Twenty APHA shows proved they were the best of the best in 2015, and APHA—along with the Paint Horse Journal—is pleased to recognize these outstanding events. This annual list is complied based on total entries per judge, and full results appear in the April 2016 Paint Horse Journal.
Taking the No. 1 spot for the seventh time in nine years was the Western Regional Zone 2 Zone Show, which took place May 21–22 in South Jordan, Utah. In 2015, the Utah Paint Horse Club-sponsored show attracted 1,110 entries to the six-judge event, which was also followed by a four-judge competition that also had nearly 1,000 entries.
The No. 2 show for the third-consecutive year was the Zone 12 European Championship, APHA’s largest show outside of the United States. This five-judge show, which took place August 23–29 in Kreuth, Germany, had a slight increase to 922 entries in 2015, attracting exhibitors from a variety of European countries for a truly international Paint Horse competition. In 2016, the European Championship will also host the Youth World Games competition, representing the first time the international Youth event has taken place outside of the United States.
Shows new to the Top 20 list in 2015 include: Paint the Future POR in Texas, the IPHA Fall Breeders Futurity and POR in Illinois, the Delmarva PHC Summer Spectacular POR in New Jersey, the Music City Classic in Tennessee, and the INPHC-IPHA Fall Paint Partners POR in Indiana.
2015 Top 20 Shows
1. Western Regional Zone 2 ZOR, South Jordan, UT (May 21-22): 1,110
2. Zone 12 European Championships, Kreuth, Germany (August 23-29): 922
3. Worldwide Paint Horse Congress, Tulsa, OK (July 29-31): 894
4. Texas Memorial Day Spectacular Zone 4, Waco, TX (May 23-24): 846
5. Texas Wildflower Celebration POR, Waco, TX (March 21-22): 811
6. Arizona Copper Country POR, Scottsdale, AZ (January 1-2): 790
7. IPHA Beginning of Season POR, Gifford, IL (April 18-19): 766
8. Paint the Future POR, Waco, TX (April 11-12): 735
9. Color on the Coast #1, Williamston, NC (July 16-18): 695
10. IPHA Fall Breeders Futurity & POR, Gifford, IL (October 3-4): 678
11. Delmarva PHC Summer Spectacular POR, Logan Township, NJ (August 6-8): 662
12. Music City Classic, Murfreesboro, TN (March 14-15): 660
13. INPHC-IPHA Fall Paint Partners POR, Cloverdale, IN (September 12-13): 638
14. Fall Color Classic, Lansing, MI (October 25-26): 621
15. Florida Holiday Classic, Tampa, FL (December 12-13): 611
16. Arizona Copper Country POR, Scottsdale, AZ (December 29-31): 607
17. Zone 1 ZOR, Albany, OR (August 11-14): 606
18. Fort Worth Stock Show Fort Worth, TX (January 16-19): 595
19. Rocky Mountain Rendezvous POR, Denver, CO (April 8-11): 583
20. German Paint Horse Championships, Salzhausen, Germany (July 16-17): 573
