ASHA Convention, Youth Conference, Saddlebred Ball Set for Feb 14-16
Saturday, December 29, 2007
Lexington, Ky. – The American Saddlebred Horse Association's Annual Meeting and Youth Conference will be held Thursday – Friday, February 14-16 at the Embassy Suites in Lexington. The weekend ends with the annual Saddlebred Ball at Keeneland Race Course.
Open meetings and forums with committees begin Thursday, as is customary, and the Charter Club Council will also conduct a workshop. Thursday evening is highlighted by a Welcome Reception sponsored by the FEI & Emerging Disciplines Committee.
Friday features a pair of forums as well as the ASHA Awards Luncheon. Later in the evening, the youth arrive in droves for their conference, greeted with a pizza party, arts and crafts, a book signing by author and ASHA Youth member Sarah Hinds, and dancing – a DJ and a dance floor are set for Friday night.
Saturday offers the ASHA Open Members Forum and the Annual Members Luncheon. Also, the American Saddlebred Museum will host a book signing by the daughter of Saddlebred legend Art Simmons; Jane Simmons will autograph her new book chronicling the Simmons family. The Youth, following their Awards Breakfast, will head to Shelby County, Kentucky, also known as the “Saddle Horse Capital of the World,” for field trips to some Saddlebred farms. That will be followed by the Youth Awards Luncheon at the famous Claudia Sanders Dinner House.
The weekend’s grand finale is the Saddlebred Ball and Annual Prize Giving at Keeneland. This awards gala has grown over the years to become a quite a production. The awards ceremony is projected onto several jumbo screens, as are the video montages of award winners. An 18-piece band provides the ceremony’s soundtrack, then plays late into the evening once the ballroom floor opens up for dancing. This is the one night of the year when the Association honors the breed’s most important contributors and its brightest stars.
Official meeting materials will be mailed to all members the week of Monday, January 7, 2008. Registration forms for the Annual Meeting are available on the Association's Web site at http://www.saddlebred.com/files/2008amreg.pdf. Youth Conference registration forms are available at http://www.saddlebred.com/files/2008ycreg.pdf.
A custom web page has been made for ASHA convention attendees to book hotel rooms at the Embassy Suites. To receive the discounted rate of $118 per night, make reservations by clicking here. Reservations may also be made by contacting Embassy at 1-800-Embassy (1-800-362-2779) or 859-455-5000. The “Promotion/Offer Code” to receive the special $118 per night rate is ASH. Reservations must be made by Saturday, January 26 to receive the reduced rate.
2008 ASHA Annual Meeting & Youth Conference Schedule
Schedule is tentative. ASHA reserves the right to alter as needed.
All meetings are open unless otherwise designated.
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Time Event
8am–4:30pm Annual Meeting Registration
8am–4pm Saddlebred Ball Tickets & Seating Registration
8am–4:30pm Saddlebred Service Center
8am–9am Finance Committee
8am–8:45am Sweepstakes Committee
9am-9:45am Breeders Committee
9am-9:30am Hunter Discipline Committee
10am-8pm Vendor Area Open
10am-12pm Charter Club Workshop
10am-11am KY & National Futurity Committee
11:15am-12pm Grand National Committee
12pm-12:30pm State Futurities Committee
1pm-2pm Standards and Rules Committee
2pm–2:45pm Charter Club Council
3pm–4pm Ad Hoc Committee: Riding Schools & Instructor Certification
3pm–3:45pm Registry Committee (closed)
4pm–4:45pm Pleasure Disciplines Committee
4pm–5:30pm Advancement Committee
5pm–9pm Welcome Reception Sponsored by the FEI & Emerging Disciplines Committee
7pm–9pm ASHA Board of Directors Meeting (closed)
Friday, February 15, 2008
Time Event
8am–8pm Annual Meeting Registration
8am–4pm Saddlebred Ball Tickets & Seating Registration
8am–4:30pm Saddlebred Service Center
8am–9:30pm Vendor Area Open
9:30am–10:30am Youth Committee
9:30am–11:30am Amateur/Owner-Trainer Open Forum
10:30am–11:30am Auction Committee
11:30am–1pm ASHA Awards Luncheon
1pm–2pm Scholarship Committee
1:30pm–5pm Open Forum: Challenges and Opportunities for the American Saddlebred – Brainstorming the Future
2pm–4pm Youth Planning Committee
2:30pm–3pm Equine Welfare Committee
4pm–5pm FEI Disciplines Committee
4:30pm–8pm Book signing by Sarah Hinds
5pm–9pm Youth Conference Registration
5pm–9pm Youth Clothing Consignment Sale
6pm–7:30pm Youth Pizza Party
6pm–7:30pm Youth Activities
6:30pm–9pm American Saddlebred Museum unveiling of plans for expanded Showplace for Saddlebreds, Exhibit Opening and Reception – For the Love of a Horse: Children and Saddlebreds at the American Saddlebred Museum, Kentucky Horse Park
7:30pm–9pm Youth Dance Party
Saturday, February 16, 2008
Time Event
7:30am–2pm Annual Meeting Registration
6:45am–7:45am Youth Awards Breakfast
8am–3pm Saddlebred Ball Tickets & Seating Registration
8am–9am Registry Board of Directors Meeting (closed)
8am–12pm Youth Clothing Consignment Sale
8am–11pm Vendor Area Open
8:30am–4:30pm Youth Field Trip to Saddlebred Farms in Shelbyville, KY
9:30am–11am Saddlebred Breeders & Owners Educational Forum
11am–12pm ASHA Open Members Forum
12pm–1pm ASHA Annual Members Luncheon/Keynote Speakers
12pm-4pm Jane Simmons Book Signing
12:15pm–1:30pm Youth Awards Luncheon at Claudia Sanders Restaurant in Shelbyville, KY
1:15pm–1:45pm ASHA Annual Meeting
2pm–2:30pm American Saddlebred Museum – Annual Membership Meeting
2:30pm–4:30pm American Saddlebred Museum – Board of Trustees Meeting (closed)
3:30pm–5:30pm ASHA Board of Directors Meeting (closed)
7pm–8pm Saddlebred Cocktail Reception at Keeneland Entertainment Center
8pm–11pm Saddlebred Ball at Keeneland Entertainment Center
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