FEBRUARY 2000 BACK ISSUE

Part of Horse Previews Magazine website. Posted on 02/03/2000; 2:00:00PM.

APHA Releases Registration Report

FORT WORTH, Texas-The American Paint Horse Association experienced another landmark year in 1999. With popularity of the Paint Horse continuing to rise, the APHA has surpassed goals as well as standards of excellence within the breed. In 1999, the APHA became the fastest-growing breed association, proving itself a recognizable force within the equine industry.

Paint Horse owners registered 62,186 Paints last year, a dramatic 12.34 percent increase over the 1998 figure. Now totalling more than 530,000 registered horses, the APHA is the second-largest breed registry in the United States, based on the number of foals registered annually.

The number of Paints transferred, an indicator of how well Paints are selling, is also on the rise. Transferring 61,173 horses, the APHA recorded a 8.78 percent increase compared to 1998. In April of 1999 alone, 5,925 transfers were processed.

"We not only met our 1999 goals, we far exceeded them," said APHA Assistant Executive Secretary Jim Kelley. "This significant growth rate is the strongest in the industry. It shows that color is more than popular, it's an asset."

More than 9,500 new Paint Horse enthusiasts joined the APHA membership in 1999. Many of these new members subscribed to the Paint Horse Journal (PHJ), as its subscribers grew by 5.2 percent to 30,212. The PHJ's subscription base has grown by 43 percent in the last four years.

The APHA was formed in 1962 with approximately 3,800 horses in the registry. Today, more than 530,000 Paints are registered with the association, making Paint Horses the fifth-largest horse breed in the world. Now more than 84,400 members strong, the APHA strives to preserve and promote the history, breeding, training, racing, showing, sales and enjoyment of American Paints.

For more information about the APHA and APHA programs, call (817) 834-2742, extension 788, or go online at http://www.apha.com