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DIRECTOR REPORTS- 2025 / 2026
RACHEL TURNER Portfolio: Amateur Report
We have been receiving positive feedback from our free state amateur clinics and encourage everyone to support them to ensure we can continue to run them for years to come. The 2025 Trans Tasman Challenge is being held at Tatura Park Sept 29-Oct 4 where our youth
DAVE CALEO Portfolio: Pro Horsemen Report
Hello everyone, First, I would like to say what a privilege it is to serve on the AQHA Board of Directors. This dedicated group is passionate about the Association and the Australian Quarter Horse, and I’ m proud to work alongside them.
This year was my first as Portfolio Holder for the Pro Horsemen Division, and I’ m pleased to share some exciting developments. In 2024, we introduced a $ 500 High Point Pro Horseman Award at each of the four major shows – Summer Sizzler, AQHA Nationals, NPHA, and Tropicana – which will continue into the coming show season.
KANE SKOPP Portfolio: Marketing Report Marketing Momentum Continues
The Marketing Sub-Committee has been busy laying the groundwork for a stronger AQHA presence across events, socials and beyond.
A fresh updated branding kit to make sure everything from social media to signage looks and feels like AQHA is in the works along with a major upgrade of our trade stall.
We’ re also getting stuck into content creation, including director interviews and are in the planning stages for an AQHA members YouTube channel and some podcast-style content filmed at major events.
Our popular AQHA Incentive Program continues to shine, and we’ re working on a new campaign,“ 100,000 Reasons to Join AQHA”, to help promote the breed and boost mem-bership, highlighting the over and amateur teams will take on New Zealand. Spectators are welcome and we en-courage people to get involved, come along and watch the clinics. It’ s a great chance to get insight into the challenge if it is something you aspire to in the future.
Rachel Turner Amateur Chairperson
Additionally, we have added a $ 200 award for the Highest Placed Pro Horseman at our state shows, further recognising and rewarding excellence within our professional ranks.
Looking ahead, we have several exciting initiatives planned for the upcoming season and will keep everyone updated as these roll out.
If you have any questions or suggestions regarding the Pro Horsemen Division, please don’ t hesitate to reach out to me at caleodave @ gmail. com.
Sincerely, Dave Caleo Pro Horsemen Chairperson
$ 100,000 in incentive funds being paid out in 2026! Asso-ciations receiving incentive support will also get posters, social kits, announcer briefs, and more to help spread the word.
Looking ahead to our next National Show, we’ re reviewing what worked well and what can be improved. Exploring live streaming options, refreshing merchandise, and finding ways to make the event even more attractive to sponsors and competitors with more media coverage than ever before. The team is also working closely with other commit-tees to make sure everyone is on the same page as this new membership year kicks off. There’ s plenty happening behind the scenes to support our trainers, affiliates and grow-ing Quarter Horse community. We’ re excited to keep the momentum going and continue building on the incredible growth we’ ve seen across our expanding network.
I would like to thank my sub-committee Liz Keating and Leah Michelle for their help, support and enthusiasm.
Kane Skopp Marketing Chairperson
RICKY GLEN Portfolio: Cattle and Timed Events Report
Dear Members,
The cattle industry is thriving in Australia so that means related horse events linked to this are also getting bigger and bigger and with the incentives that the AQHA is putting into these events has seen an increase in memberships and registrations as well.
The annual Nutrien Horse Sale held in Tamworth in February will be bigger this year with the introduction of open aged horses selling which has seen the increase of the value of our competition horses reach an all-time high.
The cutting and campdraft events have some of the greatest number of competitors and its usual to see 300 entries in the campdrafts and at this year’ s NCHA Futurity, they have over 120 three year old cutting horses compete for a winners cheque of $ 100,000.00 and the same was paid to the winner of the the Willinga Gold Cup campdraft winner.
The roping industry has some great new events coming up with the introduction of aged events. This year we saw a 3 year old roping prospect sell in the USA for $ 1.6 million dollars and there has been a few Australian Quarter Horses being exported to the USA to rope over there. I forecast with the way our dollar is compared to theirs, the Americans are looking at our horse seriously to take back over there to compete on.
The Barrel horse industry here is the same, they are competing for great prizemoney and the introduction of futurity and other aged events is going to see tremendous growth with these horses as well. Like the rope horses, our horses are going back to the USA and winning big which is a huge plus for the Quarter Horse industry here in Australia.
And don ' t forget the Challenge and other cattle and time related events held all over Australia which sees our Quarter Horse winning many of these winners’ cheques.
The future looks bright for our horses competing within this portfolio and I thank my subcommittee for the help they give me during the year.
With Thanks Ricky Glen Cattle and Timed Events Chairperson
Australian Quarter Horse Association- www. aqha. com. au