The Greater Kansas City Horse Association is a Region 11 club dedicated to representing Arabian horse owners and riders in the Kansas City Area.
Each year, we co-host an Arabian show in April called the Mo-Kan Border Bonanza. We also host an open breed and Arabian Value Show in June at Longview Horse Park. We are involved in many other horse shows and events in the area. Check out our calendar for more information.
In January, we host the Mid Winter Celebration and High Point Awards. This event brings together our membership base during the off season to celebrate our accomplishments over the last year. The event is open members, their families, and non-members.
All GKCAHA active members are invited to make their voices heard and join us at our in-person membership meetings. We are always looking for new ideas and for people to help with our events.
We are so thankful to our sponsors who help us fund our events each year. Please check out our advertizers page to learn more about these generous businesses and individuals.
Ballots are in and the vote are tallied. Please congratulate and welcome your incoming GKCAHA Leaders:
Sydney Brewer- President
Mike Grimm- Vice President
Mary Dobson- Treasurer
Stacey Dunn - Secretary
Board members:
Martha Hartley
Sharon True
Kari Kemper
Liz Gingrich
Julie Flood
Pamm Payne
Cassie Krahenbuhl
Delegates:
Mike Grimm
Helen Alfaro
Chrissy Norris
Cassie Krahenbuhl- Alternate
Stacey Dunn- Alternate
Valerie Kline- Alternate
We are excited to continue our work serving our membership. As always, please reach out with any suggestions to improve our club. We also welcome all current GKCAHA members to attend our monthly meetings.
We have exciting news! The GKCAHA board has decided to offer a First Time Youth Exhibitor scholarship for our 2024 Longview Arabian Value Show on 6/29/24-6/30/24! One chosen applicant will receive a $200 credit toward show fees as well as a free year of membership to the GKCAHA Arabian club. Applicants must never have shown a horse before and must be riding a registered Arabian or Half Arabian at the show. You do not need to be an AHA member or a member of GKCAHA to apply. The scholarship and membership prize is non-transferrable and has no cash value.
The form can be found here. Entries are due on 5/15 and the winner will be chosen and notified by 6/1.
Our annual Mid Winter Celebration and High Point awards at Garozzo's Overland Park was a blast! Check out our raffle and high point award winners!
Lexington, Ky. – The United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) held its annual Mid-Year Board of Directors meeting on June 19 and 20 in Lexington, Ky. During the meeting, the Directors heard updates from around the sport, learned from leading experts, and made several important decisions that directly impact USEF members and their horses.
Dr. Stephanie Bonin is a lifelong equestrian who is a renowned expert in the field of brain injuries and helmet protection. Dr. Bonin’s presentation focused on the history of protective headgear in sport, the current testing standards, and where helmet technology is today.
Dr. Katie Flynn is USEF’s Senior Staff Veterinarian, a role she stepped into earlier this year following a career as an equine staff veterinarian for the California Department of Food and Agriculture and, most recently, was the State Veterinarian for Kentucky. Dr. Flynn presented on her role with USEF, the recent outbreak of vesicular stomatitis (VS) in Southern California, and the importance of continuing biosecurity efforts to prevent its spread.
Finally, the Board acted on a round of rule changes at the Mid-Year meeting. Each change below, unless otherwise noted, will go into effect on December 1, 2023, for the 2024 competition year.
Equine Safety & Wellbeing
•GR1101.1 (036-22) - Microchipping
•Beginning December 1, 2025, all horses competing in USEF licensed or endorsed competitions must be microchipped with a 15-digit ISO compliant 11784/11785 chip that is implanted in the nuchal ligament of the horse’s neck. The microchipping of horses is fundamental to equine well-being, especially during times of disease outbreaks, natural disasters, in cases of theft, and to protect against fraud.
•GR1215.3 (033-22) – Requiring Adequate Rest for Horses at Competitions
•In the interest of health and the wellbeing of the horse, minimal lighting and noise are mandated at all licensed competitions for a minimum of six consecutive hours overnight. The USEF Human and Equine Safety & Welfare Committee proposed this rule change to assist in allowing horses adequate rest and REM sleep which are necessary to avoid undue stress and impaired performance.
•HJ106.2 (247-22) – Horse Identification While on Competition Grounds
•A rule change mandating that all horses on the grounds of hunter, jumper, and hunter/jumper competitions have a competition-issued back number either attached to the horse or to the person riding, handling, or exercising the horse at all times while in a schooling, lunging, or exercise area. The requirement, originally proposed by USHJA, represents a safety measure, and will aid significantly in identification and well-being efforts on the part of both horses and humans.
•EQ104.1, HU100.1 & JP102.2 (249-22) – Excessive Lunging
•Excessive lunging; lunging a visibly exhausted or obviously lame horse; and excessive, disruptive, or otherwise inappropriate use of a lunge whip has now been added to the list of prohibited acts under the Horse Welfare rules for hunters, jumpers, and hunter/jumping seat equitation.
•As the number of horses or competition rings increases, the number of instances where a Steward, Technical Delegate, or Certified Schooling Supervisor is needed also increases. In order for Stewards, Technical Delegates, and Certified Schooling Supervisors to properly complete their designated duties, the number of licensed officials required during a compeition will be increased as necessary to better align with the total number of horses competing and the number competition rings being utilized.
•GR1215.5 (045-22) – Barn/Temporary Stabling Identification
•All permanent barn structures and temporary stabling on competition grounds must have clearly visible identification, such as numbers, letters, or names. This rule further supports equine (and human) safety and wellbeing, as it will allow medical personnel, veterinarians, stewards, safety coordinators, etc. to respond to emergency or general stabling situations promptly.
Human Athlete/Participant Safety & Welfare
•GR848.6 (032-22) – Return to Competition Protocols
•Licensed Physical Assistants and Nurse Practitioners are added to the list of individuals authorized to provide medical clearance for return to competition following an individual’s suspected head injury or concussion.
•GR801.2 (030-22) – Helmet Certification
•The USEF Board approved the expansion of acceptable international testing standards for protective headgear at USEF licensed competitions. A full list of acceptable standards will be made available on the USEF website before Dec. 1, 2023.
Fairness/Level Playing Field
•GR1304.1 (049-22) – Conflict of Interest Rules for Licensed Officials
•The conflict-of-interest rules for USEF Licensed Officials will become consistent across all breeds and disciplines and the nature of conflicts of interest will be better clarified.
Hunter/Jumper - Expanded Competition Opportunities
•GR310.1 (044-22) – USEF Lite Competition License for Hunter/Jumper
•In the interest of increasing access to USEF competitions, the USEF Lite license has been expanded to include hunter/jumper equestrians and competition organizers hosting entry-level competitions. USEF Lite competitions provide a safe, fair, and accessible environment for competitors and offer competition organizers a user-friendly and affordable option that offers the same benefits and protections as a Regular licensed competition with reduced barriers and lower costs.
USEF AR110.4 – Combined ownership rules
e. Combined ownership is permitted in Owner’s or Amateur Owner’s classes. As per GR142.4 combined ownership is permitted in Junior Owner’s or Amateur Owner’s classes under the following conditions:
1. Two distinct non-family owners may co-own a horse and show that horse in Junior Owner or Amateur Owner classes except that no family member of a professional may enter into this relationship. ‘Non family owners’ are defined as two distinct individuals who are not related as family as defined by the Federation or Equestrian Canada.
2. A Horse that is co-owned by the two distinct non-family owners must be registered with Arabian Horse Registry of America, Half Arabian Horse Registry, Anglo Arabian Horse Registry, Canadian Arabian Horse Registry or Canadian Partbred Arabian Registry, or other registry approved by the Arabian Horse Association as an “and” ownership relationship. An “or” ownership relationship does not enable two distinct non-family owners to show in Junior Owner’s or Amateur Owner’s classes.
3. The right to show horses in Junior Owner or Amateur Owner classes when there are two distinct non family owners registered as the owners of said horse, does not extend to the family of these distinct non family owners.
4. In order to show in Junior Owner or Amateur Owner classes both distinct non-family owners must be members of the Federation or Equestrian Canada and hold valid amateur cards or be juniors or a combination of amateur and junior.
5. Both distinct non-family owners must be individuals, no Farm or Corporation co-owned horses are eligible.
6. No family member of a distinct non-family owner may receive any remuneration in relation to the co-owned horse as defined in SUBCHAPTER 13-B AMATEURS AND PROFESSIONALS (or Equestrian Canada equivalent).
7. Horses co-owned by more than two distinct non-family owners cannot be shown in Junior Owner or Amateur Owner classes.
8. If the co-ownership relationship is terminated, that horse is not eligible to be co-owned by another distinct non family person for the remainder of that show year as defined by the Federation. The remaining owner and their family members are eligible to show in Junior Owner or Amateur Owner classes.
9. A horse that is co-owned by the two distinct non-family members cannot be shown in a Maturity and Jackpot classes at any AHA National Championship show.
Also, Refer to USEF GR 142 Owner’s Classes and GR 123 Family definitions
GKCAHA Delegates Mike Grimm and Helen Alfaro attended the AHA Annual Convention in Myrtle Beach, SC November 9-12, during the week of a rainy tropical storm passing through. Despite the chilly weather, we did enjoy a chilly walk on the beach, and a post-convention seaside lunch with two other delegates from Region 11. But more importantly, we engaged with hundreds of other delegates in voting on 14 resolutions that affect us and other Arabian horse enthusiasts throughout the AHA membership. We also participated (on the winning team) in a Trivia Night competition to benefit the Arabian Horsemen's Distress Fund. The event raised several thousand dollars for this charitable organization that provides financial relief for members of the Arabian horse community suffering catastrophic losses or injuries. On Friday evening during the Awards Banquet, we donned our show-ring attire and took part with several other AHA members in a fashion show to highlight a variety of riding disciplines.
Click the links below to view Convention highlights and resolution voting.