For Immediate Release:

AQHA Debuts Redesigned Registration Certificates

The American Quarter Horse Journal, November 9, 2009 – The American Quarter Horse Association has debuted redesigned registration certificates. After a significant amount of input from customers, AQHA has made changes to the official registration certificates, which will improve the security, usability, value and visual appeal of the document.

“The goal was to create a document worthy of framing, and I think we’ve done that,” said Trent Taylor, AQHA treasurer and executive director of operations. “Our members told us what they wanted, and we heard them.”

Other features of the new certificates include:

* Horses’ pedigrees will be larger and more visible on the now landscape-oriented certificates. * Photographs will no longer be included on the front. “Since most horses are registered as weanlings, our members didn’t like the photo of an awkward-looking weanling to be the first thing someone saw on the certificate,” Taylor said. “Also, the goal was to create papers that would be more relevant as a horse ages. So now, the horse’s photo will be on the back of the certificate.” * The photos submitted by the owner will be used to illustrate the horse’s markings, making it easier for everyone to identify the horse. “If the photos do not clearly show what we need to illustrate a horse’s markings, then we will use the drawn markings that were on the back of the application,” said Tammy Canida, AQHA director of registration operations. * Better security. Each certificate features a heat-activated authentication seal that disappears when the certificate is copied, to reduce the possibility of fraudulent sales of grade horses as registered American Quarter Horses.

The Association began distributing the new certificates Monday, November 2, with the first certificate going to Henry Omar Diaz Lopez of Venezuela. Henry just happened to be in Amarillo for the U.S. Team Penning Association finals and stopped by AQHA headquarters to obtain a duplicate registration certificate for his mare, Buffythebovineslayer. He had no idea he would become part of AQHA history by being the first to receive the newly redesigned certificate.

“I’m very excited to be – el primero – the first to get the new registration certificate,” said Henry, who called his sons over to hear the news when he found out.

>From now on, when a horse is transferred, the new owner will receive the new certificate. Also, those who purchase a horse at the AQHA World Championship Show Sale on November 14-15 in Oklahoma City will get the new certificate when they transfer those horses at the AQHA on-site services booth outside the sale pavilion. Anyone who would like to get the new certificate for their horses can order them for just $10.

AQHA news and information is a service of AQHA publications. For more information on The American Quarter Horse Journal, The American Quarter Horse Racing Journal or America’s Horse, visit www.aqha.com/magazines.