Color Bonus & Open payouts coming to Paynt Points in 2026
APHA’s Paynt Points incentive program is expanding in 2026 to include payouts for Open points and a Color Bonus for eligible, obviously marked Paint Horses. Beginning January 1, 2026, all points earned in APHA-approved competitions—Open, Amateur, Youth, Novice and Walk-Trot—will generate twice-a-year Paynt Points payouts to the horse owner.
APHA is adding another $500,000 to cover the 2026 program expansion. This brings the association’s annual investment in Paynt Points to $1 million.
Full Paynt Points Details: apha.com/payntpoints
Every Paint, Every Point
With the addition of Open points to Paynt Points payout calculations, all points earned in APHA-approved shows will generate payouts for the horse owner.
Originally, Paynt Points generated payouts for Youth and Amateur divisions only, even though all division entries were assessed a $2/entry fee that went into the Paynt Points purse. This expansion allows those Open exhibitors to earn payouts, too, with no additional fees beyond what’s already being paid. APHA is bolstering the added money it contributes annually to the program to help keep Paynt Point payouts around an estimated $10/point or better.
Color Bonus Details
The Paynt Points Color Bonus rewards colorful, obviously marked Paints with extra payouts—automatically calculated based on your Paynt Points earnings.
Horses eligible for the Color Bonus meet these requirements:
- 12+ inches of continuous white markings
- Located in the qualifying zone per RG-070 (above the center of the knees/hocks or behind a line on the face from the outside corner of the eye to the corner of the mouth and under the chin to the opposite corner of the mouth.)
- Visible from a normal standing position of horse and human viewer
- Markings in areas not visible from a standing position (midline, inner thigh, jaw, etc) do not qualify a horse for the Color Incentive Bonus. Only markings (or their sections) visible from a standing position will be considered for eligibility.
- Have a “Paynt Points Color Bonus Eligible” stamp on their papers—details below about submitting your horse’s information for review.
Color Bonus payouts are automatically calculated based on points earned in APHA-approved competition. No additional fees are required to become or remain eligible.
Get Color Bonus Eligible!
Color Bonus eligibility review will take place as part of the APHA registration process for new foals, beginning January 1, 2026.
For horses already registered with APHA, submit your Paint’s details and photos to trigger a free review by APHA.
Color Bonus Eligibility Declaration
Horses approved as Color Bonus Eligible receive a logo stamp on their APHA registration certificates. Only horses approved by APHA staff as Color Bonus Eligible by the last day of the applicable Paynt Points period (June 30 or December 31) are eligible to receive Color Bonus payouts.
Why Paynt Points
The Paynt Points incentive program helps incentivize owning, breeding and showing Paint Horses. APHA is the only breed association investing in a program that pays exhibitors back for participation at its shows. The inaugural Paynt Points payout in August 2025 was $13.21 per point.
Questions?
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About APHA
The American Paint Horse Association is the world’s second-largest international equine breed association. Since it was founded in 1962, APHA has registered more than a million horses in 59 nations and territories. APHA promotes, preserves and provides meaningful experiences with Paint Horses. Learn more at apha.com.