The American Quarter Horse Association is an organization that works for its members. Each spring, AQHA holds an annual convention to review member-submitted rule changes, appoint new AQHA directors, induct new members into the American Quarter Horse Hall of Fame and present year-end awards. The 2017 AQHA Convention is March 17-20 at the Grand Hyatt in San Antonio, Texas.
AQHA invites members to attend a fun and exciting convention. This year’s convention will welcome back the equine industry business workshop and industry issues town hall meeting.
The equine industry business workshop, hosted by the AQHA Professional Horsemen’s Council and sponsored by Merial, is 8 a.m. to noon on Friday, March 17. All horsemen and business owners are encouraged to attend. The topics for the workshop include:
• AQHA Drug Rules and How to Be Compliant, presented by Dr. Stephen A. Schumacher, United States Equestrian Federation chief administrator, drugs & medicine
• Financial Security, presented by Bank of America
• Is Anyone Talking About What We Are Doing Well?, presented by Dr. Jim Heird, AQHA second vice president
• More Than Just Winning!, presented by AQHA Professional Horseman Al Dunning
Later that day, a town-hall meeting focusing on industry issues will be held from 1 to 5 p.m. Convention attendees are invited to weigh in on hard-hitting issues in the equine industry. The issues being discussed include:
• Playing by Their Rules: Building an association for today’s youth, tomorrow’s adults
• Legislation on Horses: How it affects owners
• The Future of Microchipping: What breeders and horse owners should know about this amazing technology
The Association is excited to announce that the general membership meeting on Saturday, March 18, will feature guest speaker, racing legend and American Quarter Horse Hall of Famer D. Wayne Lukas.
Members can register for the convention online. Convention pricing will increase after January 31, 2017. For registration questions, please contact AQHA. 

Hotel rooms for the convention are filling up fast. The room rate is $220 for a single/double. To receive these rates, reservations must be made prior to February 22, 2016. To book a room, visit Grand Hyatt.
For more information on the 2017 AQHA Convention including a tentative schedule of events, visit www.aqha.com/convention.
