Meet the BOD: Kevin Smith

When Kevin Smith’s daughter asked for a horse of her own three decades ago, Kevin had no idea his life was about to change. From that first purchase, Kevin found himself wrapped into the arms of APHA, as an owner, exhibitor, breeder, club leader, state director and, now, member of the association’s Board of Directors.

Along for the Ride

“My children grew up around horses, mostly pleasure riding and roping horses. I was pretty content being a not-so-good roper and having fun with our horses. Torrie met a trainer, Kenny Hall, and became enthralled with the possibility of owing and showing horses—she chose Paints. I made a deal to purchase a Paint Horse from Kenny, and my life was never the same. I got into the Paint family, appreciated the willingness of other members to offer assistance and guidance. We have built our program from that point and continue to be actively involved.

“I have now been involved with APHA for over 30 years. I have been a breeder of Paint Horses from 1995 through 2005, and registered over 150 foals. Additionally,  my wife, Nancy, and family—Torrie, Kevin Jr., Cody and Peyton—and I have been Paint exhibitors since 1994. Torrie started us off in the show pen, successfully showing halter horses. It was not long until the rest of the Smith clan began showing. Nancy, Peyton and myself remain active in the show pen. Nancy and I own eight Paints, and Peyton is now training for the public, with about 12 Paints in her barn.”

The Leadership Evolution

“Following my introduction into Paints, and as our show career progressed, I was ‘drafted’ into regional club management, then show management. I then became an APHA state director about 15 years ago. During my tenure as a director, I served on a variety of APHA committees, such as Finance, Long-Range Planning, Breed Integrity, Competition and a few task forces. I became more interested in a leadership role during and after serving on the Governance Task Force. This service allowed me to see many aspects of APHA and recognize the need to stay involved and grow my involvement.

“The best aspect of being a Board of Directors member, and the most satisfying for me, is the continuous opportunity to participate in discussions designed to promote Paint Horses and serve our members for the betterment of APHA. Exciting things have happened in my brief tenure on the Board of Directors. Possibly, the most exciting was the development and implementation of the Paynt Points program. The ongoing work on this program has resulted in the roll out of an expanded Paynt Points program to include the Open classes and the introduction of the Color Bonus program. These are tremendous opportunities for our exhibiting members.

“I think the biggest misconception of our Board of Directors is that we sit in a room and attempt to control the association and our members. Quite the contrary—our job is to create a better environment for our members and attempt to grow the awareness of the Paint Horse. Of course, the Board of Directors does have many fiscal and policy responsibilities, however, our members come first. The Board of Directors is assisted by a great staff at APHA. One thing I have learned is the passion our staff maintains in their roles within APHA. The culture at APHA is very cool and member-focused. I am honored to serve our members and work with such a talented staff.”

Reaping Rewards

“What’s the most rewarding part of my APHA journey? Wow—many things! First, I think, would be the sheer joy in watching our children achieve their individual  successes in the show pen. Tied to this is the development of work ethic and desire to achieve. Next, would be the personal rewards made by serving our members. Through my time on committees, and now the Board of Directors, the work toward a positive result and member benefit is a great feeling. Through this time, I have had the opportunity to be surrounded by many talented and committed individuals, all working for a common goal: a better APHA.

“Before becoming involved in serving APHA in a leadership role, I wish I knew how satisfying it is to achieve positive goals and make a difference. Once this comes into play it becomes a mindset, one goal achieved creates a new goal set. Small accomplishments build into great things for our association. Satisfaction is achieved in the end result, not the first conversation.

“I have been in senior management positions for over 40 years and in my chosen professional industry for 50 years. I have attempted to overlay my experience and knowledge gained from these experiences into my service to APHA. I feel that I am able to associate with each member because we have a common thread: Paint Horses. While leadership in APHA is a respected role, I hope all of our members know that I am approachable and willing to assist.”

On the Horizon 

“Exciting things are happening at APHA. We continue to work to developing leadership roles in the association. We have many talented members, and the opportunity for our members to become involved and grow their talents into a leadership role is boundless. We are on the precipice of developing new systems that will significantly benefit our members and add a level of service they’ve not seen before in our industry. While this is a long-term process, the end result will be amazing.

“Dealing with horses is no easy chore. Many tasks can be daunting and frustrating. I wish our members, really, knew how dedicated our staff is to solving problems and assisting our members.”

Kevin’s Advice

“Any of our members has the opportunity to become involved in APHA leadership. A person is only held back by their own desire to develop into a leader. Each of our members has an opinion on most everything that happens in the association. Many have ideas that may never get developed. I encourage each of our members to speak out, put yourself and your ideas out there, and get involved to move them forward. Each of us can make a difference working toward a common goal for the good of the many, absent of personal benefit. We are in this together, and it will take us all to make this a better experience for each of our fellow members.”

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