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Fifty years ago, a unique young horsewoman from Gainesville, Texas, had a dream of ombining the best of two horse worlds—a dream to create an organization that recognized horses with not only beautifully colored coats but also sound Western stock horse

conformation. Rebecca Tyler Lockhart couldn’t have imagined that her dream would grow into the second-largest equine breed registry in the world, registering over one million horses in its st ffty years alone.

APHA and its members celebrated this milestone in many forms throughout the course of the year.

To commemorate the association’s 50 th anniversary, American Paint Horse Association members were able to purchase a retro-style reproduction of the Certifcate of Registration for any registered Paint Horse, complete with APHA’s 50 th anniversary logo and hand-colored likeness of the horse. The historic reproduction certifcates are a nod back to the days when the horse’s markings were detailed on the document by hand. APHA founders and staff gathered on February 16, 2012, to honor and celebrate the offcial founding day of the 50-year-old association. The luncheon was held at the site of the former Curtwood Hotel, now a modern Chili’s restaurant, where organizational meetings were held over coffee in the early sixties. A historical marker is also planned for the site. The stories told during the Founders Luncheon focused on not just the horses, but also the people who had a vision for the association and a love of colorful horses.

Two very special limited-edition buckles were designed by APHA Offcial Silversmith Gist to commemorate the association’s 50 th anniversary, and were auctioned via eBay to raise more than $2,400 for the American Paint Horse Foundation. The winning bid on Buckle No. 1 was made by Toby Pippin of Marietta, Georgia. Toby is also a lifetime APHA member who owns and has shown her Paint Horses in numerous events and disciplines.

Judy Ford of Whitesboro, Texas, placed the winning bid on Buckle No. 50. An avid breeder, owner and exhibitor of Paint halter horses, Judy is a lifetime APHA member devoted to promoting her favorite breed of horses.

The two winners also received a gold leaf on the American Paint Horse Foundation’s Heritage Tree located at APHA headquarters to honor their contribution.

Friends, fans and supporters of Paint Horses had a unique opportunity to join the world’s second-largest equine breed association. The Golden Anniversary membership promotion began October 1 st and made joining the Paint community easier, faster and more attractive than ever before.

Joining the unparalleled collection of artwork displayed at APHA headquarters in Fort Worth is “Sustaining the Legacy,” an original colored-pencil illustration by noted equine artist Suanne Wamsley. The piece was specially commissioned to mark APHA’s 50 th anniversary. APHA released Fifty Years: A Golden Beginning, a book that chronicled the formation, progress and rapid growth of the breed and association. The book was written by APHA Distinguished Service Award Recipient Duke Neff and former APHA Executive Secretary and Paint Horse Journal founder Sam Ed Spence.