Garden State & New England top 2025 Youth club contests
Each year, AjPHA spotlights top-performing Youth clubs with two special recognition opportunities: the Youth Club of the Year and From the Heart awards. The Garden State Paint Horse Youth Club and the New England Paint Horse Youth Club prevailed as winners of the 2025 Youth Club contests, respectively.
The AjPHA Club of the Year award recognizes outstanding regional clubs that provide an educational and social organization for Youth members who share a common interest in Paint Horses. The From the Heart award encourages AjPHA members to reach out to their community through club-based education and service.
Youth Club of the Year: Garden State Paint Horse Youth Club
The Garden State Paint Horse Youth Club, led by Niki Hetzell, earned the 2025 AjPHA Club of the Year award for its outstanding educational and social program for Youth members passionate about Paint Horses. Members stayed connected through ice cream socials, movie nights, pumpkin carving and new member welcome experiences. They also promoted AjPHA and APHA through displays at local open shows and raised funds by selling mums, pumpkins, apparel, candy bars, show sponsorships and hosting baskets. The club volunteered at all three GSPHC shows in Logan Township, New Jersey, and sent members to the AjPHA Youth Leadership Gathering and the APHA World Championship Show. The club made fleece blankets for a local neonatal care unit and collected pet food and supplies for shelters to give back to their community. A multiple past winner of the award—2021, 2022, 2024 and now 2025—the Garden State Paint Horse Youth Club receives a $1,000 donation from APHA for their most recent accomplishment.
From the Heart Award: New England Paint Horse Youth Club
Presented by Markel
The New England Paint Horse Youth Club is a vibrant, service-driven organization that unites AjPHA members through educational, social and community-focused activities. In addition to increasing membership to over 100 via a membership drive in 2025, the club hosted pizza parties, a Halloween celebration, trail rides and a member-run year-end awards banquet. Participants sharpened their show skills at a free horsemanship and showmanship clinic led by professionals Bob Drake, Heather Faulkner and Markel/APHA Professional Horseman Paige Benson, bringing APHA and 4-H riders together in the spirit of education.
Equally committed to giving back, the youth organized a Chuck-A-Duck fundraiser that raised $355 for the MSPCA and led multiple donation drives to collect toiletries, school supplies, socks and pet-care items for local shelters and families in need. These efforts highlight the NEPHC Youth Club’s dedication to education, community involvement and fostering the next generation of Paint Horse leaders. The club receives a $500 donation from Markel Insurance as the From the Heart winner.
“Our youth are a group dedicated to promoting teamwork, knowledge and services to others,” NEPHYC advisors Paige Benson and Heidi Novak said.
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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.