APHA Regional Clubs

Looking for a group that offers camaraderie, competition, hospitality and friendship? Then look no further than your local regional Paint Horse club. Paint Horse clubs bring the ideals of the American Paint Horse Association—a friendly atmosphere, a high regard for its members and the promotion of family values—to horse enthusiasts at the local level.
These equine booster clubs are as diverse as the Paint Horse breed itself, but they share common goals—to educate the public about the qualities of the American Paint Horse and APHA, to encourage Paint breeding for conformation and athletic ability, to give members the opportunity to show their Paints and to host alternative activities such as trail rides and social events for non-competitors.  For your Paint enthusiasts who may live miles apart, but share a love of horses, clubs provide a common meeting place and a host of activities.

Regional club membership is not limited to a single club. A Paint enthusiast can belong to as many Paint Horse clubs as he or she chooses. Most APHA members belong to multiple clubs for competition purposes. Membership is required to participate in a club’s futurity and to be eligible for a club’s year-end awards.

Whether you have ten flashy show horses or one backyard buddy, you’ll be welcome at the APHA regional club of your choice. Find a club near you today!

Purpose of Regional Clubs

Regional Clubs are the backbone of the American Paint Horse Association’s grassroots marketing program for the breed. Since its inception in 1962, the Association has approved more than 115 Regional Clubs worldwide. Successful Regional Clubs are those that are well organized, those that have a clearly defined purpose and those that are dedicated to promoting the American Paint Horse. This website is designed to provide club and Association leaders with a variety of useful information and resources.

The purpose of all APHA approved Regional Clubs is defined by the Official APHA Rule Book, which states:
“Clubs must be formed only for advancing and promoting the Paint Horse through the ideals of the APHA including good horsemanship and good sportsmanship.”

When the purpose of a Regional Club is in sync with the mission of the APHA, a dynamic union is formed.  APHA has a staff of skilled professionals whose jobs are to implement and enforce the rules, to market the breed, and to attract new members.

Regional Clubs provide the framework for attracting new members at the local or “grassroots” level.  Regional Clubs make recommendations for the APHA State Directors to the Directors Nominating Committee. Directors are then elected by all APHA members in good standing.  State Directors are charged with representing the interests of their regional members to the national organization. In turn, one way the APHA communicates with its Regional Clubs is through its State Directors, who are asked to report information at the local level.

Cooperative Ventures.  When this relationship works as it is designed, then opportunities exist for the association and the Regional Club to cooperate on such ventures as regional trail rides, the APHA  Convention and championship shows. Programs that have been designed to foster this type of cooperative venture include the Paint Alternative Competition (PAC) program, the Amateur and Novice Amateur programs, the Youth program, and the American Paint Horse Foundation.

Mission of The American Paint Horse Association

The mission of the American Paint Horse Association is to promote, preserve and provide meaningful experiences with Paint Horses.
APHA aspires to excellence in record keeping, reporting, recruiting and educating and supporting the membership, so that the Association may inspire confidence and create in them a desire to use our services. The APHA serves both the breed and our members by being ever aware of the industry and market, and of the needs, opportunities and challenges of our members.

APHA Regional Club Charter History