American - Press - American Paint Horse Association

2
A Message from the Executive Director
I am always inspired by the level of commitment given to our organization by our dedicated members.
As you will discover from this Annual Report, we are about 85,000 members strong, with people hailing
from 43 nations and territories around the world.
APHA has grown to be one of the largest and most successful breed organizations in the world today, thanks
to the hard work of our members, and their continued commitment to our success.
That drive and dedication to serve the Paint Horse breed is most obvious in our Paint Horse people who
sign on for multi-year participation, and especially lifetime memberships.
Steadily, our lifetime membership rolls have risen over the past several years. In 2008, for example,
the number of APHA lifetime members stood at a record 5,184. In 2003, that number was 3,649.
Just in the past 5 years, we have seen a 42 percent increase in the number of lifetime members.
This is remarkable in the context of our history. We started with only a few dozen members and few
hundred horses in 1962. Our founders worked hard in the early years to prove that American Paint Horses
had the talent, athletic ability and intelligence to excel in the
competitive arena. And their solid conformation and colorful
coat patterns made them standouts.
It didn’t take long, however, for the whole world to discover
what our early founders knew all along.
Today, we’re closing in on nearly 1 million registered American
Paint Horses and we have tens of thousands of members who
faithfully support our breed through their participation in APHA.
If you are an APHA member, I’d like to ask you to renew
your commitment to our great organization. If you enjoy Paint
Horses, and you are not a member yet, I’d like to invite you
to join us.
And most of all, I want to salute those members who are
making lifetime commitments to supporting our great
organization and our outstanding American Paint Horses.
Through your example, our organization will persevere in
our mission to advance the American Paint Horse breed.
Sincerely,
Lex Smurthwaite
APHA Executive Director