THE APHA WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP SHOW TO OFFER INVITATIONAL CLASS FOR IHSA WESTERN OPEN RIDERS

Fairfield, Conn. – June 3, 2020 – The American Paint Horse Association (APHA) will offer an invitational class for the Intercollegiate Horse Shows Association (IHSA) 2020 Western Regional Open division high-point riders at their APHA World Championship Show. The premier all-age breed show will be held at the Will Rogers Memorial Center in Fort Worth, Texas, Sept. 21-Oct. 4, 2020. The APHA will announce the schedule details when they are confirmed.

"APHA is very excited about the opportunity to host this event," said Dave Dellin, American Paint Horse Association's senior director of judges, shows and education. "This will be an awesome opportunity for lots of young equestrians to experience the Paint horse and the APHA World Show."

This year, the APHA World Championship Show will offer Open, Amateur and Youth Divisions. This event is the first time IHSA will participate in the APHA event and kicks off a new partnership between the two organizations.


Photos by APHA / Paint Horse Journal

“We are thrilled that the APHA has offered this class to our Western high-point riders,” said Peter Cashman, IHSA executive director. “It is a wonderful opportunity to showcase our members and our organization at a major event. We look forward to working with the APHA.”

IHSA 2020 Western Regional high-point riders are invited to participate and horses will be provided. Though the show is produced by the APHA, the riders will draw for horses and the division will be run much like the IHSA classes. The invitational class will be a two-phase competition with a horsemanship and a reining phase.

The IHSA has showcased their Open level hunter seat riders at events like the Longines Masters New York and the National Horse Show in Lexington, Kentucky. The APHA World Championship Show will be the first-ever standalone feature class for IHSA Western Open riders at a world-class competition.


ABOUT THE 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 in 1962. APHA promotes, preserves and provides meaningful experiences with Paint Horses.

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