, 2008 with Appaloosa breed displays, demonstrations, and an ApHC Town Hall meeting for Appaloosa discussion and feedback.
The ApHC hosts an Appaloosa information booth and stall in the Cashman Breed Pavilion, where visitors can meet a live Appaloosa horse, view video footage of Appaloosas and their people in action, talk to Appaloosa enthusiasts, and find information on ApHC programs and Appaloosa horses.
A Regional Club booth is situated next to the ApHC booth. More interaction with Appaloosa owners, information on local Appaloosa shows and events, Appaloosa horses for sale and Appaloosa stallions for service is available there.
Appaloosa owners from OH and the surrounding areas have their horses and farms represented in the Horse & Farm Exhibits barns. Several of these Appaloosa Ambassadors will take part in the Appaloosa breed demonstration Friday Aprill 11th at one pm to illustrate to the attending public why Appaloosas are the Breed of Choice. Appaloosas will also be featured in the Young Rider Pavilion on Saturday April 12th where youth can get to know the Appaloosa horse.
An ApHC Town Hall Meeting will be held Friday April 11th in the conference area at the Cashman Breed Pavilion, directly after the Appaloosa breed demonstration, with the ApHC President and area Director(s) on hand. These idea and solution generating meetings are being held across the country in response to the desire of members and ApHC Directors for more communication and response on the local level.
For information on the ApHC Town Hall meeting contact Brian Amerine at FARMBA@aol.com , or phone (614) 371-6280, or Laura Lyon, ApHC Director for Territory VI zone A at lyoneastwest@usol.com or phone 517-545-1776.
The Appaloosa Horse Club is proud of all volunteers and recognizes their efforts to provide promotion, education, and Appaloosa “one on one” experiences for new, continued, and prospective Appaloosa enthusiasts. To learn more about Appaloosa events and opportunities, visit the Appaloosa Horse Club at www.appaloosa.com .
Ticketed entry to the Equine Affaire is required to attend any of the Appaloosa events mentioned. The Ohio Equine Affaire features four days of clinics, seminars, breed displays and demonstrations, entertainment, and hosts the largest trade show of any horse exposition in the United States. More information on the OH Equine Affaire and ticketing can be found at http://www.equineaffaire.com/ohio/index.html .
November 8-12, 2007 marked the 10th anniversary of Equine Affaire at the Eastern States Exposition Fairgrounds in West Springfield, Massachusetts. Horse enthusiasts from throughout New England converged on the site by the tens of thousands to learn from the various clinics, demonstrations, and seminars presented by leading professionals in the horse industry. Of course, some folks just came for the shopping, and the vendors at Equine Affaire offered everything from calendars to carriages, feed to fences, and tail bags to trailers! Through the years and with events hosted in Columbus, OH and Pomona, CA, Equine Affaire has blossomed into the premier and most prestigious event in the United States.
Appaloosas were fortunate to be a part of this event and they were represented well. Connecticut Appaloosa Association President Teri Coughlin and volunteers Scott Artioli, Nancy Clem, Casey Coughlin, Sue Cormier, Mikey Curtis, Lynn Endres, Joan Fagan, Kelli Labbe, Amanda Larivee, Denise LoMascolo, Erika LeBaron, Janet Murray, Petra Peyton, Heather Porciello, Kathy Reed, Pam Salois, Kim Siegel, Jodi Schaufus, Lynne Wentworth, Barbara Shepard, Kip Shepard, Dustin Eikenhorst and Sarah Tremblay answered numerous questions about the breed and passed out information provided by the ApHC by the handful.
Kip and Barbara Shepard’s PCE Rockina Star, Brenda Coggin’s Hot Rockin Rickie and Robin Bond’s Some Kinda Treat and RCS Powerstroke were on hand to greet visitors at the breed booth in the Breed Pavilion and in the Horse and Farm exhibitor area in C Barn. These exceptional Appaloosas also participated in clinics with Julie Goodnight, Richard Shrake, and Bob Jeffreys and Suzanne Shepard.
On Saturday at 11:15 the coliseum was packed preceding a clinic by Horse Whisperer Monty Roberts and the Appaloosa breed demonstration was applauded by the packed house. Native American flute music introduced Robin and Some Kinda Treat who honored the heritage of the Appaloosa by representing an Indian Plains woman. Deanna Coggin and All Hands Off Jane strutted their stuff going saddleseat. Prince Charles Enterprise’s trainer Sarah Tremblay presented 3 year-old PCE Rockina Star currently top ten in hunter under saddle. Western pleasure horse Third Rock carried 14 year-old owner Melanie Cormier, and Casey Coughlin reined and stopped RCS Powerstroke to the delight of the crowd.
The Western Massachusetts Appaloosa Association and The Connecticut Appaloosa Association attained a goal set back in 1998 when the Green Mountain Appaloosa Association joined them, the Granite State Appaloosa Association, and the Maine Appaloosa Horse Club to bring all of the Northeast clubs together for the first time to promote the horse we hold so dear. Members of these regional clubs came together and shared the responsibility of manning the breed booth sponsored by the ApHC.
Territory VI Director Chuck McWhirter was pleasantly surprised when he showed his support of the Northeast regional clubs by attending Equine Affaire. McWhirter observed first hand the record breaking crowds and the marketing opportunities available through participation at Equine Affaire. Appaloosa breed coordinators Janice Carroll, Robin Bond, and Teri Coughlin would like to thank Mr. McWhirter for his support and enthusiasm.
The goal of the coordinators for the 2008 event is to produce an “Appaloosa Alley” and fill a whole row of stalls with the region’s most talented and colorful horses. Stalls in the Horse and Farm exhibitor area sell out in June! If you are interested in participating in this extraordinary marketing opportunity please contact your regional club’s Equine Affaire representative.
The Appaloosa Museum hosted a big crowd at its annual Christmas Open House on Saturday, December 1st. Just guessing, but I’d say at least 200 people stopped by on a day that looked and felt special as snowflakes fluttered and smiles could be seen at every turn.
Actually, the formula for attracting kids and their parents is pretty simple, and it still works really well. Give them some cookies to decorate and/or eat, let them pose for photos atop a gentle Appaloosa, and bring in Santa Claus. It’s a truly reliable recipe.
This young lady remained oblivious to the crowd and displayed considerable skill as she applied icing to her horse-shaped Christmas cookie. The decorating tables became stop #1 in a series of fun things to do at the Appaloosa Museum’s Open House. A seemingly endless stream of wide-eyed children and their dutiful parents got the most out of a visit to the museum headquarters in Moscow, Idaho.
The Appaloosa Museum’s Christmas Open House introduced a new crop of youngsters to the activity center which is a permanent fixture at the facility. We’ve seen lots of repeat “customers” on weekday afternoons throughout the year. In this photo, most of the gang is working on decorating some boot cutouts during Saturday’s open house. The play area is also good for reading, coloring, dressing up in cowboy gear, or just sitting in the saddle to contemplate future horse ownership.
Congratulations to the Appaloosa Museum staff and volunteers for an energetic and successful event. Visitors came from Moscow, Pullman, Lewiston and beyond. The Open House has become an important tradition for families in and around the Palouse.
You think these guys are having fun? They stood in line on a chilly, snowy day for the chance to sit on an Appaloosa just long enough for photos during a visit to the Appaloosa Museum’s Christmas Open House. The appeal is universal and the rewards for waiting are smiles - this big.
I’ll need to brag about the horse later, but I can tell you that she was a perfect princess for two hours worth of kids and attention. I think she belongs to King Rockhill, president of the Appaloosa Museum Foundation Board of Directors (he’s in the stocking cap).
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