FORT WORTH, Texas— The American Paint Horse Association recently offered $5,000 to Regular Registry and Solid Paint-Bred Paint Horses participating in the United States Team Roping Championships (USTRC) National Finals of Team Roping Competition, held October 20-28 in Oklahoma City.

In order to be eligible for the APHA cash payouts, Paint Horse owners were required to enter their horse in the “Catch For Cash” incentive, offered by APHA, prior to roping. In order to enter, the horse was required to be registered with APHA and the owner of the horse had to have a current membership. The money from APHA was presented to the highest money-earning Paint Horse in each division—Open, Amateur, Novice and All Girl. The association registered a total of 71 Paint Horses for the incentive.

“APHA has offered incentive money at this event for many years,” said Paint Program Coordinator Jessica McGuirk. “Watching the number of registered Paint Horses competing in these types of event continue to grow year after year is exciting for the association. We are proud to recognize outstanding Paint Horses competing in outside competitive events.”

USTRC ranks their competitors on a number system based on total earnings. The Open division consisted of those roping in the Open and #15; the Amateur division represented #13, #12 and #11 ropers; and Novice ropers were entered in the #10, #9 and #8. The highest money earning Paint Horse in each of these divisions received $1,500 from APHA in addition to the money paid by USTRC.

In the Open division, Clear Shot, a 10-year-old black tobiano gelding earned the $1,500. The gelding is owned and was ridden by Cody McMinn of Caddo Mills, Texas. The duo placed second in round three and first in round four of the Roper Outerwear US Open, earning $4,500 from USTRC.

Theresa Paulman of Terra Bella, Calif., rode her 12-year-old sorrel tobiano mare, Ikes Nayla, to the top of the Amateur division. Together, Paulman and Ikes Nayla earned the most money of any Paint Horse team entered in the Catch for Cash incentive—roping in a total of $14,850 from USTRC. They placed third in the #11 preliminary earning $6,450 and ninth in the #11 shoot-out earning $8,400.

The third incentive prize ended in a tie, but the money was kept in the family. Father and son team, Marc and Marcus Banister of Brighton, Colo., teamed up to earn the incentive money in the Novice division by winning $3,700 each from USTRC. Together they placed sixth in the #9 preliminary. Marc roped off the 16-year-old bay tobiano mare Sacred Revival and Marcus teamed up with SI Masters Promise, an 8-year-old brown tobiano gelding. Both Paint Horses are owned by Marcus.   APHA offered an additional $500 to the top Paint Horse in the Cruel Girl All Girl competition. However, due to tough luck, the qualified Paint Horses did not make it to the final round, and the money in this division was not paid out.   USTRC awarded more than $5.5 million in cash and prizes and the event featured approximately 8,500 teams, roping on more than 3,000 horses. According to the Oklahoma City Fairground management, the National Finals of Team Roping is the largest horse event in Oklahoma City.

More about APHA Currently, American Paint Horses are being registered at APHA’s Fort Worth, Texas, headquarters at a rate of about 40,000 horses each year. APHA has registered nearly 900,000 horses in 49 nations and territories since it was founded 45 years ago, and now serves approximately 100,000 active members around the world. Among its many activities, APHA works to preserve bloodlines and maintain the outstanding characteristics of the American Paint Horse breed.