The American Paint Horse Association (APHA) recently released the 2011 Annual Report detailing the association’s accomplishments worldwide.

APHA continues to be the second-largest stock horse breed association in the world, registering the one-millionth American Paint Horse in 2011. This milestone is an important segue into 2012 and the 50th anniversary of the association.

The largest growth was internationally with ownership increasing by 2% and APHA memberships and show entries increasing by 7%. This growth has fueled the need for knowledge and training. France hosted the first Youth Horsemanship Camp and Germany held its first Youth Judging Seminar. Each of these events helps provide the structure and support for building leaders for the future of international clubs and members.

In the United States, lifetime memberships for Youth continue to grow, along with the new Walk-Trot Amateur division. The top five states for APHA membership over the last three years remain Texas, California, Oklahoma, Colorado and Florida. APHA shows in Texas and Missouri experienced significant increases in the number of shows and number of entries.

The American Paint Horse Association honored some outstanding members in 2011. The first hallway designation was made to honor Doc and Butch Wonderlich of Twin Falls, Idaho. Their involvement and support are a testament to how dedicated members have made this association the industry leader it is today. The 2011 Distinguished Service Award was given to an international member for the first time. German member Hardy Oelke was presented the award at the European Paint Horse Championship in Kreuth, Germany.

In all, APHA experienced some positive changes and continued to watch American Paint Horses excel in inside and outside events in 2011.

To read the complete 2011 APHA Annual Report, please visit www.apha.com/forms/annualreports.html.

About APHA

The American Paint Horse Association (APHA), the international breed registry for the American Paint Horse, headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas, celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2012. In fulfillment of its mission to collect, record and preserve pedigrees of the breed, APHA recognizes and supports 111 regional and international clubs, produces championship shows, sponsors trail rides and creates and maintains programs that increase the value of American Paint Horses and enriches members’ experiences with their horses. APHA has registered more than a million horses in 59 nations and territories since it was founded, and now serves over 58,000 active youth and adult members around the world.