Wilson captures World Championship Paint Horse title

American Paint Horse Association (APHA) amateur competitor Susan Wilson of Ramona captured a World Championship title at the 2011 APHA World Championship Paint Horse Show.

The show, held Nov. 2–12 in Fort Worth, Texas, is one APHA’s premier events.

Wilson claimed the championship in Masters Amateur Western Riding showing Predictably Perfect, a 2001 gelding owned by the rider. In the class, competitors demonstrate their horse’s calm and correct lead changes between markers, gait transitions, negotiating poles without fault, readily backing and accurately performing the pattern.

Masters amateurs are competitors age 45 and over. They are required to show a self- or family-owned horse and cannot show, ride, judge or train horses for payment.

Another of Wilson’s horses, Real Groovy, a 1998 gelding, won the Utility Driving class with Charlie Colt of Pilot Point, Texas. In this class, horses are judged on their ability to accurately perform various maneuvers while pulling a two-wheeled, single horse cart.

The World Championship Paint Horse Show features the finest gathering of Paint Horses from around the globe. APHA hosts two annual world-class competitions to showcase the talents of American Paint Horses and their owners.

The second in the 2011 series — the Open and Amateur World Championship Show — was held at the Will Rogers Memorial Center in Fort Worth’s cultural district. With over 1,000 paint horses and more than 2,500 entries, exhibitors competed for prizes and cash payouts totaling $500,000.

The American Paint Horse Association (APHA), founded in 1962 and headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas, is the international breed registry for the American paint horse. The association has 111 regional and international clubs, produces championship shows, sponsors trail rides, and creates and maintains programs that increase the value of American paint horses and enriches members’ experiences with their horses.

APHA has registered more than a million horses in 59 nations and territories since it was founded, and now serves approximately 64,000 active members around the world. It will celebrate its 50th Anniversary in 2012.

For more information about APHA and the World Championship Show, including entry details, results and a list of competitors, visit aphaworldshow.com or call 817 834-2742.