Following a test run of two separate worlds shows in 2008, APHA made the decision to split the event even further for 2009. The first APHA event is the Summer World Championship Paint Horse Show, held June 24–July 4 will feature all Novice Youth, Youth and select Open and Amateur events. The second installment, featuring all other Open and Amateur events, will take place November 5-14.
The decision by the APHA to split the event into two separate shows has been met with criticism by some, and praise by others. But whether you are for or against the split, people seem to have a definite opinion. GoHorseShow.com asked the question “What is your position on the World Show split?” and we received some very interesting answers.
Becky George
All-Around Trainer
Tomball, Texas
I am very happy with the split of the world show. It makes my life a lot easier to be able to prepare my youth clients horses in the summer and prepare the open and amateur in the fall. That way I can devote more time to them. I feel everything goes together a little bit easier, but it also helps that the world show is only four hours from my house. It’s not like we have to make two trips from California.
All of my clients are happy about the split as well. I think the first couple years, the numbers will be affected slightly because people have to rearrange their lives around with kids and school and jobs. I think eventually when things get lined out, it will be for the best.
Clint Fullerton
Halter Trainer
Odessa, Missouri
I
am against the world show split. Obviously the decision has already
been done, so we will have to make the best of it until it is changed
back. In our current economy, I don’t look at it as a paint horse show,
a quarter horse show, or an appaloosa show. All of these breeds are
what keeps trainers making a living. Now I think a lot of people have
to crossover.
The paint world was a show that had its own time
slot, where all trainers could come and represent their clients fairly
for paints. Now there are a lot of shows on top of each other. There is
only so many dollars to go around, and now we’re asking people to pick.
It is going to affect my amateur and youth clients, but my main concern
is the people who used to take their family vacation and they would
drive a long ways with their paint horses, and the kids would show the
youth and the parents would show the amateur, and their trainer would
show the open. Now people have to pick since they can’t afford to go
both places. When they decide to go to the fall or the summer, there is
a chance they will decide last minute to not go to either since they
only have one horse to go, in return this drives them to the Pinto
World Show. I think the Pinto World Show will be bigger and better than
it has been in years.
I applaud APHA for looking at different
issues and taking action, but I feel that it is the wrong action. I am
a halter person and feel that the summer time slot is too early for the
weanlings only. Not the yearling longe and not the two year old
pleasure. I feel weanlings belong in the futurities in the fall. For
the western pleasure, great horses lope around in June and they lope
around in November. Bad trainers are bad trainers. I talked to a vet
last year at the fall world show and they said they were dealing with
more sick horses than they ever did during the summer. Sometimes when
you make a decision you try and justify it, we all understand people
make horrible decisions, but knowing how to say ‘I made a mistake’ and
reversing your decision is what keeps you successful and I hope APHA
will do that.
Scott Suggs
Western Pleasure Trainer
Pilot Point, Texas
Being a horse trainer, it’s beneficial for my kids to be able to justify time for them and not have another 15 horses down there for the open and amateur to prepare. The split also allows more time for the schedule to be broken up so I can focus only on one or two events a day.
I feel that the numbers will suffer a great deal due to our economy, and people will have to pick. As a horse trainer and parent I would look at this situation and say ‘Do I go to the summer, so my kid can show, or do I go to the fall so my trainer and I can show?’ Either show is going to suffer in participation because most people can not afford to go to both horse shows.
We’ve done something that is not beneficial and we need to look at it that its going to be smaller because it’s new and people are apprehensive. As someone who makes their living in the horse business, I have to support it. It’s the only venue we have to showcase our horses. I might not agree with it, but at this present moment I don’t have a choice but to support it otherwise we are going to fail. We don’t have enough players to say ‘well I’m not going to do it.’ Well what are you going to do? On the other hand I do see how it is difficult for people who travel long distances. A trainer having two youth clients, means that the cost goes up dramatically since they are no longer splitting expenses between 7 or 8 people. We’re lucky since we live 45 min from the show, so it’s not as a big deal for my clients.
Kevin Smith
Amateur Exhibitor
Magnolia, Texas
First of all I want to commend APHA on their embracing of change. However, I’m not convinced that this dramatic of a split in the world show format is going to be successful. I do believe that we should have a venue for our young horses, later in the season. I don’t agree that we should split the two profiles and my position is based on economics. I don’t think the association can afford the cost of two separate world shows.
I think we can arrange a world show with youth/amateur maybe even open and arranging a futurity program later in the year. I think people are going to have to choose between both. Most people will vacate their own opportunity to show, to enable their kids to show.
Carly Veldman
All-Around Trainer
Athens, Georgia
I think overall in the long run, it will be a really good thing but I think it’s really controversial. I think it’s really good for the trainers since before we’ve had to get our youth kids prepared for a week and at the end of the day, get our open horses ready. I think the numbers will suffer a little bit due to the economy.
