What
is the All American Quarter Horse Congress?
The
All American Quarter Horse Congress is the World's Largest Single-Breed
Horse Show. The show receives more than 16,000 horse show entries
and will house more than 8,500 registerd American Quarter Horses during
its three-week schedule. The Congress attracts more than 650,000 people
to the Columbus area, bringing more than $110 million to the central
Ohio economy.
The Congress incorporates an AQHA-approved Quarter Horse show and
AQHA-approved racing events with more than seven acres of equine-related
commercial exhibits, a youth tournament as well as horse bowl, hippology,
demonstration, public speaking and collegiate and 4-H/FFA horse judging
contests, educational demonstrations and lectures, a queen contest,
the Super Sale horse auction, and Million Dollar Stallion Avenue.
In addition, the Professional Bull Rider tour holds four performances
during the Congress - two at the Coliseum, and two at Nationwide Arena
in downtown Columbus.
Most attendees say that no matter how you describe it, the Congress
is a show you have to experience to truely understand.
What
are the dates for the All American Quarter Horse Congress?
2007 Congress
dates are October 6-28, 2007
Tentative Congress dates for the future are:
October 4-26, 2008
October 3-25, 2009
October 2-24, 2010
Who
host the Congress, and why was it started?
The
Ohio Quarter Horse Association founded the All American Quarter Horse
Congress in 1967 as an event to showcase and promote the American
Quarter Horse, and to educate horse owners about the care, training
and showing of horses. The show has continued under OQHA's sponsorship
for more than 30 years, and is managed by the Ohio Quarter Horse Association's
elected officers and directors as well as three elected Congress Tri-Chairman.
The OQHA board meets on the third Monday of each month to conduct
association business as well as manage the ongoing needs of the Congress.
Where
is the Congress held?
The
Congress is held annually at the 360-acre Ohio state fairgrounds,
which is officially called the Ohio
Expo Center. The Expo Center is located at 717 E. 17th Avenue,
Columbus, Ohio, 43211, along interstate 71, just north of downtown
Columbus.
How
can I receive information about the Congress?
To
receive printed Congress information, please send an email to qtrhorse@oqha.com
with your name, mailing address, and whether you are a horse show
spectator or horse show exhibitor. Sorry, we are unable to email
our brochure due to its length and complexity.
The OQHA office maintains a mailing list of Congress horse show exhibitors
and horse show spectators. A futurity entry brochure is mailed to
all horse show exhibitors on the mailing list in late
February of each year for futurity nominations. The Congress
entry and spectator brochure is mailed to all addressees
on the mailing list in late July.
When
are Congress horse show entries due?
Congress futurity entries have nominations due April 1
and sustaining payments due June 1 and August 1. Futurities can be
entered with late fees after April 1 until August 1, but after August
1 all Congress futurity classes are closed to new entries.
AQHA, NRHA
and special event/stakes class entries for the Congress are due in
the OQHA office on August 25.
Late
entries may be made in stakes, NRHA and special event/stakes classes
at the Congress up to 2:00 p.m. the day before the class is shown,
with a late fee plus regular fees.
Are
there qualifications to enter the Congress horse show classes?
There
are no qualifying points required to enter the Congress horse show
classes. However, since first and foremost, the Congress is an AQHA-approved
horse show, the horse being shown in most classes must be a registered
American Quarter Horse. Both the owner and exhibitor must be AQHA
members, and in the case of youth or amateur events, the horse must
be owned by the exhibitor or a member of his or her immediate family.
For additional information about qualifications for youth or amateur
AQHA membership, please visit the AQHA
web site or call AQHA at 806-376-4811.
Some
Congress classes, specifically the Barrel Racing Sweepstakes, Pole
Bending Sweepstakes and Open Roping Classic, do not require that the
horse be a Quarter Horse or that the horse be registered at all. See
the Futurities area of the web site
for additional information. NRHA and NCHA classes also do not require
that the horse be a registered Quarter Horse, but may require that
the horse have a license or other identification by NRHA or NCHA.
Why
can't horse show exhibitors at the Congress receive multiple sets
of AQHA points when multiple judges are used?
According
to the AQHA rule 407f. under Horse Show Approvals, to be
eligible to request multiple sets of AQHA points, a show must be associated
with a livestock show or state fair. Since it is not affiliated with
a livestock show or state fair, the Congress does not qualify for
multiple sets of points under the current AQHA rules.
How
can I become a commercial exhibitor at the Congress?
Current
commercial exhibitors have the first option to renew their contract
with the Congress at the beginning of each year. Should any vacancies
become available, Congress officials refer to a waiting list that
begins from scratch at the beginning of each year. Because Congress
officials have achieved a mix of vendors over the years that most
attendees enjoy shopping at, officials give preference to potential
commercial exhibitors who have a product or service similar to the
type of vendor who did not renew their contract, and second to products
or services that are not currently offered at the show.
To
be placed on the waiting list, send a letter to OQHA, explaining the
types of products or services offered, list any other trade shows
at which you participate, and provide a photo(s) of either products
or your booth as set up at other events. Please note that
you will need to send a new letter each January to remain on the waiting
list. The letter can be mailed to OQHA, Attention Lisa
Martin, 101 Tawa Road, Richwood, OH 43344. PLEASE NOTE:
because a committee meets face to face to make decisions about new
exhibitors, a hard copy letter is much preferred to email correspondence.
