Paints and their exhibitors will compete for more than just Zone class wins at the Northeast Connection Zone 7 Show this year—they’ll also have the opportunity to score big in 15 select Northeast Paint Horse Championship classes, too. The third annual Northeast Paint Horse Championship takes place in conjunction with the Zone 7 Show August 6–7 in Logan Township, New Jersey.
Paint Horse Championships are designed to encourage local participation and provide a competitive event for APHA members who don’t compete at the world level. These select events, which take place around the country as part of APHA Zone shows, showcase exhibitors and Paints within their respective zones that have not placed in the Top Five in a halter class or the Top 10 in a performance class at an APHA World Championship Show within the last five years.
Exhibitors and owners of horses competing in the 2016 Northeast Paint Horse Championship must be current APHA members who reside in Zone 7, which spans Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia and West Virginia.
The following Northeast Paint Horse Championship classes are offered for 2016:
- Youth Halter Geldings
- Youth Halter Mares
- Amateur Halter Geldings
- Amateur Halter Mares
- Overo Color Class
- Tobiano Color Class
- Youth Showmanship
- Youth Trail
- Novice Amateur Hunter Under Saddle
- Novice Amateur Hunt-Seat Equitation
- Novice Amateur Trail
- Novice Amateur Western Horsemanship
- Amateur Trail
- Amateur Ranch Riding
- Open Hunter Under Saddle
Northeast Paint Horse Championship class winners receive Gist Silversmiths trophy buckles, and medallions are awarded for second through sixth place. These awards are sponsored by APHA, and participating Zone shows are also eligible for up to $3,500 in additional rebates from APHA for Zone class awards.
In addition, Zone 7 is spicing up the Championship classes with high-point awards in Youth, Novice Amateur and Amateur divisions. Two high-point gift cards of $300 and $200 will be awarded per division.
“We thought it would make the Championship classes a little more of a contest,” Zone 7 Show Secretary Dorothy Quirk said. “We hope it will encourage more people to enter who are on the line [about entering Championship classes] because you have the chance to win $200 or $300.”
For more information about eligibility and 2016 Paint Horse Championship shows around the country, click here.
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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.