Paints are known for turning heads wherever they go, and the people who love them tend to do the same. Now, two lucky APHA members get the chance to stand out themselves as they grace the pages of Chrome as winners of the APHA Member Model Search.
Chrome, APHA’s Western lifestyle magazine, realized the star power of the association’s members and decided to select two equestrians to headline its popular Winter Fashion Issue. More than 70 members struck a pose for the contest, and after much deliberation, the field was narrowed to 10 finalists.
The grand-prize winners of Chrome’s second annual APHA Member Model Search are Misty McNamara of Ojai, California, and Kenny Strohecker of Salem, Oregon. They were selected from a pool of more than 70 candidates and rose to the top of our week-long public online voting, which saw more than 3,000 unique votes cast for our 10 finalists.
Misty McNamara
A 38-year-old horsewoman and entrepreneur from Ojai, California, Misty juggles her time between running her co-founded startup, Favly, and saddling up RCR Bev Doolittle to help with her husband’s cow/calf operation. Long hours spent in the saddle with “Bev” taught Misty about leadership, communication and teamwork—all key elements to building a social community and leading a team to startup success.
“I entered the APHA Chrome Model search contest because I knew it would be a fun and new experience; something I have never done before,” Misty said. “I would like to thank everyone who voted for me and who shared my story with others to help get more votes.”
Kenny Strohecker
A lifelong Paint lover, Kenny grew up in the APHA community; his mother has been breeding and raising colorful horses since the 1960s. The 46-year-old trainer, farrier and breeder has spent more than 20 years as an active member of the Oregon Paint Horse Club; he currently serves as president of the club.
“The Paint Horse Journal took a picture of me at the 2017 APHA World Show, and it went a little viral online. After that, I had a ton of people encourage me to enter [the contest], so I decided to give it a try,” Kenny said. “I just want to say thank you to everyone who voted and encourage me to enter!”
Chrome also congratulates our other Top 10 finalists (listed below), along with everyone who applied and voted in this contest. We’re always excited to meet our APHA members, who are truly beautiful inside and out. Watch for the 2018 fashion issue, arriving in November.
Chrome is mailed to all current APHA members in North America, and available digitally to all members worldwide, so make sure your membership is current to ensure you receive this special issue. JOIN today.
Bryan Taylor, Justin, Texas
Hannah Risch, Galion, Ohio
Jacob Tye, Silver Creek, New York
Janie Schnuck, Lamar, Indiana
Jessica Thorndycraft, Seattle, Washington
Jessica Tomlinson, Plymouth, Indiana
Kaylee Kapraun, Metamora, Illinois
Reece Nichols, Kilgore, Texas
##
[Reprinting all of part of this story is permitted, so long as credit is given to the Paint Horse Journal and a link provide back to apha.com.]
About APHA
The American Paint Horse Association is the world’s second-largest international equine breed association, registering more than a million horses in 59 nations and territories since it was founded. APHA promotes, preserves and provides meaningful experiences with Paint Horses.