Aurora, Colo. – The inaugural Regional Breeding Challenge Cups were recently awarded at the 2015 Arabian Horse Association (AHA), Arabian & Half-Arabian U.S. National Championship Horse Show. Bronze trophies were handed out based on an accumulation of points by horses showing at the U.S. Nationals in Tulsa, Okla.

The AHA membership is divided into 18 geographical regions across North America. Regions 1 through 18 all had horses attending and representing their breeders at this year’s show. As the horses placed in their classes, they accumulated points for their respective region and breeders.

The Regional Breeding Challenge Cup bronzes were awarded in three different categories: Breeding/In-Hand, Performance and a combined Breeding/In-Hand and Performance category. The region that accumulated the most points in these categories was declared the winner. Then, the breeder within that respective region, with the highest point count, took home the trophy for that particular category.

The bronzes for the Breeding/In-Hand and Performance cups were generously sponsored by The Foal Festival, out of Santa Ynez, Cali. The combined Breeding/In-Hand and Performance bronze was graciously sponsored by Jack and Elizabeth Milam of Regency Cove Farms.

Points were tracked and posted each day at U.S. Nationals. An updated account of points laid the groundwork for the breeders that would claim the perpetual trophy in their respective category. For 2015, the following were declared the Regional Challenge Cup winners:

Breeding/ In-Hand: Region 12, with a total 368 points. Rohara Arabians, LLC was the top breeder in the region, accumulating a total of 35 points.

Performance: Region 9, with a total of 1,568 points. Boisvert Farms, LLC was the top breeder in this region, accumulating a total of 114 points.

Combined Award: Region 9, with a total of 1,786 points. Boisvert Farms, LLC once again went home as the top breeder, with 114 points.

AHA will mail the perpetual trophies to the aforementioned breeders in their respective categories. The breeders will proudly display the cups throughout 2016. The Regional Breeding Challenge Cups will once again be awarded at the 2016 U.S. Nationals to the new top regions and breeders.

Congratulations to the regions and breeders for a job well done. AHA is excited to see how these perpetual trophies could encourage further breeding and registration of horses, as well as perpetuate a sense of camaraderie among regions at their premier National event.

AHA is a major equine association serving 85,600 Arabian, Half-Arabian and Anglo-Arabian horse owners across North America. AHA registers and maintains a database of more than one million Arabian, Half-Arabian and Anglo-Arabian horses and administers approximately $3 million in annual prize money. AHA produces championship events, recognizes over 550 Arabian horse shows and distance rides and provides activities, education, and programs that promote breeding and ownership.