NWHA Newsletter - July 2026

NationalNewsletter

OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE NATIONAL WALKING HORSE ASSOCIATION

JULY 2026

www. nwha. com office @ nwha. com 859.252. NWHA( 6942)

Hello Sound Horse Warriors,

I say Sound Horse Warriors because that is our core mission. That is what we all are supposed to represent, which includes educating and training, especially the youth, on sound principles. We need them to carry the torch beyond us. That seems to have been forgotten. That is our goal. We are not just another HIO or horse show organization. We are the only nonprofit gaited HIO that is dedicated to sound horse training and education. That is NWHA! We have lost sight of our mission somewhere along the way. Although there are those against us, we will not lose sight of why we are sacrificing ourselves, for what is best for the organization. The last 6 months have been a roller coaster ride. I have made mistakes and I was transparent about it. Please don’ t hold my mistakes against the organization, I didn’ t run on being perfect. Anyone can gossip and complain but if you are not part of the solution, you are part of the problem. If you have a complaint, question or just want the truth, I won’ t lie, contact me. If it is an email, please put something in the subject line so I know you are not just spam. Example: NWHA concern. If I don’ t know the answer, I will go to the source and / or discuss with the BOD.

We are $ 40k short of where we should be this time of year. This team is busting their backsides to right this boat. We already have some sponsorships coming in, as of this letter, 11 Grants have been submitted, and T-shirts are now available to purchase. We have a“ Friend of NWHA” program that is almost ready to launch. We have combed through the financials and have made cutbacks and found areas of waste, fraud and abuse and sought reimbursements. Our annual meeting research team has thoroughly combed through last year’ s charges, wrestled with Embassy Suite and has cut our costs exponentially. Not to mention recovered nearly $ 1,000 dollars of overcharges.

Our fantastic marketing team has us at over 3K followers – I do not want to step on the committees, so please read their reports. If you didn’ t sign up for a committee at the annual meeting or via the Facebook page request, we are always looking for volunteers! Without these amazing workers none of these advances would be possible. Great things are happening!

NWHA in collaboration with the World Versatility show and the WHOA International have teamed up with Thorsport on two versatility challenges. The first is a Western Riding and Reining challenge. The Second is a Showmanship and Equitation challenge. See page 9 for details on the Thorsport Challenge Cup. There will be cash pay outs, so start practicing!

This Executive Committee and Board of Directors are all about Aligning, Building, and Collaborating with our members to make this organization stronger. Please reach out and join our mission.

JoEllen Finerfrock, NWHA President email: mijo1991 @ aol. com

CONTENTS

1 Welcome Letter

2 Committee Reports

4 Sponsorship Opportunities

5 Trail Riding Etiquette

9 ThorSport Versatility Cup

10 Year of the Horse Shirts

11 Board Meeting Highlights

14 Events Calendar

15 The National Showbill

19 Lifetime Superior Achievement Program

20 Trail Riders Award Program

21 Elite Grand Champion Program

July 2026 | NWHA National Newsletter | 1