With 2009 well underway, so are the preparations for this year’s Grand National Championship Show. In an attempt to encompass both the heritage of the Paso Fino and also what it means here in the United States, the theme for 2009 will be “Espiritu Unificado: One Horse, One Goal, One Community.” PFHA is a melting pot of cultures and people who have one goal in mind: the success and well-being of the Paso Fino horse. Now is the time we unite in celebration of our special breed and truly embrace our common bond.

With the current state of our economy, we have all felt the squeeze and unfortunately, this also has affected our National Show facility, the Georgia Agricenter and Fairgrounds. In 2009, the Georgia facility will no longer offer pre-bedding for equine and livestock stalls. We have included an order form for shavings in your 2009 Prize List and additional shavings will continue to be available for purchase at the show. To avoid delay when you arrive on the Show grounds, please preorder sufficient shavings when sending your show entries.

Your National Show theme logo will soon be unveiled online and upon the arrival of your Show brochure, scheduled for delivery in mid March. Also inside your brochure, you’ll find information on Class and Farm Sponsorships including a 10 percent discount program for early Farm Sponsorship payment.

In efforts to continue our Association with “going green,” your Prize List will be available for web site download and your Show brochure will include a mail-in card to request the Prize List be mailed to you. The card request for a mailed Prize List needs to be to your PFHA office no later than April 20.

Our landscaping expert, Steve Gray, has again agreed to join our National Show team and provide us with his creative landscaping design. He is conveniently located in the Perry area and if you wish to contact him for assistance with your personal stall décor, he can be reached at Crossroads Landscape Designs Inc., (478) 952-3839. With advance reservation of at least three weeks prior to the Show, he and his team of designers are ready to assist you with a variety of greenery, flowering plants, fountains and custom ornamentation.

There will be more updates on your National Show as our planning process continues. At this time, I wish to express my sincere appreciation to all the new and returning volunteers that are donating their time to serve our Paso Fino community and help to ensure we have the best possible 2009 Grand National Championship Show.

Respectfully,

Gwyn Wright. Chairperson