December 30, 2011
The AQHA Executive Committee has reviewed several show-related items, including the qualifying points for the 2012 AQHA Bank of America Amateur and FedEx Open world championship shows.
Executive Committee members reviewed 2011 qualifiers and entrants, and discussed factors that could impact the way in which people qualify for the World Show and the number of people who qualify for the World Show. For the 2012 World Show, slated for November 3-17, qualifying points will remain unchanged from their 2011 levels.
In addition, the Executive Committee asked AQHA staff to review the “state” qualifying system implemented for amateurs and to discuss the program with the AQHA Amateur Committee during the AQHA Convention in March to ensure the program is meeting the committee’s intended goals.
The Executive Committee also requested that staff begin exploring ways in which competitors might qualify for any AQHA world show through a participation system, with the goal of enhancing the traditional point-based qualifying system in time to coincide with the 2013 qualifying seasons of each show.
“We are very interested in keeping the integrity of AQHA’s world show franchises intact while also looking at newer, more creative ways for people to qualify,” said AQHA President Peter J. Cofrancesco III. “Whether for youth, amateurs, Select amateurs or open riders and regardless of discipline, people are showing differently than they were 10 and, certainly, 20 years ago. We want to see if there might be a way for people to qualify based on participation while remembering that the world shows should always represent excellence.”
The Executive Committee also approved qualifying points for AQHA’s newest classes, which will be world show-level events in 2012. Those classes and qualifying points are:
Boxing
Youth World Show qualifying ........... ½ pointSelect World Show qualifying........... 2 pointsAmateur World Show qualifying....... 2 points
Stake Race
Select World Show qualifying........ 2 pointsAmateur World Show qualifying.... 2 points
Ranch Pleasure
Open World Show qualifying........ 2 points
In separate but world show-related action, the Executive Committee modified, for the 2012 world shows only, the new rule requiring that performance halter horses earn 10 performance points during the qualifying year (in addition to earning their performance halter qualification). Because the announcement of that new rule was late for various reasons, the Executive Committee modified the requirement for 2012 to five performance points. The committee will also allow open points to count for youth, amateur and Select amateur world show qualifying – so long as the five performance points are earned during the appropriate qualifying year (showmanship at halter will not count toward the five points).
“We believe the intent of the new rule was to ensure that horses entering performance halter are, in fact, performing horses,” said Cofrancesco. “As a committee, we support that but recognize that the timing of the announcement likely created a hardship for some exhibitors. We wanted to help them while still keeping the intent of the rule.”
The original rule for the Youth, Select and Amateur world shows required 10 performance points, which could be earned in any combination between those divisions. In the original rule, open-division points did not count toward youth, Select or amateur eligibility.
However, with the Executive Committee modification for 2012, those open points now count. As an example, if a Youth World Show horse has earned its performance halter qualifying points and has two points earned in youth western pleasure, one point in amateur western riding and two points in senior western riding, it would be eligible for Youth World Show performance halter as long as the five performance points are earned during the Youth World Show qualifying period.
For open competition at the AQHA World Championship Show, the required five performance points must still be earned in open performance competition.
The Executive Committee also asked staff to visit with the AQHA Show Committee and Council about the rule and provide committee and council members with competitor feedback. This will take place during the 2012 AQHA Convention in Las Vegas.