Paint Horse World revolves around
developing strong international relations

The World Championship Paint Horse Show continues to be an important global event, especially with the return of the World Games for 2008. Held every two years, this is the third time the event has been a part of APHA’s World Show. Other dates included 2004 and 2006. Those years, team Canada members returned to their home with the gold.

Team Australia is one of seven teams competing at the Youth Paint World Games. Members traveled nearly 9,500 miles to attend the games.

This year, gold, silver and bronze will be up for grabs in events that pit seven teams against one another in friendly, but serious competition on Thursday, June 26, starting at 10 a.m. in the Watt Arena.

Teams will consist of four exhibitors with one alternate. All teams will select one rider for each of the four performance classes—with each exhibitor competing one time. Around 85 international visitors are expected to attend, including the 35 youth competitors along with coaches, family and friends.

Teams participating include Australia, Canada, France, Germany, The Netherlands, Sweden and the United States.

The competition will include four performance events: Western Horsemanship, Showmanship, Reining and Trail. Area Paint Horse owners have generously donated the use of their horses for the teams, and competitors will be allowed a specific amount of warm-up time to work with the horses prior to the first event.

Members from all seven teams—Australia, Canada, France, Germany, The Netherlands, Sweden and the Untied States—attended the Youth World Games welcome reception Tuesday in Fort Worth.

With over 93,000 members, including more than 9,000 outside the United States, international relations continue to be important for the American Paint Horse Association. In fact, APHA members hail from 40 nations and territories around the world and people from 59 countries and territories have owned Paints since the registry began in 1962.

“There’s no better way to foster great international relations than bringing people together for the largest Paint Horse Show on earth,” said APHA President Carl Thurow, of Wichita, Kansas, who is eagerly waiting to attend the event this year.

Thurow says he thoroughly enjoys meeting the international teams each year and added that this year is no different.

“It’s great for so many members from several countries to have the chance to showcase the talents of their youth. Their spirit is really something to admire. I just love being around the kids, their parents and their sponsors–their enthusiasm is really contagious.”

Eager to capture their third win is Team Canada, lead by coach Melisa Barber. In addition to two returning riders, Canada is bringing two new competitors this year. Riders were chosen based on their riding ability, sportsmanship, public speaking, personality and equine knowledge. Barber and her riders are confident in a third win.

This year marks the fifth year in Fort Worth that Team Australia has either competed or visited World Show. They are visiting this year with five of their top competitors. The Paint Horse Association of Australia executive committee chose five riders from the youth honor rolls from the past two years. Lee Ann Hall, coach of Team Australia, in true team spirit said, “We don’t set expectations for the girls, they do their best–winning is just a plus.”

New to the games are the “Dutch Diamonds,” coached by Jan Pieter Koopman.

“When starting the youth program one year ago, our goal for the future was the World Show,” said Dutch Paint Horse Club President Paul de Jong. In just a short amount of time The Netherlands team has had a great amount of success with its youth.

For Team France, their main focus is to showcase youth and “build the future of the France Paint Horse Association,” explained coach Philippe Laflaquiere. Everything began in early 2007 as youth sought ways to become more involved in showing. When learning more about the World Show, France started preparing and hosting clinics to select their riders.

“Our first priority was to build a team spirit,” stressed Laflaquiere.

“Team France is very happy to be here as young riders. … We’re very happy to be in the roots of [Western Riding] here at the World Show,” the team said through Laflaquiere.

Team Germany returns for its third Paint World Games, with two bronze medals already earned. Selected riders placed high during the European Championship. “Hopefully we are the best here,” said coach Karl-Heinz Schmidt.

Sweden comes to compete fully-equipped with new youth to get in on the action. The coach of Team Sweden hopes her riders “have fun, make new companions and get the full experience.”

No matter the outcome, all teams agreed that the size, scope and magnitude of the World Championship Paint Horse Show is second to none, and they are happy to be a part of it.