Plainview resident's American Paint Horse wins $10,450 Gillespie Paint Futurity

FORT WORTH, Texas—Moonpie Marauder, owned by Wendell Blankenship of Plainview, Texas, was first across the finish line in the $10,450 Gillespie Paint Futurity, held July 19, 2003 at Gillespie County Fairgrounds in Fredericksburg, Texas. The American Paint Horse mare, sired by Royal Shake Em AQHA outran 9 other horses in the 350-yard race, claiming $6,870 in earnings.

Paint Horse racing continues to grow in popularity across the United States, according to the American Paint Horse Association (APHA).

Since 1966, when the APHA officially recognized the sport, Paint racing has made major strides forward. That year, 17 starters ran for $1,290 in the two states that held Paint races-Texas and Oklahoma. In 2002, 644 starters competed in 737 APHA-recognized races for purses exceeding $4.3 million. Year-end totals for 2003 are expected to increase even further.
A total of 17 states now feature Paint racing. Paint Horses currently run in Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Kansas, Louisiana, Michigan, Montana, North Dakota, Nevada, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Washington, Wyoming and Canada.

APHA attributes the increases racing has experienced recently to several factors, including the growing popularity of the Paint Horse breed in general.

Last year, for example, APHA registered 60,113 horses, compared to 55,356 horses registered in 1998. That represents about a 9 percent annual registration increase over five years. In addition, more tracks across the country are hosting Paint racing, which is driving up purse totals and attracting more Paint racers.

"People love seeing Paint Horses run," said Lex Smurthwaite, manager of the performance and racing department.
"The interest in racing Paint Horses is steadily increasing across the country. The popularity of Paint Horses is not limited to any one geographic area, but is spreading throughout the country and throughout the world. And racing is only one of several Paint Horse performance areas where we're seeing a rise in participation."

For more information on American Paint Horse racing, contact
APHA Director of Racing Karen Utecht at (817) 222-6444.