June 2015
Good morning!
I hope everyone is enjoying this first week of summer! The weather has been glorious these past few weeks!
In case you have not heard, it is with a heavy heart that I announce that Harry Sebring passed away early last Saturday morning. Always with a smile on his face, Harry was the consummate horseman and rightly earned the title of Mr. Park Harness. A horse trainer, musician, and industry leader as a judge, AMHA Director at Large, and former AMHA president, Harry was one of the best and will be greatly missed by everyone. Sherry Cole has been appointed to fill Harry's position on the Board of Directors until the 2016 election.
If you are going to parades, open barns, fairs, and the like, AMHA has a large assortment of brochures for you to download or order to hand out at your event. Go to http://www.morganhorse.com/about/forms/ to see all that is available. You can also download the Promotional Material form by clicking here, http://www.morganhorse.com/upload/photos/2082014_Promo_Order_Form_2.pdf.
Happy Friday!
Christina Koliander
AMHA Communications Specialist and Clubs Liaison
AMHA News
Sherry Cole Appointed to Fill DAL Vacancy
The AMHA Board of Directors held an emergency teleconference on Wednesday, June 24, 2015 to address the Director-At-Large vacancy created by the recent passing of Harry Sebring.
Bylaw 4.7 states “Vacancies in DAL may be filled by an affirmative vote of a majority of the remaining directors. Such DAL shall hold office only until the next annual meeting of members, at which the members shall elect a DAL to serve the balance of the unexpired term.”
As this appointment is only until the February 2016 election, President Gove stressed the need to identify an individual with some previous Board experience due to the short term of this appointment.
The Board unanimously appointed Sherry Cole to fill this vacancy. In other business, C.A. Lee III was appointed to fill the vacancy on the Registry Committee and as past president, Cindy Mugnier will now serve on the Executive Committee and EDEC.
This Director-At-Large position will be added to 2016 election ballot which will include: Regional Director Positions for Region 1, Region 2, Region 3 (remaining term of current vacancy), Region 9, and Region 10 (remaining term of the current vacancy), plus one Director at Large for 3-year term and one Director at Large for a one-year term.
Register Early and Save Money!
The earlier you register your foals, the more money you will save! As an AMHA member, if you register your foal within six months of the foaling date, it is just $90, compared to $125 if the foaling date is within 12 to 18 months—a $35 savings!
Registering your foal is easy! Just go to www.morganhorse.com/registry/forms/ to download a registration application, or call (802) 985-4944 to speak with the Registry department to have one mailed to you!
AMHA Town Hall Call on July 8
The AMHA Board of Directors will hold a Town Hall teleconference on Wednesday, July 8 at 8:30 p.m. ET.
All are invited to listen in as the Board reviews the recent strategic plan and several key initiatives that are underway. At this time, topics include: proposed election changes, governance task force report, 2016 breed promotion grant opportunities, and 2016 Super convention overview.
Conference Telephone Number: (712) 432-2815
Conference Number: 140964
Can’t make the call? There will be a FREE Replay Line available until July 15. Call (712) 432-2816 and enter 140964.
Join the 2015 Morgan Ranch Horse Network!
In 2014, AMHA created the Ranch Horse Network to recognize and help offer a new marketing venue for farms which use their Morgans in a ranching environment. AMHA in conjunction with The Morgan Horse magazine will feature one ranch enrolled in this program in the December 2015 issue of the magazine. To be considered as the subject of this feature, your application must be current as of August 1, 2015 to be considered.
Immediately following this deadline, AMHA and TMH staff will consider all applications and one ranch will be chosen to be the featured subject. In addition, all ranches enrolled will be listed as Ranch Horse Network Participant on www.morganhorse.com along with your website and contact information. You also will be sent the 2015 Participant logo for use on your website as another promotion for you and the program.
Enrollment is free with your 2015 Standard, Premium or Lifetime membership. A $20 enrollment fee will apply for non-members or Associate members.
REMEMBER the deadline is AUGUST 1 to join and be eligible. Download an application at http://www.morganhorse.com/upload/photos/7032015RanchHorseProgramApp.pdf.
For more information contact Julie Dickie at Julie@morganhorse.com or (802) 985-4944 ext. 501.
Do You Have an Older Unregistered Morgan?
If so, now is the time to register it with AMHA! On January 1, 2015, lower registrations fees went into effect for unregistered Morgans over the age of two!
For Morgans between two-year-old and five-years-old you will save $200; and for Morgans over five-years-old you will save $100, compared to prior years. These fees include the DNA testing kit.
Registration Fee Schedule
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Member Fee
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Non-Member Fee
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Under 6 months
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$90
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$175
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6-12 months
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$100
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$185
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12-18 months
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$125
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$210
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18-60 months
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$210
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$295
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Over 60 months
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$310
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$395
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AMHA wants to help ensure every Morgan has a place in our history. It is important to have breeding lines recorded to allow them to be perpetuated. Plus, AMHA wants to help Morgan owners have good ownership records for liability reasons; this is just smart business.
Forms can be downloaded from morganhorse.com, or by emailing registry@morganhorse.com, or by calling 802/985-4944.
2015 AMHA Board Meetings
The AMHA Board of Directors will hold the following meetings for the balance of 2015:
Third Quarter meeting, September 11-12 in Springfield, Massachusetts
Fourth Quarter Meeting, November 14-15 in Raleigh, North Carolina
Between quarterly meetings, the Board meets monthly via teleconference as needed to address business matters. This typically occurs the third Wednesday of every month at 8 p.m. ET, but is subject to change. The dates tentatively scheduled are June 16, July 15, August 19, and December 16.
What Do These Morgans Have in Common?
What do BPM Gold Dust, Jane's Addiction, Rage, and Whetstone Limerick all have in common? They all have either a Grand Champion or Champion title to their names!
Have you heard about AMHA's Champion Title program, but didn't know how it works! Here is what you need to know: To become a Champion, a horse must earn 15 points at any USEF rated all Morgan show or in Morgan classes sanctioned by USEF; to become a Grand Champion, a horse must earn 30 points. Other details apply. The enrollment fee is $75 and $15 for each year of competition points are earned with the maximum of $250 for retroactive enrollment.
To read more about this program, go to http://www.morganhorse.com/programs/champion. To find out if your horse has the points necessary to be a Grand Champion, call Chris Koliander at (802) 985-4944 or email chris@morganhorse.com. Here's to a blue-ribbon winning show season!
Free Advertising on www.morganhorse.com
www.morganhorse.com is the most popular website for Morgan horses with thousands of hits per month. So don't you want to sell your Morgans with the biggest and the best?
As an AMHA member, you can advertise your Morgan horses for sale for free! The easy-to-follow dashboard allows you to include all pertinent information on your horse, including category, height, color, and price. A keyword search allows those searching for a Morgan to look using important words. And you can add photos at no charge! Ads stay on the website for 90 days, after which time you can either delete or renew it.
No computer? No problem! Call the office at (802) 985-4944 and someone can post your advertisement for you!
Go to www.morganhorse.com/marketplace/classifieds to advertise your horse today!
Grand National News
PSATs at the 2015 Grand National
The dates for high school students to take the PSATs in 2014 are Wednesday, October 14 and Wednesday, October 28. As a courtesy to high school exhibitors, the Grand National & World Championship Morgan Horse Show® has made PSAT testing available on the test date that occurs during the show.
For more information, contact Linda Marshall, Director of Student Development, Harding Charter Preparatory High School 3333 N. Shartel Avenue, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73118; lmarshall@hardingcharterprep.org, (405) 528-0562.
Grand National 2015: Where to Stay
Show your support for those who support us! The following great hotels are grouped by their level of sponsorship in 2015. Make your reservations at one today and help show them we appreciate their participation in the Grand National & World Championship Morgan Horse Show®!
Host Hotels:
Candlewood Suites
Embassy Suites
Fairfield Inn & Suites Airport
Hilton Garden Inn
Holiday Inn
Howard Johnson Express
Isola Bella
Red Roof Inn
Staybridge Suites
Super 8
TownePlace Suites by Marriott
Partner Hotels:
Country Inn & Suites
DoubleTree
Fairfield Inn & Suites NW Expressway
Hampton Inn
Homewood Suites
Hyatt Place
SpringHill Suites by Marriott
Walnut Gardens
Go to www.morgangrandnational.com/hotels.html to see links to these great hotels!
This year's Grand National will take place October 10-17 in Oklahoma City and will be a horse show to remember! For more information, go to www.morgangrandnational.com, or find the show on Facebook!
Have You Made Your Travel Plans to OKC?
With just four months until the greatest Morgan horse show on earth, it's never too early to make your travel plans! With your AMHA membership, take advantage of discounts with our affiliates to get the best price possible!
Go to www.morgangrandnational.com/hotels.html to find the best place to stay while in Oklahoma City! Each year, some of the best hotels near the fairgrounds support the Grand National & World Championship Morgan Horse Show® in many ways including reduced rates for exhibitors, complimentary rooms for officials and staff, and hospitality at the show. Please show your gratitude and support for these valuable friends of the Morgan horse with your business in 2015!
Need a car to get back and forth to the Coliseum? AMHA has partnered with Hertz, Enterprise, Budget, and Avis, so you can get the best deal possible for car rentals. You can learn more at www.morganhorse.com/about/partners/car-rental/.
To find out how you can be a 2015 Grand National sponsor, contact Sally Wadhams at (802) 985-8477. Sponsorship includes seating, special gifts and presentations, and much more!
This year's show will take place October 10-17 in Oklahoma City. For more information and updates, go to Morgan Grand National. We look forward to seeing you there!
Industry News
Far West Horses Test Positive for EIV
From www.farwestmorgan.com
The remainder of the 2015 Far West Regional Morgan Championship Horse Show was cancelled on June 19 due to illness. Samples from three of the affected horses were tested at the Oregon State University Veterinary Diagnostic Lab on Monday, June 22 and were confirmed to be positive for Equine Influenza A Virus. The samples were negative for Equine Herpes Virus 1 & 4 and for Equine Viral Arteritis. The remainder of the samples will be tested via Merck's Equine Respiratory Pathogen Surveillance Program at UC Davis Veterinary Diagnostic Lab on Tuesday, but we expect the results will confirm OSU's diagnosis.
All affected horses are recovering with only symptomatic treatment, though the number of cases has increased to approximately the mid 20s that we are aware of as of Monday.
The Equine Influenza Virus (EIV) can persist in the environment (on inanimate objects) for only about two to three days, fortunately, Infected horses should be quarantined for 21 days and any exposed but non symptomatic horses can be quarantined for 14 days. This virus is very contagious, and can travel up to 50 yards through the air, so quarantine arrangement should take this into account. Infected horses should be rested from work for one week for every day of fever they experience or there is risk of cardiac muscle damage.
Intranasal vaccines will provide the most rapid protection, usually by day five, against influenza. Intramuscular influenza vaccines are effective as well, but take longer (about two weeks) to provide protection. Make sure your vaccine carries the more recent strains (A2/Clade 1/North American).
For more information for owners, go to http://www.aaep.org/custdocs/Influenza%20guidelines.pdf.
And for those who enjoy the technical details go to http://www.aaep.org/info/equine-influenza.
Qualify for the Grand National at North Star
The 2015 North Star Morgan Americana Horse Show is looking forward celebrating its 59th anniversary in 2015! The show, which will take place July 31-August 2 in Cannon Falls, Minnesota, is now an AMHA rated 3 Star show, allowing competitors who place first or second to qualify for the Grand National.
The fun at this year's show includes a youth of the year competition, an open ranch horse division, an academy division, silent auction, a welcome lunch, a cheesecake social, and an exhibitor's party! This year's judge is Richard Weaver.
The show's prize list can be found at http://www.northcentralmorgan.com/2014-11-22-22-58-41/prize-list.
For more information, contact Wendy Couch, sofac@frontiernet.net, (612) 325-2381.
Updates on the 2015 Maine Morgan Horse Show
Please note the following changes to the Maine Morgan Horse Show time schedule:
Added Classes
20.1-Morgan English Pleasure Amateur Masters
35.1-Morgan Walk Trot Classic Pleasure 11 & Under
60.1-Morgan Walk Trot Classic Pleasure 11 & Under Championship
106.1-Morgan Pleasure Driving Two-Year-Old Championship
Moved Classes
71-Morgan Hunter Pleasure Open--moved to after 60.1 from Friday afternoon to Friday morning
78--Pleasure Driving Junior/Limit Championship--Saturday Morning main ring, after Tournament Break
The Maine Morgan Horse Show will take place July 2-4, at the Topsfield Fairgrounds in Topsfield, Massachusetts. Coby Holowacz is the judge and the Dressage judge is Jennifer Antonnen. This is an AMHA 3 Star rated show and will qualify riders for the Grand National & World Championship Morgan Horse Show®.
If you have questions, contact Selina Cloutier at (603) 953-3470 or smsc77@aol.com.
Morgan Museum Announces Online Auction
The National Museum of the Morgan Horse announces the start of its first online fundraising auction.
A variety of unique items are featured and include artwork, pottery, jewelry, and other handcrafted selections from well-known artists and craftspeople. A set of Morgan Horse Registry Volumes 1-24 is also available. Online bidding is now open and runs through July 25, 2015.
Items can be viewed and bids made at www.biddingowl.com/MorganHorseMuseum. Bidder registration is quick and easy on the website, just click on "Bidder Sign In" on the top of the home page.
Proceeds from this fundraiser will be used toward the operating expenses of the Museum and archives. Thank you for supporting the National Museum of the Morgan Horse and happy bidding!