AQHA: More Exhibitors Recognized at This Year's World Shows

Source: American Quarter Horse Association Press Release

23 May 2011

The American Quarter Horse Journal -- The American Quarter Horse Association will be recognizing a new level of exhibitors at four of its world championship shows this year.

At the 2011 Built Ford Tough AQHYA, Adequan Select, Bank of America Amateur and Fedex Open world championship shows, AQHA will recognize the top three Intermediate exhibitors in each youth, amateur, Select and open class.

“This is a great way to introduce some of the show or competition-leveling concepts that AQHA has been exploring over the last couple of years,” said AQHA President Peter J. Cofrancesco III. “Recognizing the Intermediate exhibitor is a way to shine the spotlight on exhibitors who have worked hard to qualify for our world shows and are tough competitors at our world shows year after year, but don’t make it into the top 10.”

An Intermediate exhibitor at the AQHA world shows is defined as follows:

• An exhibitor who has never been in the top 10 at a world show in the particular class in which they are competing. Halter classes (including performance halter) will be all-inclusive, meaning any top-10 placing in halter, regardless of sex division (ex. a top-10 finisher in 3-year-old geldings is not considered an Intermediate exhibitor in any halter class even though he/she might have placed outside of the top 10 in a different halter class). Open performance classes will be the same. For example, AQHA will not separate junior reining from senior reining, or junior western pleasure from senior western pleasure, for purposes of determining if an exhibitor is an Intermediate. However, AQHA will recognize the Intermediate exhibitors in each of the junior and senior open classes.)
• Intermediate will run as classes within classes, not separate. AQHA will not bring back the top Intermediate riders for a ride-off or in a separate class.
• Intermediate exhibitor status is based only on an exhibitor’s lifetime, combined world show record, not on the number of points he/she has accumulated.
• An exhibitor does not have to make it to the finals of his/her class to be considered for an Intermediate award.
• There is no entry fee or nomination procedure for an exhibitor to be considered for an Intermediate award.
• The awards will be called the AQHA Intermediate champion, AQHA Intermediate reserve champion and the AQHA Intermediate third place.
• Intermediate accomplishments also will appear on the exhibitor's and horse's AQHA official record.

The Intermediate exhibitor recognition package will include an 8-inch clear globe for first place and 6-inch clear globes for second and third place. Each Intermediate champion will also receive a specially designed patch that can be placed on a qualifiers jacket that can be purchased by the exhibitor. The top three Intermediate exhibitors will also have the option to purchase a championship buckle.