The Georgia Bulldogs have claimed the top spot for the eighth consecutive set of Farnam Team Rankings and remains the only team unbeaten this season. The SMU Mustangs drop down to No. 3 this week after a loss to an unranked South Carolina squad last Saturday, February 3rd. Texas A&M moves up to No. 2 and Auburn jumps up to No. 4 after going 1-1 last weekend on the road. Oklahoma State falls to No. 5 following a home loss to the Auburn Tigers.

– “Marked for Greatness” horseIQ Live—Saturday, March 3, 11 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. Hear from APHA Director of Judges David Dellin and APHA Judge Sandy Jirkovsky on Western Pleasure and Ranch Riding. Be sure to register for lunch served during the presentation.
– “Marked for Greatness” Equine Law for Horsemen—Sunday, March 4, 1 p.m. presented by APHA legal counsel Suzanne Radcliff.
– “Marked for Greatness” Genetics Presentation—Sunday, March 4, 2 p.m., Samantha A. Brooks, Ph.D, assistant professor of equine physiology from the University of Florida, will enlighten you with knowledge and research regarding Paint Horse genetics. Plan to get an education on genetics and all it has to offer the APHA.

Entries are due:
– March 15 for the AQHA Central Level 1 Championships; the show is April 10-14 in Oklahoma City
– March 15 for the AQHA West Level 1 Championships; the show is April 18-22 in Las Vegas
– April 1 for the Nutrena East AQHA Level 1 Championships; the show is May 2-6 in Wilmington, Ohio.
– April 20 for the AQHA Level 1 Cattle Championships; the show is June 13-17 in Guthrie, Oklahoma, and is held in conjunction with the 2018 Zoetis AQHA Versatility Ranch Horse World Championships and Zoetis AQHA Ranching Heritage Challenge Finals.

“Collegiate athletics is another step to teaching our young adults about teamwork. Once these students graduate and start working in the real world, athletes tend to be better managers, have better work ethics, work better with other employees and be leaders in their workforce. Being a collegiate athlete helps prepare our future leaders for the next step in their life.”

“We greatly appreciate the time and effort all of these judges have put into being great representatives of our Association,” Senior Director of Judges, Shows & Education David Dellin said.

“Our goal is to bring together an excellent roster of judges for the Level 1 Championships,” said Pete Kyle, AQHA chief show officer. “It is important for exhibitors to know they are being judged by the rules and by a highly qualified group of judges at each show.”

In Reining, the Frogs had a strong showing with sophomores Elena Hurd and Claire Dittrich and newcomers Adrianna Adams and Mackenzie Preston earning their points for TCU. Elena Hurd’s 71.5-point ride on Cash earned her the first MOP title of her career and was one of only three scores in the 70s; one other belonging to Dittrich. Her 71.5-point score is her career high in NCEA play. At the half, TCU led 8-2.

“This was a great win for us. It’s always nice to win on the road and to beat a team ranked in the top-five. This was a great accomplishment. I was thrilled with Louisa Brackett; she was MOP on the flat after only practicing flat tests for the last three weeks. I was also proud to see our veterans step up. Our reiners really set the tone; they gave us a lot of confidence after a shaky start. That made me proud. We should carry plenty of momentum from this win into the next two weeks, where we have opportunities to earn SEC wins at home. I’m looking forward to it.”– Head Coach Boo Major

The American Quarter Horse Association has an exciting line-up of events planned for 2018. Mark your calendars today with these tentative dates.

Don’t forget that the qualifying deadline for the 2018 NSBA World Championship Show is April 30th! Click here to view the qualification classes.