The future of the Pacific Slope SH Championships

There has been talk of bringing the Sport Horse Championships back to what is was/should be, a very big deal throughout the Pacific Slope Region, since AHA will be making SHN permanent to Kentucky. Here is an update from convention:



Re: A West Coast Sport Horse Championship Show


Posted by: "publicfadmargie" [url=http://us.mc11.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=Margie@Fadjur.com&Subject= Re%3A%20A%20West%20Coast%20Sport%20Horse%20Championship%20Show]Margie@Fadjur.com [/url] publicfadmargie


Thu Jan 8, 2009 2:00 pm (PST)

Hey Everybody -- I'm so sorry that I was bounced off this msg group
due to e-mail problems, and didn't notice that I was missing
everything until today....... I'm also delinquent on my report from
convention, will try to get that done this weekend for you.

I attended the meeting held 11/21 at the convention about
supercharging the Pacific Slope Championships, various brainstorming,
establishment of a Steering Committee, etc. Here are a few quick
clarifications from memory in the meantime to tide you over! :^)

There are a couple of threads here that I've just read through -- all
the topics are various things that were discussed: we're all talking
about the same thing.

The idea is to develop the Pacific Slopes Championships into a true
DIMOND of a super-championship by expanding it to it's original scope
(multi-region championship) in order to offer an opportunity to
Western U.S. Arabian SH competitors.

This is a grassroots effort and is primarily in response to the AHA's
U.S. National Sport Horse Commission's work in abandoning the heart
of American Arabian Sport Horses (IMHO) by moving the SHN permanently
East (Kentucky Horse Park).

At convention Friday 11/21, the Pacific Slopes Championship Show
Commission met in Region 2's suite. They invited all interested to
come brainstorm & discuss some of the ideas presented here, as well
as many new ideas about how to make this special championship show
happen.

Consensus of the room determined a smaller core group could more
effectively get the homework done & report back. I volunteered, but
didn't get a spot. There were delegates & officers there
representing clubs throughout the west -- all of the Pacific Slope
Regions, I think. Show managers, delegates from many clubs, regional
reps, etc. Including Vicky Rich, the R2 Director & member of the SHN
Commission. -- FYI in case you aren't aware, Vicky is instrumental in
representing Western interests on that commission, but she's only 1
of 7?, and probably the only one who understands Western concerns.
The permanent-East KHP SHN site deal was closed before we got Vicky
elected to the commission at the 07 convention.

Linda Walsh from Golden Gate AHA (Santa Rosa area) is on the steering
committee, and I have the other names in my notes (I think Nicki
McGinnis is chair?). I think all of the Steering Committee members
were already on the Pacific Slope Committee (Commission? ?), which I
suppose is most appropriate! ;^)

There will be a 2009 PS SH Championship show, but it will not be
expanded yet, too soon to implement these new ideas. Note problems
with dates/locations that were discussed earlier in this thread --
GGAHA's BoD rejected moving the date to Sept 09; I think it's
probably Jun 09 in Santa Rosa.

There was significant discussion about whether to target 2010 or 2011
for the New & Improved PS SH Championships. 2 votes of the room
produced 2 results, and as I recall the end-result was we'll try to
make it BIG in 2010 (but don't quote me on that!).

Some of the major homework topics:
* ID all appropriate facilities in the Pacific Slope area.
* Availability (dates) of facilities in all the regions (first shot
at this will probably be in N. CA, then rotate throughout the Pacific
Slope, e.g., all the western regions)
* Canvass local clubs & regions for support, volunteers, facilities.. .

There was apparently massive support among the delegates from local
clubs & regions for this concept. There were probably 30??? people
in the room and most clamoring to volunteer to work with other clubs,
etc, to make this a success.

It's so easy to get excited when we're in a large group & everyone
wants it to succeed....far from home, with a group of friendly, like-
minded people -- all of us sharing the Arabian Sport Horse as our
Favorite Thing! but we will have to see if the Steering Committee
can achieve the time, energy, follow-through, leadership &
committment to move this concept forward. As all of you well
know....it takes committed, self-motivated volunteers to make a show
happen, and they don't get much Thanks in return for their efforts,
it's done out of love.

Ask away, if you have any questions... .I'll answer what I can, and
will plan to retrieve my notes for a more complete report soon.

Sincerely,
Margie :^)
CNASHA Delegate