Requirements:

Horses eligible for the awards must be registered with KMHA. This is a lifetime registration. Please fill in the Registration form on-line, print and mail to KMHA along with a copy of the AMHA registration documentation and the nomination fee for each nominated Morgan.

Owner, Breeder and Sire Owner must all be members of KMHA at time of the award.

The Kentucky Morgan Horse Association has developed a Morgan horse breeders’ incentive program that is structured to promote growth in every sector of the Morgan horse market. The number of awards has been limited to assure that each award carries a significant dollar amount. The Kentucky Morgan Horse Breeders Incentive Program is an economic development program. Therefore, the awards program is focused specifically on those Kentuckians who are building businesses, paying taxes, and employing workers based on a Morgan horse operation. These businesses primarily stand stallions, breed mares, and train show horses which are sold around the country.

The American Morgan Horse Association has certified that 1,166 Morgan horses (25 years of age or younger) are registered to Kentucky residents as of October 5, 2011. This number may slightly under-represent the total census of Morgan horses residing in Kentucky because those Morgans boarded on Kentucky farms, but owned by out-of-state residents are not captured in this number.

Definition of Kentucky-bred Morgan Horse

Consistent with the language of KRS 230.804, Kentucky-bred Morgan horses are those AMHA registered pure-bred Morgan horses bred (by live cover or artificial insemination) and foaled in Kentucky.

Program Objectives:

• Establish Kentucky as the premier venue for production of registered Morgan horses.
• Increase census of Morgan horses residing in the Commonwealth of Kentucky.
• Increase revenue for Kentucky’s breeding, boarding, and training stable/farm operators by providing unprecedented annual monetary awards to qualified Kentucky-bred Morgan competition horses.
• Increase market share for Kentucky-bred registered Morgan horses by providing incentives to key market segments, e.g. class A Morgan breed competitors, Morgan horses competing in open (all breed) USEF sanctioned events, Morgan horses competing in Kentucky State Fair eligible competitions.

Kentucky Morgan Horse Breeders' Incentive Fund Award Distribution Plan:

Award Categories

 

• Morgan Breed (limited) Competitions:

  Morgan horse breeders obtain the highest prices from sales of top quality show horses (finished competition horses and show prospects), and from related income sources such as board of broodmares with and without foals, foaling services, stallion board and services, and show horse board and training. Morgan horse shows and Morgan horse classes in other AMHA and USEF sanctioned horse shows provide venues for Morgan horses to compete in a broad array of disciplines. High point awards will be granted to eligible Kentucky-bred Morgan horses in any performance category recognized by the American Morgan Horse Association for world championship status. The following performance divisions are eligible:

  1. Carriage Driving
  2. Classic Pleasure Driving
  3. Classic Pleasure Saddle
  4. Dressage
  5. English Pleasure
  6. Hunter Pleasure
  7. In-Hand
  8. Park Harness
  9. Park Saddle
  10. Pleasure Driving
  11. Western Pleasure
  12. Roadster to Bike
  13. Roadster under Saddle
  14. English Trail
  15. Western Trail
  16. Jumper
  17. Working Hunter
  18. Reining

   

• Open (all-breed) Competitions:

  In order to recognize and promote the Morgan horse as a breed of choice for all breed (open) competitions, high point awards will be granted to "open" competition categories sanctioned by the American Morgan Horse Association for which USEF points are collected. These awards encourage purchasers to prefer the Kentucky-bred Morgan horse for open competition. This should increase market share for the Kentucky-bred Morgan horse at the local, regional, and national levels. Eligible divisions include the following:

  1. Jumper
  2. Hunter
  3. Eventing
  4. Endurance
  5. Dressage
  6. Reining
  7. Vaulting
  8. Combined Driving
  9. Carriage Pleasure Driving
  10. Western
  11. Parade

   

• Kentucky Association of Fairs and Horse Shows (KAFHS) Participation Award:

  The tractable, "people-oriented" temperaments of Morgan horses combine with their natural athleticism and stamina to make them among the best breeds for family enjoyment. KMHA offers this annual award with the dual objectives of recognizing and rewarding the best Kentucky-bred Morgan horses selected for family pleasure, and promoting and supporting the Kentucky County Fair and State Fair horse shows. Further, as this award becomes established among county fair enthusiasts, potential purchasers of family pleasure horses will begin to think "Kentucky-bred Morgan" for future equine partnerships, a direct benefit to breeders of family pleasure Morgan horses.

Scoring Method: In order to establish a reliable, understandable scoring system, the KMHA will rely on points reported by independent national organizations (American Morgan Horse Association, United States Equestrian Federation), and the Kentucky Association of Fairs and Horse Shows (KAFHS).

• Winners will be determined by year-end point calculations provided by the United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) and the Kentucky Association of Fairs and Horse Shows (KAFHS).
• This program uses the point system developed by the American Morgan Horse Association as described in the rules of the United States Equestrian Federation (USEF), General Rules, Chapter 11, GR1134 of the USEF rule book; or as reported by USEF or the KAFHS for open competitions.
• Points are awarded to first through fourth place horses in any sanctioned Morgan class (limited to registered Morgan entries).
• Points earned in classes with two or more entries are eligible for inclusion.

Percentage Distribution Formula:

• Ninety five (95) percent of the annual KHBIF will be prorated among winners in competition divisions described in sections A and B above.
• Five (5) percent will be awarded to the high point KAFHS competitor.
• All awards will be paid 75% to horse owner, 25% to breeder.

Eligibility:

• Registered Morgan horses bred and foaled in the State of Kentucky, in the years 2001 or later, are eligible for fund distributions according to the distribution guidelines contained herein.
• Award recipients must be members in good standing of the Kentucky Morgan Horse Association, the American Morgan Horse Association, and the United States Equestrian Federation or KAFHS.

Rules:

• In order to earn competition points under this program, all competitors must fully comply with the rules of the sanctioning national or state organizations governing the contest: AMHA, USEF, KAFHS.
• Horses must be nominated to the Kentucky Morgan Horse Breeders Incentive Program by September 1 of the competition year.
• Proof of registration and ownership are required.
• In the event of a tie in any division, funds for tied places will be combined and divided equally among division winners.
• Funds that cannot be distributed under the rules established above will be returned to the overall fund pool and prorated among all other award categories.

Effect of this program on the economic development of the Morgan horse in Kentucky.

The Kentucky Morgan horse industry is well established and positioned to use breeders incentive funds to make a positive economic impact on our breed. There is no state in the union that can offer more than Kentucky to a show horse breeder. The Kentucky Morgan Horse Breeders' Incentive Program enhances the historical and economic infrastructure for horse breeders and related businesses in the Commonwealth.

ASK A QUESTION ABOUT THE BREEDERS INCENTIVE AWARDS