Sooner Appaloosa Horse Club :: Sooner ApHC Press ::

~ Serving Northeast Oklahoma & Surrounding Areas ~

:: Sooner ApHC Press ::

"Mama’s Design and Erica Halterman Named
The 2008 Champion Trail Horse of Oklahoma"

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During the weekend of February 8, 2008, the Oklahoma Horse Fair, with representatives from both coasts and both borders, came to Duncan, OK. Ranch horse and barrel racing events as well as a new competition, a trail horse competition, entertained the spectators and featured outstanding prizes.

Erica Halterman, a 14 year old who lives in Duncan, OK, riding an 8 year old chestnut Appaloosa mare named Mama’s Design (aka Bridget), negotiated the obstacles better than 20 other competitors and took home a new Titan 2 horse slant trailer with tack room, inscribed “The 2008 Champion Trail Horse of Oklahoma”. The trailer was awarded by Gary Loman, producer of the Oklahoma Horse Fair. Erica competed against Paints, Arabians and Quarter horses in a field of adults including her dad, Martin Halterman on the only other Appaloosa, Blazin Hot Sister, a 6 year old chestnut mare.

The course involved leading the horse into the arena, mounting up, loping a figure eight with flying lead change, a gate, a ditch and dirt hill that had to be crossed, putting on/ taking off a rain slicker, an elevated bridge leading to a pen of goats that had to be passed, a walk over logs (real tree trunks), a mailbox and backing through an L. “We knew that the goats would probably be there, so about a month ago we got a goat named Mickey, and our horses just love him”, said Valerie Halterman, Erica’s Mom. The judges also gave 1-5 additional points for the 5 fastest times, but Erica and Mama’s Design didn’t worry about the clock. Trail is not a speed event.

Friday night during a problem horse clinic, clinician Kerry Kuhn (who was one of the judges), talked about how he judged the mount of each trail horse. He was looking for a quiet horse that stood perfectly still until the rider was ready to go. Erica adjusted a stirrup, tucked in her shirt, rocked the saddle and then told Bridget by picking up the reins, “Let’s go”. Out of a total of 200 points, Erica and Bridget scored 186.

They just did what they practice all the time at home and what the judge told them to do, ”Show me that you have control of the horse and that you are working together as a team”.

With Bridget, Erica is the current 12-14 Age Division State of Oklahoma 4H Trail Champion, placed 15th in the Sr. Open Trail Class at the 2007 Appaloosa World in Ft. Worth, and was awarded the 2006 and 2007 “Horse of the Year” from the Sooner Appaloosa Club. The family belongs to the Oklahoma Appaloosa Horse Club where both she and Martin are directors, the Sooner Appaloosa Horse Club and this year they will belong to and attend shows on the DalWorth circuit, also.

"Sooner ApHC is awarded The 2007
ApHC President's Award of Appreciation"

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As we were preparing for the October show, a package arrived from the ApHC. Thinking it was something for the silent auction benefit, I brought the box in the house and continued with other tasks. During a break, I remembered the box and decided to see what the ApHC sent.

The handwriting on the outside of the box said, "Dual Towers - Jade Crystal". What could this be? Then, I noticed a packing slip and opened it. To my surprise, it said, "Sooner ApHC, 2007 President's Award"! I began to open the box and the layers and layers of bubble wrap.

I could not believe my eyes, it was so beautiful! The prisms caught the sun and sent rainbows of color all over the room. Wow, I had to tell someone, so I called Jim Chronister. Then, I made a post to the Sooner BOD list. What a wonderful gesture! The inscription reads, "2007 President's Award of Appreciation for promoting the Appaloosa Horse and outstanding service to the ApHC."

The award traveled to the October show, to let Sooner members and exhibitors see our award and it will travel to the Annual Meeting, so that the membership can get a closer look. We would like to thank Merida McClanahan for nominating the Sooner club to receive this honor. The members of Sooner ApHC would like to thank the parent club for recognizing us in such a meaningful way.

* Award photo by Gerry Lukacik

:: October, 2007 - Appaloosa Journal ::

"Appaloosas on the Road"
Marketing - Page 67
~ Used with permission of the Journal ~

Click on cover to visit Chocolatey's web site.

If there's an equine event going on, the Appaloosa Horse Club wants to be there! Check out the events below to see where we're going and where we've been.

August was a busy month with two major open-breed equine shows. The ApHC was represented by one of Oklahoma's finest regional clubs at the following events:

* Reichert Celebration in Tulsa, Oklahoma, hosted by the Sooner ApHC
* NSBA World Championship in Tulsa, Oklahoma, hosted by the Sooner ApHC. Thank you, devoted Sooner ApHC members, for your hard work and dediction to the Appaloosa breed! Your efforts are very much appreciated.

You'll find ApHC representatives at the following major events in October:

* FFA National Convention: October 24-27 in Indianapolis, Indiana, at the Indiana State Fairgrounds
* Virginia Equine Extravaganza: October 26-28 in Richmond, Virginia, at the Richmond Raceway Complex

From the Webmaster: As one of the Sooner members that worked the Reichert show, it was a pleasure for me to see Chocolatey in the big warmup arena. In a sea of sorrell and bay, with the occasional gray or palomino, Chocolatey's big blanket shown like a star. No one had to ask what breed of horse he was. It was plain to see he was all Appaloosa!

"Apps Help Raise Funds for Therapeutic
Riding Center at Coffee Creek"

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On March 10th, 2007, Appaloosa horses helped raise money for the Therapeutic Riding Center at Coffee Creek by posing in their finery with the members of the Oklahoma International Rainbow for Girls.

The event took place in Lawton, OK, and was hosted by the Rainbow Girls from Lawton, Duncan and Ada. Girls from all over the state arrived in their formals and finery and paid one dollar to pose with Bridget (Mama’s Design) and Sister (Blazin Hot Sister). All funds raised were presented to Miss Keeci Gammon, the Grand Worthy Advisor for Oklahoma Rainbow, for her state service project, the Riding Center at Coffee Creek. This center helps physically and mentally handicapped children by teaching them to ride. Keeci is a former Rodeo Queen from Seiling, OK, and also loves horses.

As Mother Advisor for the Duncan Rainbow Girls, Valerie Halterman saw a great opportunity to "combine our horses and this service-oriented Masonic organization for young ladies, ages 11-20. Our Apps were great ambassadors for this special project. Many of the Rainbow girls had never been near a horse, but they really enjoyed petting them and couldn’t believe that we could actually put them in costume.”

The horses (pictured here with Erica Halterman), who stood in the parking lot in their tiaras, diamond necklaces and feather boas, were Mama’s Design (Bridget on the left) – owned and shown by Erica Halterman and Blazin Hot Sister (Sister on the right) – owned and shown by Martin Halterman, both of Duncan, OK.

Erica Halterman is an officer of Duncan Assembly No. 105 and a member of the State of Oklahoma’s Memorial Team. The Haltermans are members of the National ApHC and both the Oklahoma ApHC and Sooner ApHC, regional Appaloosa clubs in Oklahoma.

From the Webmaster: Mama's Design, owned and shown by Erica Halterman, was the Sooner ApHC's "Horse of the Year" for 2006. The mare was the first to win the award in its 5 year existence. The second place horse, by one point, was Blazin Hot Sister, owned and shown by Erica's dad, Martin.

:: Pre-release ::

"Jim & Donna Chronister"
Appaloosa President's Award of Achievement - 2006

Jim and Donna Chronister receive the Appaloosa
President's Award of Achievement.

The Appaloosa Horse Club honored Donna and Jim Chronister of Pryor, Oklahoma, with the “Appaloosa Horse Club President’s Award of Achievement”, April 15, 2006, in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Presented by National Director, Debby Letham, this award is given to only eight individuals nation-wide and is in recognition for their untiring promotion of the Appaloosa breed for more than thirty-five years.

The Chronisters have been involved in every aspect of the breed including, racing, horse shows, trail rides, breeding and clinics. They have owned and bred World, National and Regional Champions and a number of “Register Of Merit" earners. Jim served twenty years as the Appaloosa Superintendent at the Tulsa State Fair and was instrumental in the development of a $10,000 Halter Futurity, a $5,000 Matched Roping and the presentation of Appaloosa history in a pageant of color and costume. Donna and Jim have served Regional Appaloosa Clubs in many capacities over the years. Jim is well known in the Mid–West as an announcer.

The Appaloosa Horse Club is the International Registry for Appaloosa Horses and is headquartered in Moscow, Idaho.

From the Webmaster: The spots displayed on this page are from the Chronisters' horses; Haza Chance (left spots), gelding featured in the article below and Best Hazzard (right spots), a full sister, shown in the Mares section of this site.

:: July, 2003 - Appaloosa Journal ::

"Winning Colours"
Americana Appaloosa Futurity
Post Parade Pageantry - Page 55
by Michelle Anderson
~ Used with permission of the Journal ~

Miss Indian Rodeo America Tahnee Harjo represents the Appaloosa's American
Indian heritage.

Fair Meadows Downs selected the Americana Appaloosa Futurity for its April 12, 2003, featured race. Racehorse owner Victoria Ennis of Kingston, Oklahoma, excited by the race's prominent position on the racing form, wanted to draw even more attention to the Americana by making it an event.

She networked with the Oklahoma regional clubs to provide Miss Indian Rodeo America, Tahnee Harjo, with a colored horse to lead the Americana's post parade. Carol Johnson of Inola, president of the Sooner regional club, volunteered her time to bring Haza Chance, a 9 year-old gelding owned by Jim Chronister of Pryor, for Tahnee to ride.

Before competing for her title, 24 year-old Tahnee had never taken professional horseback riding lessons. To prepare for the Miss Indian Rodeo America pageant, she started riding at Letham Stables in Yukon, (Oklahoma) owned by Appaloosa judge John Letham and his wife, ApHC board member, Debby Letham.

The coordination of the Americana's post parade brought together show and racing owners to celebrate the breed, Carol says. She hopes the regional clubs can do even more in the future to show their support of racing.

"It was good publicity and emphasized the history of the breed," Carol adds. "It gave people at the race a chance to see these beautiful Appaloosas and for us to get some positive representation."

Tahnee and Chance get acquainted before the Americana's post parade

Haza Chance leads the post parade with Miss Indian Rodeo America
Tahnee Harjo aboard. Owner Jim Chronister provided the gelding
with the help of Sooner ApHC president Carol Johnson.
Photo by Gene Wilson and Associates.

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