More American Quarter Horse exhibitors are hitting the road this spring and summer, heading to an AQHA-approved show or special event. As a reminder, AQHA wants to encourage owners/exhibitors to purchase their AQHA Incentive Fund licenses so they and their horses can earn money for their AQHA show points.
Changes to the Incentive Fund, effective January 1, 2012, include the addition of an Incentive Fund competition license – one hundred percent of which is added to the fund to help increase point values. Exhibitors will pay a competition license fee of $50 for the amateur division and $50 for the open division per horse to get the Incentive Fund payout. The fee can be paid any time during the year, and will become effective when it’s received by AQHA or by show management. Owners should remember that points earned prior to paying the annual license fee will not be Incentive Fund-eligible for the nominated horse.
“If an owner or exhibitor arrives at a show, only to realize that he hasn’t paid the annual license fee yet, that’s OK – license fees can be paid at the show and will be effective immediately,” said Tom Persechino, AQHA executive director of competition and breed integrity.
Other changes to the program include an annual point cap at 200 points, which is instituted so that more money can be distributed across program participants. Read more about Incentive Fund changes here.
“While Incentive Fund eligibility makes foals more attractive at the time of sale, and thus provides stallion owners and breeders with a return on their investment, AQHA wanted to investigate other revenue streams for the Incentive Fund – that’s how the $50 per division fee came into existence,” Persechino explained.
“AQHA recognizes that exhibitors are the ones paying to show throughout the year,” he said. “The reality of the situation, though, is that out of the dollars paid to show, none of it was going to rejuvenate the Incentive Fund.
“Now, the annual license fee will be included with other Incentive Fund revenue streams (stallion enrollments and nominator fees) to make the per-point value larger and maintain the financial integrity of the Incentive Fund,” Persechino added. “Nobody – least of all AQHA – wants to ask exhibitors to pay anything more than they already are, but the license fee is a way to invest in their horse and their showing endeavors.”
Please take the time to complete the Incentive Fund license form and mail it back to the address provided or call AQHA Customer Service at (806) 376-4811 to pay over the phone.
