AHA Youth Nationals

Youth Nationals just finished up in Albuquerque, New Mexico on Saturday August 2nd 2008.  Click here to read a wrap up of the show.  You can click here to see the show results!

Glen True chosen for multiple National Volunteer of the Year awards

Glen True was honored as the National Volunteer of the Year by AHA.  The recipient is chosen by the AHA Board of Directors.  It is truly a great and deserving award. 

Glen was also selected as the AHA Region 11 Volunteer of the Year, an award each region chooses.

Glen was also selected as the American Professional Horsemans Association (APHA) Volunteer of the year.

And to add one more to his list, Glen was choosen as the club volunteer of the year! 

We know that GKCAHA is lucky to have Glen as a member of our group and we already realized how much he does on behalf of our shows each year.  Congratulations to you Glen and thank you for all of your hard work and dedication.

Important American Royal News!!

Dear American Royal Arabian Horse Show enthusiast:

  Thank you for your past participation in and support of the American Royal Arabian Horse Show. It is one of the community’s favorite shows in our event line-up and this year will be no exception.
  Another exciting American Royal season is underway with Saturday, September 27 and Sunday, September 28 set aside to showcase Arabian and Half-Arabian horses. We have some new facilities, new classes and other opportunities to share with you before the show.
  Warm-up: We’ve heard from many of you that the warm-up facilities available simply aren’t adequate. We are absolutely delighted to announce the opening of the brand new Tom Bass Arena, located immediately adjacent to Hale Arena. We will host a ribbon-cutting and champagne reception in the new warm-up arena between the afternoon and evening sessions Saturday, September 27. We are also aware the warm-up in Scott Pavilion is sometimes not practical due to the class schedule. A 75 x 220 warm-up arena will be located in the Governor’s Building immediately across from the stalling area. Appropriate footing will be installed across the Grand Hall to get from one side of the building to the other.
  Tack Taxi: It can be a long walk from the unloading doorway to your stalls. That’s why the Tack Taxi is available to help. Just watch for the volunteers and they’ll be happy to assist you in moving in your equipment.
  Pink Ribbon Class: With Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October, we’ll be offering a special Pink Ribbon Class at this year’s show, with all entry proceeds benefitting the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Research Foundation. The class designated for 2008 is Class 73, Purebred Hunter Pleasure Open. Competitors are encouraged to wear something pink. Additional contributions will be gladly accepted in honor or memory of a loved one.
  Black Tie and Tails Gala: Come celebrate the entire American Royal season with the grand finale – the Black Tie and Tails Gala on Saturday, November 22nd. The beneficiaries of the evening will be the therapeutic riding programs located in our community. For more information and tickets, contact Barbara Spilker at barspi@sbcglobal.net.
  On behalf of the entire American Royal Horse Show Committee, thank you for your ongoing support of Kansas City’s longest-running show. We look forward to seeing you a few weeks.

Sincerely,
Teresa Barton, Co-Chair
Liz Goede, Co-Chair
Glen True, Show Manager
Carol Baker
Terry Corrie
Michelle George
Colleen Scott
John Simmons

 

American Royal information!

The American Royal Arabian horse show will be held September 27th & 28th, 2008 at Hale Arena.  Pam Zimmerman will be the judge this year.  Save those dates on your calendars!

Mid-Winter Recap!

The GKCAHA Midwinter Celebration was held on January 26, and everyone attending enjoyed great food and fun. Music was provided by Lewis Bradford, and much thanks to he and Pat for helping set up and take down.  Contests were held to determine the best scalloped potato and dessert dishes and the judges had a great time deciding those winners!  President Carol Baker recognized special visitors of the evening, former members of GKCAHA, and especially one of the original officers in 1964, Ruby Daily.  Two special people were awarded honorary life memberships in GKCAHA.  Kathy Risinger and Will Skole were chosen as a result of their contributions to GKCAHA and dedication to the Arabian horse industry.  High point awards were presented, including embroidered jackets, photo albums, trophies, etc.  Carol Baker announced that the Board of Directors had chosen Mary Dobson as Club Member of the Year, and presented her with a personalized keepsake of this honor.  A secret bag auction concluded the fun evening. A total of 14 bags were available for bidding, with the contents unknown, except that one bag contained a $100 bill. The auction was lively, and the highest bid was $110. A total of $667 was raised from the auction, and the winner of the $100 bag was Ruby Daily’s granddaughter.  GKCAHA thanks Pamm Payne for her wonderful table decorations, Angela O’Neill for the camera work, Carol Baker for the great awards, and everyone who helped set up and clean up.

Elections results and meeting recap

Congratulations to the GKCAHA Board of Directors-2011 group:  Karen Kemper, Angela O'Neill, Ryan Strand.  Congratulations to the Delegates: 1 year term: Carol Baker and 3 year term: Sharon True
Delegates now serve a 3 year term and 1 position will be elected each year based on the current allotment of delegates.

As many know, new rules for exhibiting in halter classes will be implemented in April, and the Border Bonanza will be one of the first shows to run under these rules. As a result, there are lots of questions about exactly what these rules require.    An informational video for judges was shown, which
clarified the new requirements. Thanks to Carol Baker, Angela O'Neill and Glen True for leading the discussion and helping with questions.

Congratulations!

Heather Forsythe Cutshall, former youth and adult member of GKAHA and her husband Jacob had their first baby, Jacob Houston Cutshall , today, May 5--
he weighed 8 lb. 10 oz. and was 21 inches long--the grandparents are Mr. & Mrs. Curt Forsythe of Pleasant Hill.  Heather and Jacob live in Manhattan, KS

2008 Border Bonanza Final Show booklet now available!!!

We now have the "final Show Booklet" for the 2008 Border Bonanza show.  Click on the picture above or click here to download this booklet.

Volunteers for the Border Bonanza Show are needed, especially during the halter classes Thursday, Saturday and Sunday morning sessions.  Gate and ribbon help are always welcome. Call Mary Dobson, Volunteer Coordinator 816-331-2888.

Region 11 scholarship information!

Region XI is proud to offer two educational scholarships each year. The high school senior scholarship is offered for those graduating from high school during the 2007 – 2008 school year. It is available to any high school senior who is currently a member of any Region XI affiliated club. Applications may be received by contacting
Ann Hammer, Scholarship Chair, at 12154 Rose Road, Trenton, IL 62293-4640, or by downloading the application from the Region XI website. All applications must be requested or downloaded by the April 15, 2008 application request deadline. All applications must be submitted by May 1, 2008 to be considered for an award.

Click here for the Region 11 high school senior scholarship form.

Also available annually is the scholarship for continuing education. This scholarship is available to any AHA Region XI affiliated club member who is currently attending college or university or who graduated from high school prior to the 2007 - 2008 school year and is planning to enroll in a college or university during the 2008 – 2009 school year. This scholarship may be awarded to a student only once during a student’s school career. Applications may be received by contacting Ann Hammer, Scholarship Chair, at 12154 Rose Road, Trenton, IL 62293-4640, or by downloading the application from the Region XI website. All applications must be requested or downloaded by the April 15, 2008 application request deadline. All applications must be submitted by May 1, 2008 to be considered for an award.

Click here for the Region 11 continuing education scholarship form.

Alert! - Missing Mares

Carol has been informed that they are at home now with their owner. The Oklahoma club sent us an email thanking us for the publicity!

Border Bonanza photos and wrap-up!!!!

We have pictures that were provided by Avalon Photography, the Border Bonanza photographer.  They provided us with some pictures that are fantastic!  They have a lot of wonderful pictures from the show that you can find at their website Avalon Photography. You will need to create an account to view the photos.

Here is some of the pictures they took at the show.  You can find more in the photo gallery.

(photos courtesy of Avalon Photography)

 

The 2nd annual MO-KAN Border Bonanza is now history, and as usual, the weather played a big part in
the show, with rain showing up often during the four days. Exhibitor numbers were slightly down from 2007, but the show ran smoothly and everyone understood and dealt with the mud and adverse weather conditions. The pizza party and barn party during Show I and the ice cream social during Show II were well-attended and everyone appreciated the free food after a long day of working and showing.  Final exhibitor numbers and finances will be announced in later updates on the GKCAHA website.  The show staffs for both events are to be congratulated for well-run sessions. A huge debt of gratitude goes to the volunteers who helped throughout the four days, especially: Glen True and Dave Copas-show managers, all the center ring help, Carol Baker, Angela O'Neill, J.R. Kendall, Pam Payne, Ken McDonald, Chris Fahrenholz, Ray Breit, Robin Copas, Melissa Owens, Linda Early, John Simmons, Al Wilke, Kristi Kanorek, Christie Schell and many, many others who pitched in when help was needed.
' A special thanks goes to the H.O.R.S.E. group which volunteered their time during the weekend to help at the gate. It was great to meet them and learn about their organization, one of the charities for EKAHA. GKCAHA donates part of their proceeds from the show to the HELP Humane Society, a no-kill small animal rescue group, located in Belton, MO.
The biggest thanks goes to our many exhibitors at the Border Bonanza, who support us every year and are a great group of friends and horse lovers. Best wishes for a successful show season! (submitted by Mary Dobson)

A Fantastic Pony!

Meet Molly. She's a gray speckled pony who was abandoned by her owners when Katrina hit southern Louisiana. She spent weeks on her own before finally being rescued and taken to a farm where abandoned animals were stockpiled. While there, she was attacked by a pit bull terrier, and almost died. Her gnawed right front leg became infected and her vet went to LSU for help. But LSU was overwhelmed, and this pony was a welfare case. You know how that goes.


But after surgeon Rustin Moore met Molly, he changed his mind. He saw how the pony was careful to lie down on different sides so she didn't seem to get sores, and how she allowed people to handle her. She protected her injured leg. She constantly shifted her weight, and didn't overload her good leg. She was a smart pony with a serious survival ethic.

Moore agreed to remove her leg below the knee and a temporary artificial limb was built. Molly walked out of the clinic and her story really begins there.

'This was the right horse and the right owner,' Moore insists.  Molly happened to be a one-in-a-million patient. She's tough as nails, but sweet, and she was willing to cope with pain. She made it obvious she understood (that) she was in trouble. The other important factor, according to Moore , is having a truly committed and compliant owner who is dedicated to providing the daily care required over the lifetime of the horse.

Molly's story turns into a parable for life in post-Katrina Louisiana . The little pony gained weight, her mane felt a comb. A human prosthesis designer built her a leg.  The prosthetic has given Molly a whole new life, Allison Barca DVM, Molly's regular vet, reports.

And she asks for it! She will put her little limb out, and come to you and let you know that she wants you to put it on. Sometimes she wants you to take it off too.' And sometimes, Molly gets away from Barca. 'It can be pretty bad when you can't catch a three-legged horse', she laughs.

(This is Molly's most recent prosthesis. The bottom photo shows the ground surface that she stands on, which has a smiley face embossed in it . Wherever Molly goes, she leaves a smiley hoof print behind! Click on the picture for a larger view)
 

Most important of all, Molly has a job now. Kay, the rescue farm owner, started taking Molly to shelters, hospitals, nursing homes, rehabilitation centers. Anywhere she thought that people needed hope. Wherever Molly went, she showed people her pluck. She inspired people. And she had a good time doing it. 'It's obvious to me that Molly had a bigger role to play in life', Moore said, 'She survived the hurricane, she survived a horrible injury, and now she is giving hope to others.  She's not back to normal, Barca concluded, 'but she's going to be better. To me, she could be a symbol for New Orleans itself.'

Photographer Johnny Johnston coming to KC!

(photo courtesy of Johnny Johnston)

Legendary photographer Johnny Johnston will be in Kansas City to photograph horses the weekend of June 14th - 15th at Equestrian Heights located at Lone Star Ranch. "Johnny Johnston is a legend in the Arabian horse photography business, the acknowledged 'grandfather of Arabian horse photography,' according to some" begins the recent article in Modern Arabian Horse magazine. The article lists Johnston as one of the 100 most influential and significant people, horses or events in the Arabian breed in the past 100 years. His photos of *Bask++, *Padron and Khemosabi++++ among others have appeared in countless horse magazines and many other publications. His book, Arabians from the Camera of Johnny Johnston, has these photos and many more of owners with their favorite horses.
Johnny has many wonderful stories about the Arabian horse industry, some of the famous horses and about how to take quality photos of horses. He will be sharing these stories and answering questions about photography and his experiences with horses at a cook out on Saturday night. No reservation is necessary.
To reserve a time to have a photo session for your horse with Johnny, contact Kevin Jochens of Equestrian Heights at 816-519-2756.

http://johnnyjohnstonphotos.com/

(photo courtesy of Johnny Johnston)

Regional Qualifications rule

"Article 1233: #2--Be qualified in an AHA Recognized Show/Division that was held within the preceding calendar year and that period of the current year prior to the final deadline of entries of the show in which the Regional Championship class is held."

According to AHA, this means that appropriate 2007 points and points accumulated in 2008 before the Regional show can be used to qualify for the Regional classes, assuming you have met all the other required
qualifications.  Check the 2008 AHA Handbook, available on the AHA website.

Upcoming Arab Clinic

Arab inc. invites you to join us as we host a clinic with Diane Rodich, USDF Certified instructor, FEI rider.  www.topclassdressage.com   March 28-30, 2008 at Tower Hill Equestrian Center in Dawson Illinois.  Diane Rodich of Ringoes, NJ and Wellington, Florida has been teaching and training horses and riders in all levels of dressage for the past 20 years.  Diane has competed thru the FEI with various horses. She is a Certified Dressage Instructor with both the United States Dressage Federation and American Riding Instructor Certification Program, and has extensive training
with well respected dressage trainers. Diane spent the summer of 2007 living and training in Germany with international coach Conrad Schumacher.  Diane enjoys teaching and training, and finds great reward in helping riders learn to communicate and ride more effectively by assessing the needs of each rider individually. Diane follows the classical system for teaching and
training, and utilizes her skill and understanding of biomechanics to benefit riders of all levels.  Some of Diane's 2007 competition accomplishments include: 2007 KWPN All Breeds Reserve Champion Third Level with Perry median score 68.7%; 2007 AHHA All Breeds Reserve Champion at both Prix St. George & Intermediare I with Casu Quo, median score of 66.5%.  Diane also showed the Arabian gelding, A Focus in 2007 and received the
following awards: USEF Horse of the Year First Level Regional Champion, USDF Certificate of Performance @ First Level, USDF All Breeds First Level Champion, USEF Horse of the Year National First Level Reserve Champion, Arabian Horse Association First Level Regional Champion, East Coast Reserve First Level Champion, East Coast Top Five First Level Champion, Tri County
Arabian Award for Outstanding Achievement in Dressage.  Location: Tower Hill Equestrian Center 1357 Tower Hill Rd. Dawson IL 62520  For directions go to www.towerhillequestrian.com
Arab Inc. members will receive a reduced rate to help enrich our members in their pursuit of improving their riding. Please contact Margaret Moore 309-706-1686 equestdreams@msn.com for more information and reserve your spot. Friday evening will be a fun "Dressage for Dummies" for anyone who may want to venture into the Dressage world.  Watch for more clinics to come, future possible clinicians include Tommy Garland!

Upcoming Reining Clinic

***Reining Clinic featuring NRHA professional and US National Champion Half Arabian Reining Futurity winner
Matt Lantz Of Lantz Performance Horses, Saturday May 17, 2008 Scoggins Training Center, Tuscola, IL
www.scoggins-arabians.com

Space limited to ride in the clinic. All net proceeds going to fund additional prize money in the Region XI reining classes.  Cost to participate $250 to ride or $50 to observe. Contact Brian Scoggins 217-369-4937 for additional information.