Showing

First things first, WELCOME! We’re glad you’ve joined APHA and chosen a breed that is Marked for Greatness!

APHA has many Regional Clubs and youth Regional Clubs to join. Visit our Regional Club Finder to locate a club near you. Can’t find one close enough for comfort? See what it takes to start a new club HERE!

Use APHA’s Event Calendar to find APHA sanctioned shows near you. Don’t see any nearby? APHA sanctioned classes can be dual-approved with existing shows, visit our Show Management page to learn how to hold your own APHA shows or classes!

For exhibitors who are ready to challenge all comers, the APHA offers classes that are “open” to everyone—professional and non-professional alike. With more than 20 different events in this division, there is virtually something for everyone – from cutting and reining to jumping and pleasure driving.

What you need:

1. A Paint Horse
2. A current APHA individual membership

If you would like to show in Open Green classes, you will need to verify that your horse is Green Eligible for the appropriate classes. To determine this, pull up your horse’s Performance Record on APHA Online or submit a Performance Record Request Form to determine their APHA earnings, and consult any other associations’ records that the horse has competed in.

Your horse must have less than 25 points (10 points in zones 12, 13, and 14), $2,500, no World or Reserve World Titles, or a bronze horse medal in the EWU in any division of the green class you are interested in, except for Walk/Trot, as of January 1 of the current show year.

If competition is what you crave, you should check out APHA’s Amateur program.

APHA has three Amateur Divisions that gives people the opportunity to compete comfortably at their skill level:

• AMATEUR & AMATEUR SOLID PAINT-BRED for seasoned competitors who are not professionals.
• NOVICE AMATEUR is a more introductory level; it is possible to be Novice in some categories and Amateur in others based on  points, money earnings and/or championships. With a Novice Amateur card you can also show in Amateur or Amateur Masters classes.
• AMATEUR WALK-TROT & AMATEUR WALK-TROT SOLID PAINT-BRED is a division for those that only want to walk-trot which gives people an additional level to choose to participate in. With an Amateur Walk/Trot card you can also show in Novice Amateur Showmanship and Amateur or Amateur Masters Showmanship, Halter, Longe Line, In-Hand Trail, and driving classes. You may not show in any loping classes at shows where APHA or other sanctioned equine association classes are held.
• Please note that shows are not required to hold APHA-approved Walk-Trot classes.

To show in the APHA Amateur Divisions, exhibitors must:

• Be 19 years old & over as of January 1 of the current year and follow the remuneration and judging restrictions under rule AM-010.
• Have a current Amateur Show Card for all Amateur Divisions in addition to a current APHA individual membership. Visit the Show Forms page to renew your Amateur Card and Membership.
  • If you plan to show in only Amateur or Amateur Masters classes, select the Amateur card.
  • If you plan on showing in Novice Amateur classes, select the Novice Amateur card.
  • If you plan on showing in Amateur Walk/Trot classes, select the Novice Amateur card.
• Meet Amateur Ownership Requirements, which state that you or an immediate family member (as defined in SC-160.M.) must be listed as the owner of record for the Paint you plan to show. If you or an immediate family member is not the owner, a Show Lease must be submitted before the start of the first show you plan to enter.

Please familiarize yourself with the Amateur Rules for eligibility, ownership, and competition in the APHA Rule Book.

If you would like to show in Novice classes, you will need to verify that you are Novice Eligible for the appropriate classes. To determine this, enter your membership ID into our Exhibitor Novice Eligibility page.

You must have less than 40 Open/Amateur/Youth points (20 points in zones 12, 13, and 14), 50 Novice Amateur/Novice Youth points (25 points in zones 12, 13, and 14), $2,500, no World or Reserve World Titles,  in any division of the novice category you are interested in, except for Walk/Trot, as of January 1 of the current show year. Novice eligibility is determined on a per-category basis, the categories are defined on the above page. Points, titles, and earnings from other equine associations also count against your novice eligibility with APHA and must be reported when submitting your Novice Show Card forms. Non-APHA points are revalued using the revaluation table in the current APHA Rulebook.

If youth competition is what you crave, you should check out AjPHA’s Youth program.

APHA has three Youth Divisions that gives kids the opportunity to compete comfortably at their skill level:

• YOUTH & YOUTH SOLID PAINT-BRED for seasoned youth competitors who are not professionals.
• NOVICE YOUTH is an introductory level; it is possible to be Novice in some categories and Youth in others based on  points, money earnings and/or championships. This division requires a current Novice Youth Show Card in addition to an AjPHA individual membership.
• YOUTH WALK-TROT 5-10 & YOUTH WALK-TROT 11-18 are divisions for those that only want to walk-trot which gives people an additional level to choose to participate in. Youth Walk-Trot 11-18 requires a current show card in addition to a current AjPHA individual membership, Youth Walk-Trot 5-10 requires a current AjPHA individual membership. Please note that shows are not required to hold APHA-approved Youth Walk-Trot classes.

To qualify for the AjPHA Youth Program, exhibitors must:

• Be 18 years old & under as of January 1 of the current year and follow the remuneration restrictions under rule YP-010.
• Have a current Youth Show Card if showing in the Novice Youth or Youth Walk-Trot 11-18 Divisions in addition to an AjPHA membership.
• Meet Youth Ownership Requirements, which state that you or an immediate family member (as defined in SC-160.M.) must be listed as the owner of record for the Paint you plan to show to be eligible for APHA points, awards, titles, and earnings. If you or an immediate family member is not the owner, points, awards, titles, and earnings will not be awarded but will be recorded for Novice eligibility purposes only, unless a Show Lease is submitted.

Please familiarize yourself with the Youth Rules for eligibility, ownership, and competition in the APHA Rule Book.

APHA has many programs that makes it pay to have a Paint! Check out the following programs!

• Chrome Cash offers sidepots for Paints at select NRHA, NCHA, NRCHA, ARHFA, and APHA All-Around events.
• Breeder’s Trust offers annual payouts to the stallion subscriber, foal nominator, and owner of horses nominated into the program for their points earned in APHA-approved events.
• Breeder’s Futurity, an enhancement of the Breeder’s Trust program, is a select slate of classes designed to showcase the offspring of APHA Breeders’ Trust-subscribed stallions and the mares bred to them.
• Paint Barrel Racing Incentive Program (PBRIP) offers dual-approved APHA Barrel Races with sidepots for Paints enrolled into the program.
• Paint Alternative Competition (PAC) rewards members for the hours you spend riding your Paint outside of the show pen as well as your competitive success outside of APHA shows. Report your riding hours and show results and earn PAC Credits and Awards!
• APHA E-Shows, offered bi-monthly, offer a great way for you to practice your skills with challenging patterns, receive judge critiques from APHA Carded Judges, and earn some spending money with jackpots in every class from the comfort of home.

APHA no longer requires qualifying in order to exhibit at the APHA World Show and Halter Million! Check out the APHA World Show Homepage and APHA Halter Million Homepage to view the show schedule, premium book, and necessary forms.