The Southwest Quarter Horse Association serves New Mexico and West Texas with some of the biggest and best horse shows in the country!

BIG REMINDER TO ALL WHO WILL BE ATTENDING THE MARCH SHOWS AS SPECTATORS OR EXHIBITORS:  DAY LIGHT SAVING TIME GOES INTO EFFECT IN THE WEE HOURS OF SUNDAY MORNING.  DON'T FORGET TO SET YOUR CLOCKS ON SATURDAY NIGHT OR YOU WILL MISS YOUR CLASSES ON SUNDAY.

Don't forget the March meeting is a General Membership meeting and refreshments will be served.  That's March 11 at 7:00 pm at the Anthony Senior Center.

News has come in for the amateurs and youth.  Check out the info on SWQHA Amateur News and SWQHA Youth News on this web site.  The Futurity site has been updated.  Some things are moved around from the print that is in the SWQHA Magazine but the information is the same.  There is a more comprehensive entry form on the site.  It does contain needed information that is not included in the magazine entry form.  Also, the current by-laws and contest rules are up-loaded.

Two shows down and we are back on a winning streak.  The January show lost a little money (approximately $375.00).  February came back and made about $1,300.00 with an entry count better than last year.  Great to see some new faces showing and some old ones return to the arena.  One of the things that came out of the board meeting that will affect the shows.  All of you ranch sorting people out there, SWQHA gave you a year to get used to the routine and also gave you a break on the entry fees.  Grace period is over, guys!!!  Ranch sorting will be charged just like other classes:  Class Fee, Office Fee; Drug Fee times two plus the cattle charge.  The only difference from the other cattle classes - The team will be charged the cattle fee (half each).  If you were at the February show you saw the awesome trailer that Bob Comyford built for the ranch sorting panels.  John Karl Hudgens said they drove the trailer in, took fifteen minutes to unload and set up then fifteen minutes to load it back up.  It works perfectly.  Thank you, Bob, for the wonderful design and execution!

Our thanks again to the Hampton Inn and Cory Martinez for making Hampton Inn West our host hotel this year.

The Board voted to raise the amount delegated for class awards and to add $4,000.00 to the Futurity payback.  Now is the time to start thinking about those babies hitting the ground.  Get those futurity entries in to Hugh Trotter or Michael Schmickle.  Quick reminder, Farrell Morton can change your stallion registration papers to gelding at any show. 

There has been a lot of misunderstanding within the association.  At the December Convention the general membership voted to do away with the Select Category for saddle competition drop the separate “Select” classes and to split the amateur classes into age groups for class and circuit awards as is done with the youth division.  At this time in the Amateur Division, most of our exhibitors are in the older age group.  To help the younger exhibitors, the two age groups will ride in the same class.  They are riding for separate class awards.  Any AQHA points an older age group rider accumulates are qualifying points for Select World.  Because the Border Circuit will have shared points with Ramuda and New Mexico Quarter Horse Associations, there are many more entries expected.  The Board voted to split the age groups into two classes to accommodate these larger numbers of entries.  As you know, AQHA calls the older age group “Select.”  This is only for the Border Circuit and possibly the Fall Futurity.  This does not mean SWQHA is putting “Select” back in the show because it was never really gone; just the saddle award.  SWQHA has “All Age” youth classes so the exhibitors have someone in the arena with them.  That is all it did with the amateur classes.  If you go to the points section you will see that the points for youth and amateur are divided into age groups.  Please, everyone, think before you speak and understand the facts before you make decisions.

A special Board of Directors meeting was held on February 18th.  This meeting was called to resolve several issues and bring cohesion to the board.  Hopefully all came away with more of an understanding of each other’s feelings and needs.  Jack Younker has stepped down as President of Southwest Quarter Horse Association.  He will remain on the board and be an active participant in all aspect of the association without the stress, headaches and heartaches of that position.  SWQHA will miss him at the helm, but Fig Padilla is very capable of filling the spot.

The 2010 SWQHA Magazine is ready to go to our members.  Some were delivered at the February show and some will be mailed out.  As usual Martha Sayles and her crew (daughter, Sarah, husband, Danly, Cindy Van Pelt and Teris Clayton) have done a superb job.  Martha, hope none of your loyal crew was left out.  A special thanks to Suanne Wamsley for the use of one of her painting for the cover.  It is definitely a publication worthy of pride and praise.  Thank you, gang!!!

As stated last month, the 2009 Board of Directors voted to exchange show points with the New Mexico Quarter Horse Association again in 2010.  The shows involved in the points swap will be SWQHA Border Circuit, May 28-31 and NMQHA Land of Enchantment Circuit, April 22-25. They also voted to exchange show points with the Remuda Quarter Horse Association in Midland.  Their 26-29 March shows and our Border Circuit will count for the other association's year end awards. Both of these show weekends will have two split/combined shows with two judges each.

Big change to the show schedule:  The October show has to be moved to the 23rd and 24th.  A conflict with the mounted shooters made this necessary.  Fireworks over the hill is pretty bad but shooting in the next arena would be disasterous!