03/16/2026
Bravo ๐
๐๐ซ๐จ๐ ๐ซ๐๐ฌ๐ฌ ๐ข๐ง ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐ข๐ง๐๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ญ๐ซ๐ฒ ๐ซ๐๐ซ๐๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐ก๐๐ฉ๐ฉ๐๐ง๐ฌ ๐๐ฒ ๐๐๐๐ข๐๐๐ง๐ญ. ๐๐ญ ๐ก๐๐ฉ๐ฉ๐๐ง๐ฌ ๐๐๐๐๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ ๐ฉ๐๐จ๐ฉ๐ฅ๐ ๐๐๐ซ๐ ๐๐ง๐จ๐ฎ๐ ๐ก ๐ญ๐จ ๐ฌ๐ฉ๐๐๐ค ๐ฎ๐ฉ, ๐๐ฌ๐ค ๐ก๐๐ซ๐ ๐ช๐ฎ๐๐ฌ๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐ฌ, ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ข๐ ๐ก๐ญ ๐๐จ๐ซ ๐ฐ๐ก๐๐ญ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ซ๐ข๐ ๐ก๐ญ ๐๐จ๐ซ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ญ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ ๐จ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ก๐จ๐ซ๐ฌ๐ ๐ฐ๐ ๐๐ฅ๐ฅ ๐ฅ๐จ๐ฏ๐.
Today we extend our deepest gratitude to some brilliant and determined horsewomen who stepped forward and went full send for the good of the breed.
Melanie Smith
Brooke Wharton
Tricia Aldridge
And one of the greatest mentors our industry has ever known, Carol Rose.
Your leadership, visibility, education, and tireless commitment helped shine a light on the importance of abolishing the two-year rule within the American Quarter Horse Association regarding the use of semen or frozen embryos after a horse has passed.
Because of your efforts, the voices of breeders large and small were heard. You reminded the industry that these genetics are more than just paperwork. They are the legacy of horses that shaped programs, livelihoods, and dreams.
Your work helps ensure that heirloom genetics can continue to contribute to the future of the breed for generations to come. It protects not only the history of our bloodlines, but also the financial and emotional investments so many of us have made in the horses we love.
To every member who took the time to write a letter to the Stud Book Committee, thank you.
To everyone who kept the conversation alive on social media and engaged in thoughtful discussion to keep this issue front and center, thank you.
And thank you to the board members and committees at the American Quarter Horse Association who took the time to hear both the facts and the hearts of the membership. Your willingness to listen allowed the voices of breeders and horsemen to be heard loud and clear.
This movement is also a powerful reminder of why participation matters. When membership shows up, engages, and works together, real progress can happen. This is exactly why attending the AQHA Convention and being involved in the process is so important for every one of us who loves our AQHA horses.
Hopefully the future continues to move forward in ways that allow even more voices to be heard. In an increasingly digital world, we hope opportunities continue to expand for membership to participate and be heard far and wide, even when travel to attend in person isnโt possible.
This is what happens when passionate people come together to protect the future of the American Quarter Horse.
๐๐ข๐ง๐๐๐ซ๐๐ฅ๐ฒ,
๐๐ก๐จ๐๐๐จ๐ง๐ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ฅ๐ฅ ๐จ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฌ ๐๐ซ๐๐๐๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐ฆ๐๐ซ๐ข๐๐๐ง ๐๐ฎ๐๐ซ๐ญ๐๐ซ ๐๐จ๐ซ๐ฌ๐๐ฌ.
