Paint Alternative Competition (PAC)
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We know that your riding and driving activities are as diverse as the color patterns on the Paints we register. Through the Paint Alternative Competition Program, you can get recognition for accomplishments in competitive events outside of APHA approved shows or for just spending time in the saddle with your Paint. Your community likely offers plenty of competitive events for horses and riders such as 4-H shows, team pennings, open shows, ropings, horse trials, and other activities that fall outside the category of “APHA-approved events”. Even though APHA is not officially associated with these events, the association does want to recognize your efforts with your American Paint Horse. The PAC program has multiple programs that feed into it such as PAC Recreational Riding, E-Shows, and other events outside APHA. As a result, your accomplishments can be recorded on your registered horse’s official lifetime performance record through PAC. PAC is an affordable way to get your Paint involved with APHA, just as the program’s presenting sponsor, State Line Tack, makes riding affordable by offering products at a variety of price ranges!
PAC Recreational Riding
Did you know? PAC credits will be awarded for all hours spent riding! We know that you spend countless hours exploring trails, taking lessons, training your promising next show horse, all for those few minutes in the show pen. You can earn PAC credits for those hours by logging and submitting them monthly. These hours count towards perpetual and year end recreational riding PAC awards.
Ride for personal achievement. When you enroll in PAC, simply record each hour you spend riding or driving your Regular Registry or Solid Paint-Bred Horse (not including at APHA approved shows or competitions) and send your log to APHA. As you move up through the achievement levels, APHA records your accomplishments and each hour you and your Paint Horse achieve is permanently recorded on your horse’s official lifetime performance record. Check out our Guide to Recreational Riding for tips on trail safety and how to get the most out of your time in the saddle!
NEW: E-Shows now count for Paint Alternative Competition program
Paint Horses participating in APHA E-Shows—who are also enrolled in the PAC program—can use their placings to earn PAC credits on their horses’ APHA performance records, which tally toward incremental and year-end awards. APHA will also approve other select virtual shows administered by approved organizations and for classes that are not offered at APHA E-Shows; pre-approval of the event (via the PAC Virtual Event Approval Form) is required before outside virtual shows will count toward PAC credits. To view the PAC approved virtual events, visit the PAC Events Calendar page.
How to Participate in PAC
- 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. PAC enrollment forms can be found on the PAC Forms page.
- Participants must be a current APHA or AjPHA member.
- Ride or drive an American Paint Horse—Regular or Breeding Stock Registry.
- Participants do not have to own the horse, however, the rider must be a current member.
- PAC Showing: PAC Exhibitor Reports can be submitted for Credits for any live show, or approved virtual show, as long as the show results are retained for one year and classes are open/all-breed classes (credits cannot be earned from national breed 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). Because our members show their Paints in such a wide variety of classes, classes that are submitted for credits are grouped into PAC Award Categories. Show management must simply sign off on the exhibitors report form before submission. The exhibitor report forms can be found on the PAC Forms page.
- PAC Recreational Riding: Time may be recorded for any activity in which you participate by riding or driving. You can also log time spent in the saddle or cart while riding in a group or parade. 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) on the Official PAC Recreational Riding Time Log found on the PAC Forms page.
- 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.
- PAC Credits will be awarded to the enrolled Paint’s PAC record and will count for perpetual and year end awards. See the PAC awards offered as well as the PAC Year-End Awards standings at the bottom of this page.