Qualifications for Distance Program:

1) Credit for mileage will not be given nor will records of miles completed be kept on any eligible horse until it is enrolled in the distance program. To enroll a horse, a program application must be completed and returned to the ApHC along with a one time filing fee of $25 per horse. Your ApHC membership fees must also be paid for the qualifying year. No mileage earned prior to the date of enrollment will count.

All Appaloosas must be ApHC regular (#), CPO (CN) or have been issued a Performance Permit prior to the qualifying year and must be a minimum of five years old. (There is no limit on rider's age or that of owners and breeders.)

2. Owner(s) of horse(s) enrolled in the ApHC Distance Program must be a current member of the ApHC. (If owned by more than one person, one owner must be an active ApHC member.)

3. Breeders need not be active ApHC members unless the owner and breeder are the same person or persons. However, in order for the breeder(s) to be eligible to receive the ApHC distance breeder’s medallion, they must have been active ApHC members during the breeding season (the year the dam was bred).

4. Ride results must be recorded on official forms provided by and available from the ApHC.

• It is the riders and/or owners sole responsibility to provide official results for the competitive and endurance rides they participate in. Riders must also keep their own results recorded in the ApHC medallion log to be turned into the ApHC at the end of the ride season. Logs will be double-checked against official ride results for accuracy.

• All ride results and ApHC medallion logs showing the required number of miles must be accompanied by a photo of the horse and must be received by the ApHC on or before December 15 for mileage completed in the same year. Extensions to the date can only be made at the discretion of the Distance Coordinator following a written request.

• If you are striving to earn the Chief Joseph Commemorative Award, there is a "Chief Joseph Commemorative Award Log" to be used for recording each of your 10 endurance and 10 competitive rides. To participate for the Chief Joseph Award, you must be an active member of the ApHC and each Appaloosa used must be enrolled in the distance program. All rules and deadlines of the distance program apply.

• Rides sanctioned by the American Endurance Ride Conference (AERC), Great Lakes Distance Riding Assn. (GLDRA), Upper Midwest Endurance and Competitive Ride Assn. (UMECRA), Washington State Horseman, Inc. (WSH), International Arabian Horse Association (IAHA) Ohio Arabian and All Breed Trail Society (OAATS), Ohio Arabian Horse Assn. (OAHA), Appaloosa Distance Riders Association (ApDRA), North American Trail Ride Conference (NATRC), Eastern Competitive Trail Rider Assoc. (ECTRA), Southeastern Distance Riders Assoc. (SEDRA), Texas Endurance Riders Assoc. (TERA), Dutch Endurance Riders (DER), and Netherlands Noreniging Lande Afstands Ruiters (NVLR) are approved by the ApHC. The ApHC also reserves the right to approve any other distance ride it deems suitable.
  
  Note: ApHC Distance Program awards may vary from year to year. Owners and breeders must notify the ApHC, within a year of qualification, if an earned award was not received.
  

• If you are workingtoward the ROM for ApHC sponsored trail rides, a log will be included in your ride packet or at the check in, when you arrive at the trail ride. This log must be signed, after the miles have been entered each day, by the trail ride manager, in order for the miles to count toward the ROM.

AWARDS:

1. Medallion - Distance medallions are awarded annually to horses completing 350 miles in open competitive and open endurance rides within one-year prior beginning December 1 and ending November 30 the following year. Endurance rides of 50 miles or more will count; novice rides of less than 50 will not count. Competitive rides of 25 total miles in the open division will count; any ride less than 25 total miles will not count.

• "Best of Condition" and “Sweepstakes” winners should be noted, as double mileage is given for these special awards.

• Although a horse may compete in both endurance and competitive rides, medallion mileage from one cannot be added to the other for the required total. A horse may earn multiple distance medallions; he can receive one or more for endurance and competitive.

• The large medallion award goes to the horse: smaller replicas are presented to the owner and breeder if applicable. Only one owner medallion and one breeder medallion per qualifying horse will be awarded regardless of the number of co-owners or co-breeders.

2. 1,000 Mile Award - This award is for the endurance or competitive Appaloosa. It is awarded every 1,000 miles to horses completing mileage in approved endurance or competitive rides. Mileage from one category does not count toward the other.

• This award was designed to encourage the serious, conscientious rider, and to recognize those Appaloosas able to reach a high level of performance in the distance field. Mileage is carried over from year-to-year for total mileage accrued.

• The same rides approved for a medallion will also count for 1,000-mile credit.

• Mileage accrued during a novice ride will not count, and no double mileage will be given.

3. Chief Joseph Commemorative Award - this will be given for successful completion of 1,000 saddle log hours, 10 approved endurance rides and 10 approved competitive rides.

• During the accumulation of the endurance and competitive rides you must be an active participant of the ApHC Distance Program (see "Qualifications" section). Novice rides and bonus mileage for "Best of Condition", “Top Placing Appaloosa" or “Top Ten” will not count towards this award.

4. Register of Merit Award - An Appaloosa enrolled in the Distance Program may earn a Register of Merit by completing 250 miles of approved open endurance, open limited distance and open competitive trail rides, separate or combined, consisting of rides 25 miles or longer, over the lifetime of the horse. The horse must be at least 5 years old to be eligible. At least one owner must be a member of the ApHC and miles cannot be retroactive.

5. Year-End High-Mileage Awards

• Double miles will be given for "Best of Condition" and “Sweepstakes” winners.

• A minimum of 350 miles in competitive and/or 350 miles in endurance must be completed before the award will be given.

• Mileage ties will be broken by presenting the award to the horse with the highest number of actual rides.

• High-Mileage Endurance Appaloosa Award - To be presented to the horse enrolled in the ApHC Distance Program completing the highest number of miles in approved open endurance rides within a calendar year.

• High-Mileage Competitive Appaloosa Award - To be presented to the horse enrolled in the ApHC Distance Program completing the highest number of miles in approved open competitive rides within a calendar year.

• High-Mileage Appaloosa of the Year Award - to be presented to the horse enrolled in the ApHC Distance Program completing the highest total combined miles in approved open endurance and competitive rides within a calendar year.

• ROM-400 Miles-ApHC Trail Rides - To be presented to the horse enrolled in the ApHC Distance Program completing 400 miles participating in any of four ApHC Sponsored Trail Rides.

Note: ApHC Distance Program awards may vary from year to year. Owners and breeders must notify the ApHC, within a year of qualification, if an earned award was not received.

For further information regarding the above program, please contact:

Appaloosa Horse Club
Distance Coordinator
2720 Pullman Road,
Moscow, ID 83843
(208) 882-5578 ext. 221
trailrides@appaloosa.com

Distance Program Application