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Haltering an industry
By Peter J. Cofrancesco III
The other day, I was speaking with a person whom I have a great deal of respect for, Dr. Don Topliff at West Texas A&M University,
an educator and a judge. We were talking about conformation, what each of us tends to look for, and how important conformation is
regardless of the discipline the horse competes in. That led him to tell me a story about a champion racing Quarter Horse trainer
who became one of the world's most successful Thoroughbred trainers. A true horseman, this individual uses conformation as his
deciding factor when he attends multi-million dollar Thoroughbred sales. Before he looks at the sale catalog, he looks at all the
horses in the sale and grades the horses 1-5, 6, or 7-10, based on conformation. This he does without looking at their pedigree.
He then tries to buy all the horses graded between 7-10 no matter what their pedigree says. He will only buy a 6 after looking at
its pedigree, and determining if it is well bred. For the horses he's graded a 1-5; it doesn't matter how they're bred, he won't bid
on them.
I'd say thousands of people in the AQHA would do well to learn a similar system, whether they happen to be the person on the end
of a lead shank or sitting in a saddle. Having an appreciation for and, perhaps even more importantly, an understanding of the value
of conformation is crucial to the success, health and welfare of the horse.
That's why I joined 40 other people in the halter horse industry for a meeting in May. It was a great and productive meeting. So great
was the meeting, that a mere 45 days later, the World Conformation Horse Association was born and will officially launch as a new
association in service to the industry October 17.
Why call it conformation and not halter? Simple. Because conformation is what it's really all about, regardless of the discipline
your horse might be engaged in. Without a solid skeletal and muscular structure, good producers and performers cannot be made and a
good industry cannot survive.
Perhaps the most gratifying element to the group's development and birth was how willing those gathered were to hold up a mirror to
the halter horse industry in order to recognize the good and the not so good, and take ownership for it. The group recognized that
owning and showing a halter horse was one of the best entry points for people coming into our industry, but more opportunities needed
to be made available for people of varying experience, age and interest. Education is crucial, not only for judges, but for owners,
breeders and exhibitors in teaching selection methods and how to recognize good conformation.
The group also recognized that, while showing at halter was one of the first horse competitions, it is one of the few remaining
segments without a voice in the industry. We hope to change that. Developing a singular voice like other industry segment groups,
such as the National Cutting Horse Association and the National Reining Horse Association, the WCHA envisions an opportunity to
serve the industry by working to define the elements of good conformation and providing a standard of competition and education to
serve as a model throughout the industry.
Of course there are controversial issues in the industry, but it has been rewarding to know that folks in the halter industry are
now focused more on becoming an organized group rather than taking on the issues right now. So, with the help of some dedicated
individuals, mostly owners and breeders with very busy lives, for the few months, the WCHA has focused on developing articles of
incorporation, by-laws and a membership structure. Task forces and committees have been formed to address education, competition,
governance and promotion. Undoubtedly, there is much work to be done and the response from the industry clearly indicates a need.
While the WCHA will be open to all breeds, its relationship with AQHA will undoubtedly be crucial to its growth. The group foresees
developing a similar alliance with AQHA as have other breeds and sport groups. Through this alliance, WCHA and AQHA have an opportunity
to share in the promotion of the conformation horse and in developing educational tools to serve the industry.
Many have taken a "wait and see" position on the WCHA and that is perfectly understandable. The horse industry certainly has no
shortage of clubs or associations to join. What could make this one any different? Frankly, that will be up to the membership
because what the WCHA offers is to become that singular voice distilled from many viewpoints and opinions. So far, the
response to forming the association has been tremendous, but it won't be long before the WCHA will need to provide substance
behind its words and value to the industry.
(from the August Issue of Quarter Horse Journal)
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