The Appaloosa Horse Club (ApHC) congratulates Calizona ApHC of California for earning the title of 2009 Exemplary Appaloosa Regional Club, an honor developed to recognize regional clubs that go above and beyond when promoting the Appaloosa breed.

Calizona ApHC, a representative of the Appaloosa breed in Southern California and Arizona, receives $500, a trade show space at the World or National Show, two tickets to the annual ApHC banquet and a certificate of award. 2009 is the third consecutive year Calizona ApHC has received this honor.

The 2009 runner up for this prestigious award is Maine ApHC, representing Territory VI. The Maine ApHC made their debut run this year giving the winner a real run for the glory by hosting a variety of activities that showcased the versatile traits of the Appaloosa, enhanced the regional club experience in their community and promoted our Breed of Choice.

A portfolio detailing the club’s Appaloosa shows, activities, sales and other member hosted events is submitted to ApHC. Clubs are then judged on various categories that focus on member participation and breed promotion. The highest scoring regional club in each territory receives $200 and a certificate of award from the ApHC and moves on as a finalist to compete for the exemplary award.

Territory winners are: Appaloosa Horse Association of Alberta, Canada, Territory I; Calizona ApHC, California, Territory II; Illinois Appaloosa Association, Illinois, Territory III; Sooner ApHC, Oklahoma, Territory IV; Maine ApHC, Maine, Territory VI; *Honorable mentions to Utah ApHC, Territory II; Appalachian Appaloosa Association, Territory VI; and, Great Lakes ApHC, Ohio, Territory VI.

The Appaloosa Horse Club (ApHC) was established in 1938 with a mission of preserving, promoting and enhancing the Appaloosa breed. The ApHC has since registered more than 690,000 Appaloosas, which are known for their distinctive color, intelligence and even temperament. True to their reputation as an extremely versatile breed, Appaloosas can be found in nearly every discipline including racing, endurance riding and serving as reliable family horses. The international breed registry is headquartered in Moscow, Idaho, the heart of the Palouse region-the Appaloosa breed’s namesake and point of origin.