EuroPaint Remains the Crown Jewel of APHA’s 2025 Top 20 Shows

 

By Jessica Hein, PHJ News:

The European Paint Horse Championships, affectionately known as “EuroPaint,” has once again claimed the top spot on APHA’s 2025 Top 20 Shows list. Taking place in Rieden, Germany, and sponsored by the Zone 12 Coordinating Committee, EuroPaint continues to set the benchmark for excellence, drawing the largest number of horses per judge among all APHA-approved events. With 251 horses and 1,376 entries, EuroPaint’s reputation as the premier international Paint Horse event remains unchallenged.

APHA congratulates our 2025 Top 20 Shows, as well as their dedicated producers, sponsors, managers, secretaries and exhibitors. The list features a mix of longstanding events and those that are new to the mix. All demonstrated impressive turnout in terms of horses and entries in 2025. These events have earned use of the prestigious APHA Top 10 or Top 20 show logos, recognizing their outstanding contributions to the Paint Horse community.

 

2025 Top 20 Shows

Rank	Show	Location	Date	Horses	Entries	AvgEnt/Hr	2024 Rank	Type	Adjoining show
1	European Paint Horse Championships sponsored by Zone 12 Coordinating Committee	Rieden, GM	8/23	251	1,376	5	1	5 ZOR
2	Paint the Future sponsored by Texas PHC	Waco, TX	4/10	155	780	5	5	4 POR
3	Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo Paint Horse Show sponsored by Southwestern Expo & Stock Show	Fort Worth, TX	1/27	152	718	5	4	4 POR
4	German Paint Horse Championship sponsored by Paint Horse Club Germany	Kreuth, GM	7/17	148	793	5	16	4 POR
5	Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo sponsored by HLSR	Houston, TX	3/15	143	755	5	11	3 POR
6	Zone 2 ZOR sponsored by Zone 2 Coordinating Committee	Las Vegas, NV	5/7	135	685	5	3	6 ZOR x 4 POR	APHA Zone 2 POR sponsored by Silver State PHC (135/631)
7	Zone 9 Southern Classic sponsored by Zone 9 Coordinating Committee	Ocala, FL	2/20	131	750	5	9	6 ZOR
8	Show of the Year #1 sponsored by California PHA	Rancho Murieta, CA	4/23	131	664	5	6	4 POR x 4 POR	Show of the Year #2 sponsored by California PHA (129/590)
9	Copper Country sponsored by Arizona PHC	Scottsdale, AZ	1/1	130	632	5	12	4 POR
10	Copper Country sponsored by Arizona PHC	Scottsdale, AZ	12/29	127	570	4	7	4 POR
11	Hearts and Flowers sponsored by Gulf Coast PHC & Texas PHC	Waco, TX	2/13	123	654	5	10	4 POR
12	Spring Fling Part 1 sponsored by Arizona PHC	Scottsdale, AZ	3/27	122	572	5	–	2 Judge x 2Judge	Spring Fling Part 2 sponsored by Arizona PHC (98/564)
13	Fall Color Classic sponsored by Michigan PHC	East Lansing, MI	10/31	118	659	6	–	4 POR
14	Margarita Classic sponsored by South Texas PHC	Waco, TX	11/14	113	544	5	–	4 POR
15	Zone One – The Big Paint Show sponsored by Zone 1 Coordinating Committee	Nampa, ID	8/6	112	673	6	14	6 ZOR x 4 POR	Summer Spectacular sponsored by Inland Northwest PHC (108/624)
16	Buckeye Bonanza sponsored by Ohio PHC	Wilmington, OH	7/26	109	561	5	15	4 POR
17	Palmetto Classic sponsored by Palmetto PHC	Camden, SC	10/4	103	571	6	–	4 POR
18	Carolina Cash #1 sponsored by Palmetto PHC	Camden, SC	3/28	100	613	6	–	4 POR x 2-Judge	Carolina Cash #2 sponsored by Palmetto PHC (100/613)
19	Zone 4 Memorial Day Classic sponsored by Zone 4 Coordinating Committee	Waco, TX	5/29	99	565	6	17	4 ZOR
20	May Mane Event sponsored by Florida PHC	Ocala, FL	5/9	97	601	6	19	4 POR x 2 Judge	May Mane Event #2 sponsored by Florida PHC (97/601)