The Arabian Horse Association (AHA) has announced that the Arabian Breeders Sweepstakes (Sweepstakes) program has paid more than $2.7 million in Sweepstakes prize money, Breeders Incentive and Nominated Sire payback to owners and breeders out of a $3.1-million pot of available prize money for 2006. More than $1.2 million was paid to owners who enrolled their horses in the annual Points program.

More members received Sweepstakes earnings in 2006 than ever before. Payouts involved 5,922 horses and 4,416 owners, a 46% increase over the number of people receiving Sweepstakes checks in 2005. The biggest surprise was the hefty $37.86 per point paid which provided a bonus to those early adapters who signed up for the Points program before knowing exactly how much would be paid.

The new Sweepstakes program pays both Allocated and Points prize money to horses competing in designated Sweepstakes classes and/or distance rides at more than 400 local, regional and national events according to specific rules.

Allocated prize money is paid at regional, Canadian, Sport Horse and U.S. National shows in selected Sweepstakes classes.

Prize money earned through Points can be earned in every designated Sweepstakes class at local, regional and national levels and every distance ride sponsored by an AHA-recognized organization. However, a horse must be enrolled annually for $100 in order to accumulate Points toward payback.

“Point prize money is an integral part of the Sweepstakes program now,” says Dean Meier, chairman of the Sweepstakes Commission. “The best way to maximize your earnings is to enroll your horse for Points before the first competition of the year.”

For the first time, the nominator of a Breeding Entry also earned 10% of the value of the Points prize money earned by that horse during ’06 as part of the new Breeder Incentive. Arabian Nominated Sire owners received five% of the Allocated prize money and five percent of the Points prize money earned by their stallions’ winning progeny. Arabian Nominated Sire owners and nominators of Breeding Entries automatically receive payback based on Points whether the current owner of the horse enrolls it into the annual Points program or not.

Hunter pleasure horse Adelaida V (Sundance Kid V x Alyce Bey V) owned by Lisa Dawn Ethell of Mira Loma, CA, was the top earning Arabian with $14,477 in combined allocated and Points prize money. The top Half-Arabian was American Beautie (Afire Bey V x Kelly Le Brock), a country English pleasure horse owned by Shamrock Farms of Garden Ridge, TX, with wins totaling $11,347. The top distance winner was endurance horse MN Khourusen (Khouros x MN Dimarite) owned by Scott Griffin of Fife, WA, who earned $5,868 in Points payback. The top sire payback of $8,869 went to Afire Bey V (Huckleberry Bey++ x Autumn Fire), owned by Maroon Fire Arabians, Castle Rock, CO.

Learn more about Sweepstakes, check out the prize money paid for ’06, download entry forms read FAQ’s and more online at www.arabianhorses.org/activities/pmp/sweeps.

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