• Horse:
  • Ride or drive an American Paint Horse—Regular or Solid Paint-Bred Registry.
  • Horse must be enrolled in the PAC program.  Annual enrollment fee is $30 per horse or for two or more horses $27.50 per horse and expires on December 31 of each year. The PAC enrollment form can be found in the PAC Forms dropdown below. Beginning in 2022, only enrollments submitted through the online enrollment form will be accepted. Emailed, Faxed, or Mailed enrollment forms will no longer be accepted. Enrollments cannot be accepted over the phone as the horse owner’s signature is required on the enrollment form.
  • Horse must be enrolled in PAC before Exhibitor Reports or Riding Logs can be submitted.
• Owner/Exhibitor:
  • Owner & exhibitor/rider must be a current APHA or AjPHA member.
  • Participants do not have to own the horse.

Following are the PAC categories and their description that have been pre-approved by APHA . Classes are grouped within each category as staff sees fit. Examples of where classes are categorized can be seen below. Please note the 2022 category revisions in bold.

Open Class Categories

• *Combined Training/Eventing —Includes USEA approved events.
• Color Class- classes judged 100% on coat color (classes based on conformation should be listed as halter)
• *Dressage—Includes Traditional and Western Dressage, Eventing Dressage phase (if that is the only phase completed at the competition), Working Equitation Dressage, Cowboy Dressage (under saddle classes only), Dressage Seat Equitation, as well as USDF, USEA, and WDAA-approved events.
• *Endurance — Includes NATRC and AERC approved rides
• English Performance—Includes all non-breed registry-sponsored competition (AQHA, APHA, PtHA, etc), such as NSBA-approved events. Any English Performance class judged on horse’s movement, not rider’s posture and ability. Classes include bridle path hack, hunter under saddle, English pleasure, Country pleasure, Dressage Suitability, Hunter Longe Line, pleasure and utility driving and ADS-approved events, all variations of jumping including Hunter Hack, Working Hunter, Equitation Over Fences, Handy Hunter, Jumpers, Jumping, Hunter Derby, Ground Rail, Crossrails, Gambler’s Choice, etc.
• Equestrians With Disabilities—Competitions approved by a nationally recognized organization, such as NARHA and PATH Intl.
• Equitation—Any English, Western, or Bareback Performance class judged on the rider’s posture and ability, horse’s movement. Classes include Western Horsemanship, Hunt Seat Equitation, Bareback Equitation, Equitation on the Flat, Disciplined Rail, etc.
• Games—Includes key hole, quadrangle, bi-rangle, speedball, costume classes, hurry scurry, arena race, skill barrels, spur race, figure 8 flag (flags), poles 1, poles 2, Big T, heart race, pylons, command (Western/English), and other games.
• Halter—Not to include Color classes. Classes based 100% on confirmation. Classes include Halter, Grand or Reserve Champion Halter, Hunter-In-Hand, Hunter Model, English Young Model, Conformation, etc.
• Ranch & Cattle—Includes ALL Ranch classes including Ranch Riding, Ranch Pleasure, Stock Horse Pleasure, Ranch Rail Pleasure, Ranchmanship, Ranch Trail, Ranch Reining, Stock/Ranch Seat, Ranch Showmanship, Ranch Conformation, etc. Includes NCHA, ACHA, and CCHA approved events. Includes all Cutting, Ranch Cutting, etc. Includes team roping, heading, heeling, tie-down roping, steer stopping and breakaway roping, as well as USTRC and USCRA-approved events. Includes all team penning/ranch sorting non-breed association-sponsored competition. Includes all Working Cow Horse, Ranch Cow Work, Boxing, Mechanical Cow Flag, Working Equitation- Cattle Work, etc.
• Recreational Riding – Exhibitors 19 & Over – non-competitive riding. Fill out the PAC Recreational Riding Time Log for Recreational Riding PAC credits. Hours can be logged for trail rides, lessons, fox hunting, clinics, etc. Hours logged while riding in State or National Parks are counted double.
• Reining—Includes snaffle bit, hackamore, open and NRHA-approved events. Classes include Reining, Freestyle Reining, etc.
• Showmanship—Includes all in-hand competition except for Longe Line and In-Hand Trail. Classes include Western, English/Hunter, Liberty, Suitability for Dressage In-Hand, Fitting & Showing, Grooming & Conditioning, in-hand Cowboy Dressage classes (POG & Liberty)
• Speed Events—Includes to cloverleaf barrel racing, pole bending, barrel racing other than cloverleaf, stakes racing (figure 8 stakes), single stake, goat tying, relay races, mounted shooting, skijoring, saddle-n-go race, Indian relay, rescue race, Working Equitation- Speed Trial, etc.
• Trail—Includes all non-breed association sponsored competition (AQHA, APHA, PtHA, etc), such as NSBA-approved events. Classes include Western, or Hunter/English Trail, In-Hand Trail, Working Equitation- Ease of Handling, ACTHA, Cowboy Obstacle Race, Trail or Obstacle Challenges, etc.
• Walk-Trot – leadline, ALL walk-trot classes.
• Western Performance—Includes all non-breed registry-sponsored competition (AQHA, APHA, PtHA, etc), such as NSBA-approved events. Any Western Performance class judged on horse’s movement, not rider’s posture and ability. Classes include Western Pleasure, Jack Benny, Western Longe Line, Western Riding, Western Dressage Suitability, etc.

Youth Class Categories

(Includes both youth and 4-H classes, see category descriptions above. If there is not a youth category that corresponds with an open category above, the respective classes are organized into the logical youth category. Classes must be designated for Youth only to fall into a Youth PAC Category. Results of youth showing in classes open to all ages of exhibitor will fall under the open category)

• Youth Halter
• Youth Dressage
• Youth English Performance
• Youth Equitation
• Youth Recreational Riding
• Youth Showmanship
• Youth Speed Events– includes all youth timed events and games
• Youth Trail
• Youth Walk-Trot
• Youth Western Performance

*Credits are awarded as directed per category scoring criteria, however, for tabulating methods only, placing and entry numbers will appear on the record. The American Paint Horse Association will have final approval of all classes or events. All classes must comply with the categories that are approved by the APHA.

At the APHA’s discretion, some events may warrant credits being earned for completion only. Other criteria for earning credits may be established or amended by the Board of Directors. APHA also reserves the right to combine categories at their discretion.

PAC Credit System for Halter Champions

• Grand Champion: 2 credits
• Reserve Grand Champion: 1 credit

PAC Credit System for NBHA Events

• If the competition is a 4-D event, the following will apply for number of entries.
  • 1-D: All horses competing.
  • 2-D: Only horses qualified for 2-D, 3-D, and 4-D.
  • 3-D: Only horses qualified for 3-D and 4-D.
  • 4-D: Only horses qualified for 4-D.
• If the competition is a 3-D event, the following will apply for number of entries.
  • 1-D: All horses competing.
  • 2-D: Only horses qualified for 2-D and 3-D.
  • 3-D: Only horses qualified for 3-D.

PAC Credit System for Dressage and Western Dressage Events

Exhibitor does not need to participate in all tests of a level in order to receive credits.

• Training, First and Second Levels (including Western Dressage Intro and Basic Levels)
  • 67.001%-or better: 4 credits
  • 64.001%-67.000%: 3 credits
  • 60.001%-64.000%: 2 credits
  • 55.000%-60.000%: 1 credit
  • Must receive a score of at least 55% to earn credit
• Third and Fourth Levels (including Musical Freestyle) 
  • 65.001% or better: 5 credits
  • 60.001% 65.000%: 4 credits
  • 55.001% 60.000%: 3 credits
  • 50.000% 55.000%: 2 credits
  • Must receive a score of at least 50% to earn credit
• FEI Levels (Prix St. George, Intermediate I and II, AHSA International Tests, Grand Prix, Grand Prix Special and Musical Freestyle at these levels. This includes all FEI Young Rider tests.)
  • 70.001%-or better: 10 credits
  • 65.001%-70.000%: 9 credits
  • 60.001%-65.000%: 8 credits
  • 55.001%-60.000%: 7 credits
  • 50.000%-55.000%: 6 credits
  • 45.000%-50.000%: 5 credits
  • Must receive a score of at least 50% to earn credit

PAC Credit System for Combined Training/Eventing

Eventing Credit System differs for Horse Trials and Classic Three Day Events.

• Horse Trials (Dressage, Stadium Jumping, Cross-country)
  • 1st place: 5 credits
  • 2nd place: 4 credits
  • 3rd place: 3 credits
  • 4th place: 2 credits
  • 5th place: 1 credit
  • Horse Trials must include 5 or more entries to receive credits.
• Classic Three-Day Events (Roads/Track, Steeplechase)
  • 1st Place: 16 credits
  • 2nd Place: 12 credits
  • 3rd Place: 10 credits
  • 4th Place: 7 credits
  • 5th Place: 6 credits
  • 6th Place: 5 credits
  • 7th Place: 4 credits
  • 8th Place: 3 credits

PAC Credit System for Endurance

Only one score (completion or placing) per competition is submitted for credits. Organizations/competitions MUST have a veterinary stamina/soundness evaluation of the horse during events to qualify for placing credits in this category. Events must complete at least 12 miles per event to qualify for credits in this category.

• 5 credits for completion of 12-40 miles multi-day competition.
• 7 credits for completion of 41-99 miles multi-day competition.
• 10 credits for completion of 25-49 miles (one day competition only).
• 12 credits for completion of 50-99 miles (one day competition only).
• 16 credits for completion of 100 miles (one or multi-day competition).
• 1 credit for “Best Condition Award.”

PAC Credit System for Recreational Riding

• 25 recreational riding hours= 1 credit
• 100 recreational riding hours: 4 credits- completion certificate
• 500 recreational riding hours: 20 credits- Certificate of Recognition
• 1,500 recreational riding hours: 60 credits- Certificate of Achievement
• 10,000 recreational riding hours: 400 credits- Superior Achievement

• PAC Show Reporting:
  • Horses must be enrolled in PAC before Exhibitor Reports can be submitted. Exhibitor Reports cannot be submitted for shows that took place before the date of enrollment. Beginning in 2022, show secretaries are no longer required to sign PAC Exhibitor Reports. Show secretary contact information will still be collected so that audits can be made.
  • PAC Exhibitor Reports can be submitted for Credits for all live shows that meet the following criteria:
    • It is recommended that the judges for PAC approved events be trained through an organization or be on a recognized judges list.
    • All clubs/organizations must agree to keep record of all exhibitor placings for at least one year from the event date. The APHA reserves the right to request copies of official results during any time in the calendar year.
    • Are Open/All-Breed shows. PAC and APHA approved events can be held in conjunction; however an exhibitor cannot earn points and credits in the same class. Credits from other breed or color registry classes that award national points will not count. NOTE: The APHA will have final approval of all association and/or events.
      • This can include open shows, playdays, schooling shows, rodeos, national or local discipline associations such as USDF, WDAA, NSBA, USEF, USHJA, NCHA, NRHA, ASHA, NRCHA, US Pony Club, 4-H etc.
      • Reports cannot be submitted from national breed/color associations such as AQHA, PtHA, ApHC, PHBA, etc.
  • PAC Exhibitor Reports can also be submitted for Credits from approved virtual shows. See PAC Virtual Show Calendar for list of approved virtual shows.
  • PAC Exhibitor Reports must be submitted within thirty days (30) days of the show or event.
    • Beginning in 2022, only reports submitted through the online reporting system will be accepted. Emailed, Faxed, or Mailed report forms will no longer be accepted. 
    • Exception: Due to processing year end awards, all exhibitor report forms from events after December 15 must be received on or before January 15 of the following year to obtain credits.
  • All exhibitors have 90 days past the date of the show to review each show’s credits. Within that time all corrections must be made; past the ninety days all credits will remain as is unless amended according to APHA rules or Board of Directors.
  • Because our members show their Paints in such a wide variety of classes, classes/disciplines that are submitted for credits are grouped into PAC Class Categories. Just about any class or discipline that can be shown in can count for PAC Credits. Show management must simply sign off on the exhibitors report form before submission. The exhibitor report forms and the list of PAC categories can be found in the dropdowns below. If you don’t see your discipline or class listed under the PAC categories table, email us at pac@apha.com so we can find a place for it!
• PAC Recreational Riding:
  • Time may be recorded for any activity in which you participate by riding or driving, including individual or group trail rides, riding/driving in a parade, weekly lessons or rides at home, fox hunting, clinics, etc. However, The same hours cannot be accrued for recreational riding and submitted in a PAC Exhibitor Report for credits at any one time. Example: If credits are earned for competing and placing at a horse show in Trail, the same hours spent riding in that competition cannot be submitted for recreational riding credits also.
  • Participants must maintain a separate log on each registered American Paint Horse enrolled.
  • Keep track of time (one hour for each hour actually spent riding or driving) using the online logging system found in the PAC Forms dropdown below. Beginning in 2022, only logs submitted through the online logging system will be accepted. Emailed, Faxed, or Mailed log forms will no longer be accepted. 
  • All time figured is on a one-horse/ one-rider basis and is on the honor system.
  • Participants are responsible for submitting PAC Recreational Riding hours to the association each month.
    • Exception: Due to processing year end awards, all riding logs must be received on or before January 15 of the following year to obtain credits.

REMINDER: As of 2014, live shows are no longer required to submit a PAC event approval application.  All live shows are PAC approved as long as the show results are retained for one year and classes are open/all-breed (points/credits cannot be earned from national breed/color associations such as AQHA, PtHA, ApHC, etc but can be earned from national or local discipline associations such as NSBA, USEF, USHJA, NCHA, NRHA, etc). If you manage a PAC eligible show, you are welcome to download the PAC logo below to add to your showbill and website as well as the flyer to share with your exhibitors!

All APHA E-Shows count for PAC credits! Other virtual shows must submit a written request before the show takes place for approval via the PAC Virtual Event Approval Form. To see the list of PAC approved virtual shows, visit the PAC Events Calendar page.

PAC Virtual Show Approval Form:

PAC Virtual Show Approval Form