Photo Courtesy SHN Payback, Inc. (Novalis, by Jus De Pomme and out of a G Ramiro Z daughter, is one of the champion Stallions available through the SHN Payback program at half price.)
The SHN Payback program is in full swing for its third year, offering donated stallion services at half price to raise money for Sport Horse prize money. Every stallion in the program is a champion, or the sire of champions, thereby providing mare owners a one-stop source for the best stallions available, and at half their normal stud fees. Stallions are of all breeds, including Holsteiner, Hanoverian, Oldenburg, Dutch Warmblood, Trakehner, Bavarian Warmblood, Selle Francais, Westfalen, Belgium Warmblood, Thoroughbred, Welsh, Arabian, Morab, Morgan, Australian Sport Pony, Caspian Pony, Andalusian, Friesian, Appaloosa, Quarter Horse, National Show Horse, Shagya, Anglo Arabian, Saddlebred, Paint, Pinto, Dutch Harness Horse and Hackney.
The proceeds from the sale of these stallion services are used to award prize money for the winners at the Arabian Sport Horse Nationals (SHN) and the top sires of these winners, as well as our new all breed Young Sport Horse Futurity. Last year, $50,000 was raised and awarded at the SHNs, and this year we have added the new Futurity to give every young horse of any breed, sired by one of the donated stallions, an opportunity to show locally and win prize money.
“This program is a win-win for the stallion owners, the mare owners, and the exhibitors,” explained Patience Prine-Carr, a program director. “The stallion owners get to increase the marketability of their foals through cash incentives as well as the opportunity to win sire prize money, all without having to pay any out of pocket expenses.The mare owners get to breed their mares at a significant savings, and the exhibitors get to come home from the shows with cash in their pocket!”
“Our goal in creating this program is to increase the awareness of Arabians as sport horses of value and to reward those farms that breed and raise Arabians specifically for the sport disciplines. Arabians have long been prized for their beauty. It is our hope that these awards will direct more attention to their versatility and capability in the sport disciplines and to renew their value as a source of improving blood for all breeds”.
An added feature of the Payback program is the new Young Sport Horse Futurity. This Futurity is designed to further increase the marketability of young sport horses, as well as to help bridge the gap between the breeding and the finished sport horse competitor. All yearlings and two year olds sired by a currently enrolled Payback Stallion are eligible to compete for this cash prize. These youngsters are shown in sport type in-hand classes at their local low cost, low stress shows, earning a point for every horse they beat. These horses may be of any breed, as long as their sire is in the SHN Payback program.
For more information on how to sign up for the Futurity, to donate a stallion or to purchase a stallion service at half price, go to http://www.shnpayback.org, or call (352) 293-6626. SHN Payback is a non-profit 501(C)(5) organization.