ACAAP
Appaloosa Competitive All-Breed Activities Program
Are you an active Appaloosa owner? Do you enjoy competing in local competitions such as team penning, cutting, barrel racing, gaming, judged trail riding, hunter or open shows? If your answer is yes, the Appaloosa Horse Club would like to offer you another way to receive recognition for your accomplishments with the Appaloosa Competitive All-Breed Activities Program.
The Appaloosa Horse Club offers a variety of programs to suit a variety of people. From showing, racing and trail riding to National and World Championship Appaloosa Shows, the ApHC provides its members with diverse activities. Even so, we may not have approved shows in your hometown or your chosen event. ACAAP promotes and rewards the Appaloosa horse that excels in all-breed competition outside of ApHC approved/sponsored shows and trail rides. Through ACAAP, you can earn merits by competing in all-breed events and then submitting the results to the ApHC. These merits will be recorded on your registered Appaloosa’s performance record. ACAAP is your opportunity to receive the recognition and awards you deserve for participating on your Appaloosa in the events that your community offers.
ACAAP Forms
SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE.....
The Appaloosa Competitive All-Breed Activities Program accepts most types of activities as long as the competition is sponsored by an organization or club that keeps official records on the performance of all horses entered in the event. In order for the ApHC to include your event or competition in ACAAP, the sponsoring organization must have an established governing body and a representative who will sign a verification form.
Please don’t confuse this program with showing and receiving national points at ApHC approved/sponsored shows. ACAAP merits cannot be earned at ApHC approved/sponsored events or at any show approved by another breed registry.
Approved Events/Categories
Listed below are the categories and a description of the events that have been pre-approved by the ApHC for inclusion in ACAAP. However, if you compete in an event not included in one of these categories, you may request that your event be added by writing to the ApHC Show Department. If approved, however, the event will not be added until the following year.
- Barrel Racing Restricted to the cloverleaf pattern. Includes WPRA and NBHA approved events or events sponsored by your local amateur association.
- Combined Training Includes USCTA-approved events.
- Dressage Includes USDF and U.S. Equestrian-approved events.
- Driving Includes pleasure driving and ADS-approved events.
- English Equitation Includes English style equitation, English horsemanship, walk-trot English equitation, and equitation over fences.
- English Pleasure Includes bridle path hack, hunter under saddle, English pleasure, walk-trot English pleasure, English style longe line, and hunter go-as-you-please.
- Games Includes local, state or national gaming events including pole bending, stakes race, flag picking, speed (straight) barrels, keyhole, ring race, Cowboy Mounted Shooting and other gaming events. Limited to one person events. Team events are not included. (Cloverleaf barrels do not count in the games category.)
- Halter Classes Includes halter and in-hand classes except showmanship and in-hand trail.
- Judged Trail Riding Includes all non-breed association-sponsored competitions.
- Over Fences Includes hunter hack, working hunter, cavaletti, and all variations of jumping except equitation over fences.
- Ranch Competition Includes ranch riding, ranch rail, ranch trail, ranch reining, and ranch conformation classes from open and/or ranch association sanctioned shows.
- Reining Includes snaffle bit, hackamore, open and NRHA-approved events or events sponsored by your local amateur association.
- Showmanship Includes English and western style showmanship and fitting & showing.
- Team Penning Includes all non-breed association-sponsored events.
- Trail Includes all non-breed association-sponsored competitions and in-hand trail.
- Western Equitation Includes western style equitation, western horsemanship, and walk-trot western equitation.
- Western Dressage Includes WDAA and USEF approved events
- Western Pleasure Includes all non-breed association-sponsored events, including NSBA-approved events, western style longe line, and walk-trot western pleasure.
- Western Riding Includes all non-breed association-sponsored competitions.
- 4-H Includes all classes strictly for 4-H members.
PROGRAMS THAT ALREADY EXIST.....
You may not have seen your preferred event listed above, but the ApHC currently has award and recognition programs in existence for:
USDF All-Breed Dressage Awards
Competitive and Endurance Trail Riding
Cutter & Chariot Racing
Disabled Riders & Drivers Program
Saddle Log (hours spent riding)
Competitive and Endurance Trail Riding
Cutter & Chariot Racing
Disabled Riders & Drivers Program
Saddle Log (hours spent riding)
See the Official Handbook of the ApHC for current rules and regulations on all programs.
THE AWARD SYSTEM.....
When you excel in all-breed competition in any ACAAP event, you can earn merits that will be recorded on the performance record of your registered Appaloosa. Below is a list of awards
- Certificate of Achievement
Awarded to a horse with 20 merits earned in any ACAAP category. - Certificate of Superior Achievement Awarded when a horse with 60 merits earned in any ACAAP category.
- Certificate of Lifetime Achievement Awarded when a horse has earned an exceptional number of merits in one ACAAP category, see the Official Handbook of the Appaloosa Horse Club for the number of merits needed in your event.
- ACAAP Versatility Champion Award Awarded when a horse has earned 5 Certificates of Superior Achievement in 5 different ACAAP categories.
- High Point Dressage Awards
The ApHC will recognize the highest placing horse each year within the Dressage category competing at 1) Introductory, Training, First and Second Levels; 2) Third and Fourth Levels; 3) FEI Levels. - ACAAP Master Award Awarded Annually to the horse earning the most ACAAP merits in each category during the year. Must have earned 10 merits or more in a category to receive this award.
See the Official Handbook of the Appaloosa Horse Club for specific award details. Monthly standings for each category are included in Appaloosa Journal and on the Appaloosa Horse Club Web site. One owner of the horse must be a current member in order to be eligible to participate and receive awards. Awards are mailed to the first listed owner.
HOW TO ENROLL.....
To enroll in ACAAP, complete an enrollment form (see ACAAP forms) and return it to the ApHC with $40 (members) , payable by check, money order, Visa or MasterCard. You may also enroll on-line in the Online Services section of our website.
HOW TO REPORT YOUR SUCCESS.....
When you attend your next competitive all-breed activity, show the world what your Appaloosa can do! When you place in the event, take your exhibitor report form, your ACAAP enrollment card, and a copy of your horse’s registration papers to the secretary or manager. Ask the official to inspect your enrollment card and your horse’s registration papers to verify your participation on a registered Appaloosa. Ask the official to sign the report form, which tells us how you finished in the event and how many horses you competed against. Then return the report to the ApHC within 30 days of the event. Processing fees for the first five ACAAP categories is included in the enrollment fee. If competing in a new category after the initial 5 have been chosen please include $5 per additional category with your exhibitor report for merit processing. (NOTE: That’s $5 per additional category outside of the original 5 chosen.)
You will then be awarded merits based upon your placing and the number of horses you competed against. The formulas used to determine the number of merits earned in each event are available in the Official Handbook of the Appaloosa Horse Club. Remember that merits will not be awarded for events that take place before you enroll and become eligible to compete.
