The American Saddlebred Horse Association (ASHA) has announced plans for a new online auction to be held on EBay during early August prior to the Kentucky State Fair. In addition, a new live auction will be held on Friday evening at the Kentucky State Fairgrounds.

According to Mary Anne Cronan, President of the ASHA, changes in the association’s schedule of traditional fundraisers at the World’s Championship Horse Show were made because of ongoing remodeling and construction at the Executive West Hotel. “In the past, we had very much enjoyed the use of the large Mary Room at the Executive West for our principal fundraisers,” she said. “These included a silent auction and a fun live auction on Thursday afternoon, which have been very successful in raising important funds for our youth programs and scholarship fund. This year, with the construction at the hotel, that space was just not available and we’ve been working with the horse show and our wonderful volunteers to make different plans. We believe these changes present us with great opportunities for growing support of our important youth programs.”

Cronan added that a silent auction to raise additional funds for youth and the scholarship program will be featured for the first time at the 2009 Annual Convention and Youth Conference, held in February at the Marriott Griffin Gate Resort and Hotel in Lexington, KY. “This will give even more of the membership an opportunity to experience the excitement of our youth programs,” Cronan said.

The online EBay auction is planned to begin the weekend of Friday evening, August 1, and continue through Sunday evening, August 10, before much of the Saddlebred world leaves for Kentucky. Since the auction will be online, Saddlebred lovers everywhere will for the first time be able to bid on exceptional and select items. Lots already donated include ASHA convention packages, vintage Saddlebred memorabilia, rare books, golf cart rentals for the World’s Championship, gift certificates and exciting concert tickets for those attending the Fair.

According to Brenda Newell, Senior Program Administrator, donations of suitable auction items are encouraged and welcomed from anywhere in the Saddlebred world. She may be contacted at [email protected], or by telephone at (859) 259-2742, ext. 343. Additional auction items must be donated in the coming week, by Friday, July 25, in order to have time to prepare the online auction catalogue. Items will be shipped to the successful bidders immediately, beginning Monday, August 11, once the auction is closed.

Details on the new live auction, to be held Friday evening, August 22, will be announced shortly. Headlining the live auction of a limited number of premium items will be a 2008 VIP package for the Breeders’ Cup at Santa Anita Park in California, in late October, other sporting event packages, jewelry, a European vacation retreat, and the traditional special Kentucky Derby Box Seat package for Oaks and Derby Day 2009.