American Saddlebred Horse & Breeders Association

The ASHBA office is closed in observance of the Labor Day holiday. We look forward to being back serving our members Tuesday, Sept 2 at 8:00 am.

to Radiant Lady and lucky rider Gwendolyn Davies. Imagine having Miss Nola Minton as your aunt and instructor.

Nominated horses that have been entered to show in ASHBA Futurity classes, at the 2024 All American Horse Classic in Indianapolis, Indiana, must declare and pay the starting fee by 5:00 p.m. ET on Wednesday, September 4, 2024.

Declaration forms with payment via credit/debit card only may be faxed to 859-259-1628, emailed to [email protected] or phoned in to 859-259-3899 by Wednesday, September 4 at 5:00 p.m. ET. Declarations received after the above deadline will incur an added $500 penalty per entry.

The declaration form only applies to eligible horses that will be showing in ASBHA Futurity classes this year and does not affect future eligibility for any horse that is not showing.
For show information go to http://allamericanhorseclassic.net/showinfo.

On we showcase CH Absolute Empress and Jean Mutrux leading the field during the 2017 Opening Hunt at Bridlespur.

Special thanks to Marcia Gay for capturing this unforgettable moment.

Nominated horses that have been entered to show in ASHBA Futurity classes, at the 2024 All American Horse Classic in Indianapolis, Indiana, must declare and pay the starting fee by 5:00 p.m. ET on Wednesday, September 4, 2024.

If mailing, declaration forms with payment via check or credit/debit card must be postmarked by Monday, August 26. Otherwise, declaration forms with payment via credit/debit card only may be faxed to 859-259-1628, emailed to [email protected] or phoned in to 859-259-3899 by Wednesday, September 4 at 5:00 p.m. ET. Declarations received after the above deadline will incur an added $500 penalty per entry.

The declaration form only applies to eligible horses that will be showing in ASBHA Futurity classes this year and does not affect future eligibility for any horse that is not showing.

Entries for the All American Horse Classic close on August 19, 2024. For show information go to http://allamericanhorseclassic.net/showinfo.

Contact Patricia Edwards at 859-259-3899 or [email protected] for questions regarding ASHBA Prize Programs.

🐴 Don't forget to keep track of your Academy points this year!🏆

The ASHBA Academy Awards program encourages and recognizes youth and adults participating in academy classes at horse shows throughout the country. Academy classes create an opportunity for beginning saddle seat riders to develop and fine-tune their horsemanship skills, sportsmanship, and appreciation for the American Saddlebred.

Points accumulate between October 1 and September 30 of each year and are tabulated by riding instructors. For more information, point tabulating sheets, and point submission, please visit the link below.
https://www.saddlebred.com/youth/academy-awards

3 Saddlebreds Held Their Own at This Year's Tevis Cup!

This year, three American Saddlebreds showcased their versatility at the legendary Tevis Cup, proving once again that Saddlebreds can do it all. Sporting Saddlebred branded shirts, these riders and their horses helped and the breed's versatility.

⭐ CH-SH Three Socks ("Socks") and Kathleen Daley: This 13-year-old mare has been competing in endurance for 7 years and earned her CH-SH title in 2022. (Owned by Katie Daley)

⭐ CH-SH Mo Motion Jack ("Brave") and Natalie Law: Brave is a half-sibling to Socks, sharing the same South African sire. At 16.3 hands, Brave turns heads, especially when he’s racking downhill while others are trotting and cantering to keep up. (Owned by Natalie Law)

⭐ CH-SH She's Spotless ("Coco") and Layla Law: At just 8 years old, Coco is a younger endurance horse who earned her CH-SH title this summer. Piloted by 12-year-old Layla, Coco carried her safely for about 65 miles. (Owned by Layla Law)

Breeder Recognition: Pam Heiman and Shelah Wetter, bred and raised all three of these amazing horses. Their dedication, passion, and hard work shine through in the quality of the horses they produce.

A special thanks to Dream Team Photography for sharing their photos and highlighting the extreme terrain to show just how tough the Tevis Cup course can be.

🛒🐴Shop and Give Back 🛒🐴

Sign up at IGive.com today and give back to the breed you love. A portion of every purchase at thousands of stores using the link below will go to the Association.

⭐️ $5 New Member Shopping Bonus! Sign up for free and when you make your first purchase within 30 days, IGive will give an extra $5 bonus to the American Saddlebred Horse and Breeders Association.

https://www.iGive.com/k70qfYX

🎉 Youth happenings 🎉

Last week at Blue Ridge Classic, Youth Council members in attendance hosted a pizza party to meet youth members. Youth exhibitors stopped by and were served pizza by Council members and made new friends. This is just one way that our Youth Council members are out and about at horse shows in their regions. Be sure to check out saddlebred_youth on Instagram to keep up to date with our youth members.

Special thanks to Saddle Horse Report for capturing our hardworking youth in action.

Tomorrow is the last day for the ASHBA Youth Scholarship Application!

The ASHBA Scholarship program provides scholarships to ASHBA youth members, 21 years of age and under, at grade 11 or higher, who demonstrate financial need, participate in ASHBA Youth Programs, show commitment to the American Saddlebred industry, and show academic success. The scholarship recipients will be announced by September 30th, with the recipients receiving a $5,000 scholarship.

For more information about the ASHBA scholarship and application, please visit the link: https://www.saddlebred.com/.../grants.../youth-scholarships

Apply for the ASHBA Scholarship!
Application Deadline: July 31 📋

The ASHBA Scholarship program provides scholarships to ASHBA youth members, 21 years of age and under, at grade 11 or higher, who demonstrate financial need, participate in ASHBA Youth Programs, show commitment to the American Saddlebred industry, and show academic success. The scholarship recipients will be announced by September 30th, with the recipients receiving a $5,000 scholarship.
For more information about the ASHBA scholarship and application, please visit the link: https://www.saddlebred.com/about-ashba-giving/grants-scholarships/youth-scholarships

The deadline to submit an application for registration, for nominated weanlings showing at the 2024 All American Horse Classic, in the ASHBA National Futurity, National Amateur Futurity and/or Half Saddlebred Futurity is Wednesday, July 31, 2024.

Applications for Registration must be received (not postmarked) in the ASHBA office by Wednesday, July 31.

No weanling will be allowed to show in ASHBA Futurities with a conditional registration number, which means DNA testing must be completed. Download an application for registration for American Saddlebreds and/or Half Saddlebreds:
https://www.saddlebred.com/registry/horse-services/asr-forms

Calling all youth at the Blue Ridge Classic Horse Show! Don't forget to join the ASHBA Youth Council for a Pizza Party before the night session tonight 🍕🍕🍕
Come for fun and stay for pizza!

🐴 Have you ever wanted your Saddlebred to be a Breyer? 🐴

Now's your chance to share with Breyer why you love your Saddlebred and why they would make a great Breyer! Essays are due July 31st and can be entered using the link below.

https://www.breyerhorses.com/blogs/news/essay-contest-june-2024

Announcing the "Why My Favorite Horse Would Love to Be a Breyer Model” Essay Contest Have you ever wanted your very own Breyer model of your horse? Now's your chance!

🌟Emily Brown was an ASHBA Youth Scholarship Recipient in 2023. Hear how this scholarship made an impact in her life.

Application Deadline: July 31 📋

For more information about the ASHBA scholarship and application, please visit the link:https://www.saddlebred.com/application/files/7317/1648/1753/ASHBA_Scholarship_Application_2024_1.pdf

Saddlebreds Shine in all Disciplines

This past week The Sly Instigator aka “Gator” made his debut as a hunter horse in the open breed show circuit. Owner Betsy Cowan knew that Gator was never was a perfect fit for the saddle seat discipline, but he loved jumping which made him the ideal fit for sports horse disciplines. After 2-3 months of training with Chandalyn Trible of Mahogany Equestrian, a hunt seat trainer and instructor, she fell in in love with Gator's personality, intelligence, and athleticism. This duo shows that Saddlebreds can shine in different disciplines.

🌟 An Endurance Ride of a Lifetime🌟

This Saturday morning, three champion sport horse American Saddlebreds are set to compete in the legendary Tevis Cup—the toughest 100-mile ride in America! Traversing the rugged Sierra Nevada with a staggering 43,000 feet of elevation change and temperatures nearing 100 degrees, these incredible horses and their dedicated riders are up for the challenge.

All three horses were bred at Blue Haven Stable by Pam Heiman.
🌟 Kathleen Daly and CH-SH Three Socks: This will be Kathleen's first year competing in the Tevis Cup on the 13 year old mare CH-SH Three Socks.

🌟 Natalie Law and CH-SH Mo Motion Jack: This dynamic duo are making their second start at Tevis, having completed the 2021 ride in 37th place.

🌟Layla Law and CH-SH She's Spotless: At only 12 years of age, Layla will be competing with CH-SH She's Spotless, an 8-year-old mare.

We wish all three of you a safe and unforgettable journey.

📋Follow their journey and cheer them on by joining their Facebook group:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1002726588251226/
🐴Learn more: https://teviscup.org/
🎥Watch live webcast: https://teviscup.org/ride-day-links/

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

ASHBA Releases New Championship Horse Show Survey Results

LEXINGTON, KY [July 18, 2024] –The American Saddlebred Horse and Breeders Association (ASHBA) today released results of a survey around its new championship horse show, which will debut in 2025.

“The announcement of the new show and survey has generated excitement and optimism for the industry,” said David Mount, ASHBA Executive Director. “More than 1,300 individuals responded to the survey, which is an outstanding indicator of the level of interest.”

Highlights from the survey include:
• 26% of the respondents want the show to be held in Kentucky, with 24% in the central part of the country, and 22% in the Midwest.

• 35% of the respondents want the show to be held in September, with 34% in October.

• The majority of the respondents felt it was important for the show to be held at an equine focused facility, with permanent stalls, and multiple show rings.

• Specific facilities suggested include the World Equestrian Center (Ocala), OKC Fairgrounds (Oklahoma City), Kentucky Horse Park (Lexington), and the Kentucky Exposition Center (Louisville).

• The majority of the respondents felt it was important to have good on-site hospitality at the show and good hotels near the show.

• The respondents want to see the addition of Masters classes, Walk Trot Pleasure 12 and Under, Junior Exhibitor Hunter Country Pleasure, Five Gaited Country Pleasure and Open Park Pleasure classes at the show.

“Survey respondents welcome the opportunity for a show run by us, citing a desire for a more inclusive and innovative event that showcases our amazing breed in order to grow,” says Allen Bosworth, ASHBA President.

The New Championship Horse Show Survey results can be found below.

“We used the data received from the survey to draft a Request for Proposal that has been sent to seven facilities,” said Smith Lilly, co-chair of the New Championship Horse Show Exploratory Committee.

Those facilities include the American Royal (Kansas City), Expo Square (Tulsa), Indiana State Fairgrounds (Indianapolis), Kentucky Exposition Center (Louisville), Kentucky Horse Park (Lexington), OKC Fairgrounds (Oklahoma City), and the World Equestrian Center (Ocala).

“The Request for Proposals are due back July 31, and we will conduct site visits as part of our due diligence,” said Joe O’Brien, co-chair of the New Championship Horse Show Exploratory Committee. “We hope to announce the location for the new show by the end of September.”

The Request for Proposal can be found below.

As always, ASHBA will keep its members informed as details become available.

Survey Results: https://www.saddlebred.com/application/files/5817/2130/8144/ASHBA_New_Championship_Horse_Show_Survey_Results.pdf

Request for Proposals:https://www.saddlebred.com/application/files/3917/2130/8144/ASHBA_New_Championship_Horse_Show_RFP.pdf

All the smiles from our Trivia and Tea Party last week at Lexington Junior League Charity Horse Show. Special thanks to the generosity of Sally Jackson for sponsoring our youth events at Junior League.

❤️🐴 Saddlebreds are easy to love ❤️🐴

The Kids Barn at has recently renovated and the ASHBA stall has been rejuvenated just in time for the busy season & visitors! If you're at the Lexington Junior League Horse Show or BreyerFest this weekend, be sure and stop by and take a picture with Rex McDonald and tag ASHBA using

It's Never Too Chilly for Ice Cream.

ASHBA Youth enjoyed free ice cream after this morning's chilly session from Bella's Ice Cream Truck. Special thanks to the generosity of Sally Jackson for making this event happen.

Don't forget to join ASHBA Youth tonight at Lexington Junior League Charity Horse Show for junior judging. Youth will meet at 6:45 p.m. at the Rolex Statue.

One of our ASHBA sponsors, Equidae Insurance will be at Lexington Junior League Charity Horse Show. Look for Stacey at the show for any of your insurance needs.

Equidae Insurance Agent, Stacey Halloran, will be at Lexington Junior League Charity Horse Show on Thursday evening and Friday morning. Be sure to contact her to discuss your insurance options.

Stacey cell - 304.545.7371
Stacey Allen Halloran American Hackney Horse Society American Saddlebred Horse & Breeders Association

Don't miss out on ice cream tomorrow at 11 a.m. at the Rolex Statue at Lexington Junior League Charity Horse Show.

Join ASHBA Youth Council members for a mid week break and cool off with a sweet treat. Tomorrow at 11 a.m. Bellas Ice Cream Truck will be serving up free scoops at the Rolex statue. Special thanks to Sally Jackson for supporting our youth events throughout the week at Lexington Junior League Charity Horse Show.

We're screaming for ice cream --- and can't wait for Lexington Junior League Charity Horse Show

Join ASHBA Youth Council members for a mid week break and cool off with a sweet treat. Wednesday July 10th, at 11 a.m. Bellas Ice Cream Truck will be serving up free scoops at the Rolex statue.