APHA is pleased to honor longtime APHA member, breeder and Missouri Paint Horse Club founding member Clea Bobbitt of Eldon, Missouri. Clea is a longtime Paint Horse advocate who tirelessly works to promote the Paint Horse breed and APHA.
Clea began showing Paints in 1967 and continues to show actively. In addition, she raised the winner of the inaugural Farnam 2-Year-Old Western Pleasure Sweepstakes class at the 2012 APHA World Championship Show.
The horsewoman has worked with the Missouri Paint Horse Club in various capacities since its charter in 1967, which includes serving as president, secretary and as its first show manager. She’s been part of numerous committees during her tenure as a national director, including the Regional Club, Promotion, Judges, Registration, Ways & Means and APHA Queen committees.
Currently serving on APHA’s General Show & Contest Committee, Clea is also a MPHC board member and the publicity and sponsorship coordinator for the World Wide Paint Horse Congress. Her ability to effectively market an extremely successful event has resulted in its consistent recognition as an APHA Top 10 Show since her involvement began in 2011. Clea authored the highly successful Beth Buechler Limited Series as a component of the World Wide Paint Horse Congress in 2014.
“I have known Clea for many years and have had the pleasure of working with her on an extensive basis for the last several years,” said Executive Committee Member Casey West of Abilene, Kansas. “I can say this readily and honestly: there probably wouldn’t be a World Wide Paint Horse Congress without her hard work.”
Furthermore, Clea was also a founding member of the Zone 5 Coordinating Committee, which works to produce the Zone 5 show in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. She served as Zone secretary from 2005–2013.
Clea’s literary and photography skills have provided countless promotion of Paint Horses and APHA events in equine publications throughout the country. Her first article was published in The Horseman’s Courier in 1968, and she continues to write for many publications today.
Her friendly and gregarious nature has made her a valuable asset to the association, and many APHA members count her as friend, mentor and cheerleader.
“Clea represents all that is right about APHA,” APHA Executive Director Billy Smith said. “If her energy and optimism were a virus, I’d hope we could all catch it.”
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About APHA
The American Paint Horse Association is the world’s second-largest international equine breed association, registering more than a million horses in 59 nations and territories since it was founded. APHA creates and maintains programs that increase the value of American Paint Horses and enriches members’ experiences with their horses.