IAHA® Presents Club Excellence Awards

The network of 270 clubs that belong to the International Arabian Horse Association® (IAHA®) perform the vital grassroots work of promoting the Arabian and Half-Arabian horse, recruiting new members and providing activities and communication that encourage participation. To honor the efforts of its clubs, IAHA created the Club Excellence Awards Program, which is sponsored by Pfizer Animal Health.

On November 23, 2002 at the IAHA Convention, the program presented five awards and five $500 checks to four clubs in the following categories: Membership Recruitment/

Retention, Club Projects, Communications and Breed Promotion/Community Involvement. Each of the category winners was then eligible for Club of the Year Award. A panel of four judges from Equisure, Inc., Proctor and Gamble, Arabian Horse America and the Urban Farm evaluated each entry.

The overall winner, the Arabian Horse Society of Iowa (AHSI) from Region 11, was chosen as the Club of the Year and was also the winner in the Communications category. Finalists for Club of the Year were the Aurora Arabian Horse Association, the Georgia Arabian Horse Association and the Maryland Arabian Horse Association.

The AHSI produces a beautiful eye-catching, four-color brochure that gives detailed information about the club's activities and programs, along with a membership application. It is distributed to potential members and interested horse owners and is an invaluable instrument for educating and recruiting new members. The club also offers a wide variety of activities for the entire family, including two annual trail rides, a sleigh ride party, three fun shows with high-point awards, open barns and clinics. In addition, the AHSI distributes an annual calendar/directory, which also contains information about the club, its members and their horses and other horse-related events.

The next award, the Membership Recruitment/Retention Award, went to a Canadian club, the Aurora Arabian Horse Association from Region 17. >From 2001 until 2002, this club increased its membership by eight percent--from 214 to 232 members. From 1998 to 2002, its membership has grown from 148 to 232, which is a 57 percent increase over a five-year period. The club attributes this increase to offering classes the members want and a high-point awards program with prizes for various categories, as well as a focus on electronic communication.

The recipient of the Club Project Award was the Maryland Arabian Horse Association from Region 15. They held a very successful Fun Day and Treasure Hunt to allow members and horses to unwind following the show season. There were more than 100 entries in the Fun Show that included an egg and spoon race, a cake walk and bareback dollar and creative costume classes. In the afternoon 23 members participated in the Treasure Hunt, in which they followed a map and clues, gathering hidden clothespins that they exchanged for "treasures," such as a fanny pack, poncho, horse cookies, etc.

Winning the Breed Promotion/Community Involvement Award was the Georgia Arabian Horse Association (GAHA) from Region 12. When the Northwest Georgia Girl Scouts held a festival called "Celebration of Girls Around the World," the GAHA was the only equine organization ever invited to participate. During the festival, the girls were able to pet the horses and watch them perform various disciplines. The GAHA also gave demos of a beginner's riding lesson, featured educational and show videos and held coloring contests and drawings for prizes, such as free riding lessons. The event was a huge success, and the GAHA has been invited to participate in 2003.

IAHA would like to thank Pfizer Animal Health and all the clubs that participated in the IAHA Club Excellence Program this year for making it an unqualified success. Pfizer Animal Health is a world leader in animal health, committed to providing high-quality, innovative health products, including pharmaceuticals and vaccines, for livestock and companion animals. Pfizer Animal Health offers the equine industry high quality, innovative products such as the popular daily dewormer, Strongid C 2X—and Solitude, a patented, water-resistant fly repellent. Visit www.pfizer.com/equine for more information on Pfizer's complete line of equine products.

IAHA® is a 28,000 member breed association that registers Half-Arabian and Anglo-Arabian horses, administers more than $4 million in prize money annually, produces national events, maintains official event records , recognizes more than 400 Arabian horse shows and distance rides and provides a ctivities and programs that promote Arabian horse breeding and ownership. For in formation about Arabian, Half-Arabian and Anglo-Arabian horses, call 303-696-4500, e-mail iaha@iaha.com or visit www.iaha.com

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