amarillo chamber of commerce - HPN Books

AMERICAN QUARTER HORSE ASSOCIATIONAbove: Wimpy, the grand champion stallionat the 1941 Fort Worth Stock Show ownedby the famous King Ranch was honoredwith the first number in the AQHA studbook. His statue is prominently displayed infront of AQHA headquarters.Below: The American Quarter Horse Hallof Fame & Museum sits beside AQHAheadquarters; a beautiful destination forvisitors to Amarillo and residents alike.PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF RALPH DUKE.Amarillo is the perfect home for the worldheadquarters of the American Quarter HorseAssociation because it is the gateway to theAmerican West and the American QuarterHorse is the horse of the West. The AmericanQuarter Horse’s versatility makes him a greatpartner for racing, showing, recreation, andranch work. The American Quarter HorseAssociation or AQHA has been a great friendand partner to the city of Amarillo, Texas,since 1946. They are proud to be part of thecommunity, proud of their workforce, andproud to bring their membership to Amarilloto visit AQHA headquarters.AQHA, the world’s largest equine breedregistry and membership organization, hasregistered more than five million AmericanQuarter Horses worldwide. Originally foundedin 1940 in Fort Worth, Texas, the organizationhas grown to more than 300,000 membersacross the world.It is the mission of AQHA to record andpreserve the pedigrees of the AmericanQuarter Horse while maintaining the integrityof the breed, to provide beneficial and exceptionalservices for its members that enhanceand encourage ownership of the breed, togenerate growth of the AQHA membershipthrough marketing, promotion, advertising,and publicity of the American Quarter Horse,and to develop diverse educational programsthat promote AQHA as the leading resourceorganization in the equine industry.A significant way AQHA increases educationof the public and its members is throughthe American Quarter Horse Hall of Fame& Museum located on Interstate 40 next totheir headquarters building. Convenient fortourists and members alike, the beautifulfacility was built to preserve the past, serve asa place for horse lovers to learn more aboutthe breed, to further the education mission ofAQHA, and to be the showcase for exceptionalWestern art by well known Western artists.AQHA brings events such as the AdequanSelect World Championship Show to Amarillowith great pride. They believe in being goodcitizens of the city by using local vendors andactively take part in the Shop Smart, ShopLocal Campaign. Because they promoteAmarillo as an ideal destination for theirmembers across the world, their internationalmembership knows about Amarillo primarilybecause of the ambassadorship of AQHA.The American Quarter Horse Foundationis the related philanthropic organization ofAQHA. The promotion of a noble horse andthe partnership it shareswith man is the bedrockfor a partnership withthe community. It providesthe ability to contributephysical and emotionalbenefits to individuals inneed as well as protectingthe physical well being ofall equines. Those principleswork hand in handwith the mission of AQHA.AMARILLO - Faces, Places & Open Spaces208