Fort Worth, Texas – The International Andalusian and Lusitano Horse Association (IALHA) made the Will Rogers Memorial Center in Fort Worth, Texas, their home for the 2019 IALHA National Championship Horse Show. From November 5-9, more than 90 of the country’s top purebred and part-bred Andalusian and Lusitano horses were presented in a variety of classes, including halter, native tack and attire, dressage, Western pleasure, saddle seat, and more. The judging panel of Dinah Babcock (Dripping Springs, Texas), Chris Bickford (Sherwood, Ore.), Walter de la Brosse (Los Angeles, Calif.), and Cliff Swanson (Castle Rock, Colo.) were tasked with crowning this year’s national champions in dressage, morphology, and performance.

The following special awards were presented during the competition:

Youth of the Year – Patricia Augustine (Bulverde, Texas)
Breeder of the Year – Sharon Mohr, Asmohr Stables (Andes, N.Y.)
Professional Horsewoman of the Year – Rose Watt (Cochranton, Pa.)
Professional Horseman of the Year – Nick Phillips (Plano, Texas)
Amateur Horsewoman of the Year – Jessica Daniel (Tomball, Texas)
Amateur Horseman of the Year – Jerry Beatty (Guadalupe, Calif.)

Mediterraneo’s Venezia, Brenda Forsythe’s eight-year-old Andalusian mare, was recognized as the IALHA’s 2019 Purebred Horse of the Year. A Fabulous Dream KLM, Josie Croasmun’s seven-year-old mare, was recognized as the IALHA’s 2019 Half-Andalusian Horse of the Year.

The IALHA also hosted an exhibitor’s night in celebration of the Spanish and Portuguese heritage of the breed, as well as a fajita dinner in honor of the Latinx members of the IALHA community. The night included several traditional classes, including passage, long-lining, and piaffe, and a demonstration of native Mexican dancing.

Follow IALHA and US Equestrian

The International Andalusian and Lusitano Horse Association is a recognized affiliate of US Equestrian. Keep up with the Andalusian and Lusitano breeds by following IALHA on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Find out more about the Andalusian and Lusitano breeds and all of US Equestrian’s 29 recognized breeds and disciplines in this Learning Center video. Join the conversation and follow US Equestrian on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Use #JoinTheJoy.

Photo by: Jeanne@Genie Images