Scholarship Endowments
The academic scholarships that have provided junior members of APHA with four semesters of financial assistance for more than 25 years are generated from memorial or honorarium endowments. Any new endowment must reach a minimum of $25,000 before it can start generating a yearly scholarship. Nine families created memorial endowments through the American Paint Horse Foundation in recent years. We’d like to tell you a little something about these endowment honorees. If you are interested in making a gift to any of these endowments, use our online donation form and select “Incomplete Academic Endowment Name” from the dropdown and select the endowment you want to support. The families will be notified of your gift. For the complete list of endowments, click here.
Gary Gordon Memorial Endowment
Longtime APHA member, judge emeritus and former national director Gary Gordon of Argyle, Texas, died March 27 following an extended hospital stay. Gary and wife Linda owned Fossil Gate Farm, a top halter breeding and showing facility in Argyle. They’ve produced, owned and shown a number of world champion halter horses in the stock horse breeds.Earning his APHA judge’s card in 1983, Gary officiated APHA events until he retired in 2014; he was honored as an APHA judge emeritus in February 2018. He also served as an APHA alternate national director in 2001 before giving his time as an APHA national director from 2002–2013; he also served on a number of committees during his tenure and until his death, including the Breed Integrity Committee.
Lynn Titlow Memorial Endowment
Lynn Titlow passed away in 2016 after a hard-fought battle with pancreatic cancer. Her family created the Lynn Titlow Memorial Endowment in honor of Lynn’s passion for the American Paint Horse and the association. In 1991, Lynn was elected as an APHA national director from California. She served on the Amateur Committee—where she was chairman for more than 10 years—as well as the Rules, Judges, Director Nominating and Executive Nominating committees and the Youth Development Foundation and Scholarship Review Committee. She received her Director at Large distinction for 25 years of service in 2016.
Nevada PHC / Ken Winder Memorial Endowment
The Nevada Paint Horse Club created the club’s third endowment in honor of dedicated APHA member and longtime association director Ken Winder of Fallon, Nevada, who died in 2013. A familiar face at Paint Horse shows throughout Nevada and Zone 2, Ken was well known in many roles. Owner, exhibitor and breeder of numerous Paint Horses, Ken was perhaps most proud of his 1982 palomino overo stallion Cupids Gold Bar, and APHA Champion, Performance Versatility and Superior All-Around titleholder. In addition to holding numerous offices in his regional club and zone coordinating committee, the Vietnam veteran also served as an APHA director for more than 20 years.
Brett Scott Fredricks Memorial Endowment
Teri Fredricks established the endowment in honor of her husband Brett, a retired member of the Army’s Delta Force who was killed in 2015 during combat while in Somalia. An APHA lifetime member, Fredricks loved showing halter horses on the APHA and PtHA show circuit. Terri plans to continue his dream of breeding and showing horses at their farm in Shelby, North Carolina.
Zippos Sensation Memorial Endowment
APHA Lifetime Leading Sire Zippos Sensation died July 10 at age 23. Simons Show Horses of Aubrey, Texas, owned the 1993 sorrel overo stallion and it was under their guidance that he became a pillar in the Paint Horse industry. In honor of his substantial legacy to the breed and to support youth scholarships, the Simons family has created an American Paint Horse Foundation endowment. Upon completion, the endowment will support additional scholarship money in Western Pleasure classes at each AjPHA Youth World Championship Show, held in the summer in Fort Worth.
Suzanna Smiles Memorial Endowment
Longtime APHA member Meredith Landy established the endowment to honor her niece, the late Suzanna Nelson of Vista, California. Suzanna began showing Paint Horses as a 13 & Under Youth exhibitor in 2004 under the guidance of trainer Karen Qualls. During her show career, Suzanna exhibited some of the industry’s most decorated horses, including Real Me In, Ultimate Bonanza, Heathen Machine, and Nickys Dun Sizzlin. With Ultimate Bonanza, Suzanna was the 2006 world champion in Youth Hunter Under Saddle 14–18, besting a field of more than 90 exhibitors. Following high school, Suzanna attended Baylor University and was a member of Baylor’s NCAA equestrian team from 2008–2012. Graduating from Baylor with honors in 2012, Suzanna earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism, with a minor in business administration. She passed away in 2013, at the age of 22.
Michael Ochetto Jr. Memorial Endowment
When 18 year-old Michael Ochetto, Jr lost his life in a car accident in 2013, his father, Michael Ochetto, a well known halter trainer and judge, set up an endowment to honor his life. Mike was an avid hunter and sports enthusiast. He lettered in varsity football and baseball with the Tatum Eagles. He was also an avid horseman, and showed American Paint Horses.
Suzetta Busby Memorial Endowment
The Georgia Paint Horse Club created an endowment in memory of longtime member and APHA horse trainer, Suzetta Busby, who passed away in 2014. For more than 40 years Suzetta had been a horse trainer which began as a hobby and quickly turned into a life long career. She coached and traveled nationwide with her students and horses up and was a mentor to many in the horse industry. She was a member and had served as national director of the American Paint Horse Association as well as president and treasurer of Missouri Paint Horse Association.
Marti Cibrowski McLain Memorial Endowment
Marti Ciborowski McLain, a longtime APHA member and trade show vendor died in 2013 and her family established the endowment. Marti was the wife of longtime trainer and APHA Judge Rick McLain. She was fascinated by things equine, an interest shared by her children. She traveled across the U.S. attending the children’s show horse competitions and after the children moved on, she established Marti’s Tack Shack and continued to make the show horse competition circuit as well as some of the rodeos.
Current Completed Endowments (these can always be added to) |
Current Incomplete Endowments (these are not yet generating a scholarship) |
Arizona PHC #1 Arizona PHC #2 Arizona PHC #3 Ark La Tex PHC Ashley Huntington Memorial Bill & Joye Bryan Bill and Rachael Yoesel Memorial Bob/Theda Bartholomew Bud & Bev Shoemaker California Paint Racing Central California PHC Cross Timbers PHC #1 Cross Timbers PHC #2 Dr. Bill Jackson Memorial Dr. Bill Jackson/Cross Timbers PHC Dr.Wm/Mable Garnier Dr & Mrs Wonderlich Duane Pettibone Memorial Floyd & Maryann Moore #1 Floyd & Maryann Moore #2 Idaho PHC Illinois PHC #1 Illinois PHC #2 Jason Sheriff Memorial Joan Cook Memorial Keith Lamoine Memorial Lee Newsom Lynn Simons Memorial #1 Lynn Simons Memorial #2 Matt Diamond Memorial Mickea Smith Nebraska PHC Nevada PHC #1 Nevada PHC #2 Paul White Memorial Rebecca Baker YWS Memorial Robert & Mary Parrott Robert Haas Memorial Robyn Hanna Sportsmanship Roland & Joan Hoch Memorial Shelia Plimpton Memorial SW Washington PHC Utah PHC #1 Utah PHC #2 Utah PHC #3 Washington State PHC Williamson/Brashears Memorial Zone One #1 Zone One #2 Zone One #3 Zone Two Zone Three #1 Zone Three #2 Zone Three #3 Zone Three #4 |
Mr/Mrs Joe Bachmuth Memorial Shirley Bilton Memorial Rachel Ryan Burns Memorial Tad Dahms Memorial Maxine Howington Memorial Avis Schnurr Memorial Robert Ward Memorial Sue Williamson Memorial AJ Jack Campbell Memorial Mississippi PHC New Mexico PHC Utah PHC #4 Jim Pacelli Memorial Dean Jones Memorial Marti Cibrowski McLain Memorial Michael Ochetto, Jr Memorial AjPHA Member of the Year Rocky Mountain PHA YDF YWS High Point Scholarships YWS Class Scholarship Endowment Jan Anderson Honorarium Suzetta Busby Memorial Zippos Sensation Memorial Suzanna Smiles Memorial Lynn Titlow Memorial Brett Fredricks Memorial Nevada PHC 3 / Ken Winder Memorial |