Seventeen American Paint Horses earn top honors from USDF

FORT WORTH, Texas-The United States Dressage Federation (USDF) will honor 17 American Paint Horses for their outstanding accomplishments during a special ceremony Dec. 1 at the Peabody Hotel in Orlando, Fla. The awards celebration is part of USDF's annual convention, which will take place Nov. 28-Dec. 1 in the Sunshine State.

The organization will present USDF All-Breed Awards for outstanding performances in events governed by the USDF and supported by the American Paint Horse Association
(APHA).

For a Paint Horse to be eligible for the All-Breed Awards, it must be registered with APHA and with USDF. Additionally, the owner must be a member of both organizations.

The USDF All-Breed Awards require that scores be earned at one of the more than 750 American Horse Show Association/USDF-recognized competitions that were held throughout the country from Oct. 1, 2000, through Sept. 30, 2001. To be eligible for these awards, a minimum of eight scores must have been earned from at least four recognized competitions and from four different judges. These requirements ensure that scores are representative of a horse's overall performance, not the result of one outstanding show or favorable judge.

"Each of these 17 Paint Horses have accomplished a great achievement," said Linda Knowles, APHA awards coordinator. "The USDF All-Breed awards are based on the quality of a horse's performance, as demonstrated by scores earned annually in competition. Qualifying for USDF is not easy and requires great skill."

There is an award for nearly every type and level of dressage rider, said Knowles. The levels of competition, listed by increasing difficulty, are: Training Level, First Level, Second Level, Third Level, Fourth Level, Prix St. Georges, Intermediate I, Intermediate II and Grand Prix. More than 35 horse breeds compete for the USDF All-Breed Awards.

For more information about these and other awards that Paint Horses may compete for, contact Linda Knowles at (817) 834-2742, extension 245. She may also be reached by e-mail at lknowles@apha.com.

Following is the list of American Paint Horses receiving 2001 All-Breed Awards and how they ranked among other Paints.