PERFORMANCE HALTER

AmQHA'S NEW CLASS PROMOTES VERSATILITY AND SUPPORTS THE HALTER HORSE INDUSTRY..

By Charlie Hemphill, AmQHA Senior Director of Shows

In 1969 and 1970, Pecho Dexter, the all-time leading open western pleasure point earner, won the high-point titles in halter geldings, western pleasure and hunter under saddle. Throughout his career, he also added some high points in trail.

Of course, at the time, almost every horse competed in halter in the morning and performance classes in the afternoon. And it's not the horses' fault that it has changed. While the American Quarter Horse is still the most versatile horse in the world, most often, because of the high demands and the high dollars generated by the horses that meet the demands of each class, we've chosen to specialize to compete.

However, in listening to the requests of members, the AmQHA Executive Committee realized there is a need to develop new opportunities for the versatile, all-around horse. At the same time, halter entries have continued to decline during the last decade, and the executive and show committees looked for a way to support the halter horse industry while attracting new owners and exhibitors.

At the 2006 AmQHA convention, the show committee reviewed and passed a plan presented by the Executive Committee to meet those needs. The Executive Committee passed the final set of rules - Rule 448 (j) - in June .

Beginning in 2007, AmQHA competitors can compete in performance halter classes, which will be offered in open, amateur and youth. The class will be open to horses of all ages with separate classes for stallions, mares and geldings in open and amateur. Youth will show mares and geldings.

A performance Register of Merit is required before a horse is eligible to compete in performance halter. A performance ROM is awarded to a horse that wins at least 10 points in one or more AmQHA-approved performance classes in a particular division (open, amateur and youth). For e xample, a horse must have a performance youth ROM before showing in a youth performance halter class.

A racing ROM makes a racehorse eligible for performance halter in only the open division.

Points and Incentive Fund money will be awarded in performance halter just as they are in other AmQHA classes. Horses in performance halter classes will be eligible to compete for grand and reserve champion.

Rule 448

(j) PERFORMANCE HALTER

(1) The performance halter class is required in the Open, Amateur and Youth divisions when halter classes are offered. Only an all-age class will be held. Separate classes will be held for stallions, mares and geldings in the Open and Amateur divisions. Separate classes will be held for mares and geldings in the Youth division.

(2)  First and second place in the performance halter class will be eligible for Grand and Reserve in each sex division. The number of entries in the performance halter class count toward the total for each sex division in determining points for Grand and Reserve.

(3) To be eligible to compete in the performance halter class, a Register of Merit in performance or racing must be earned and recorded on the horse's record. A racing Register of Merit only applies to the Open division. A performance Register of Merit must be earned in the division in which it is to compete, (for example: if a horse competes in the Amateur division, the performance Register of Merit must have been earned in the Amateur division).

(4) The Register of Merit applies to the horse. If the horse is transferred, the horse is eligible to compete with the new owner if the performance Register of Merit was earned in that particular division.

(5) A horse may not show in the age division halter class and the performance halter class at the same show in a particular division.

In addition, performance halter will become a World Show-qualifying class in 2007. Exhibitors will be able to show in both the performance halter and regular halter classes at the world shows, given that the horse earned the requisite number of points in each class.

At any other show, a horse may only be shown in either halter or performance halter, but not both.

The goals for performance halter are to maintain the versatility of the industry's halter horses and reward correct conformation in our performance horses.

Of course, many halter horse enthusiasts wonder if performance halter is going to take away from the current halter classes, especially since participation in those classes is already declining.

Fortunately, the second part of the Executive Committee's plan met those concerns. In each gender division at a show, the performance halter and traditional halter class winners will compete against each other for grand and reserve stallion, mare and gelding.

The points from all of the classes will go toward the points earned for a grand or reserve at a show. Instead of a grand champion earning one or two points, performance halter classes could make it five or six points at a typical weekend show.

By developing a method that supports rather than detracts from the current system, the Executive Committee, show council and show committee hope to provide more opportunities for our breeders to sell horses, more opportunities for our trainers to train them and more opportunities for our competitors to show them.

But above all, it's about retaining the identity of the American Quarter Horse - the world's most versatile breed of horse.

From the AmQHA

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