President's Message
The ASAW in 2012 ~ A Year in Review
Dear ASAW Members and Prospective Members,
The American Saddlebred Association of Wisconsin (ASAW) had another banner year in 2012. As in past years, we demonstrated our great breed at both Horse A Rama, in Manitowoc, WI, and the Midwest Horse Fair, in Madison, WI. The ASAW would like to thank Forward Farms, Hanrahan Stables, Crest Haven Stables, Bellaire Farms and Blue Haven Stables for participating in these events and sharing their love of the American Saddlebred. We appreciate the time and effort it takes to put on and participate in these events and demonstrations.
The ASAW 2012 Summerfun Horse Show was a very successful; two major changes helped the horse show return to being an exhibitor and trainer favorite. First, we changed the format of the show to a three day show, starting Thursday afternoon and ending Saturday evening ~ Championship Night. Second, we wanted to put the fun back into Summerfun, because having fun is what it’s supposed to be all about. A Beach theme was adopted for the 2012 show and experienced throughout the grounds. Attendees saw pink flamingos gracing the picnic area, and our center ring looked like a day at the beach with a life guard chair, flip flops, beach balls and a palm tree. Reserved ringside bleacher seats were available and refreshments and snacks were delivered daily to them daily. In addition, the tack stall decoration contest was a huge hit with the winning barn, Moctezuma Stables, having live hula dances and a yukalaylee player there to entertain the judging panel. Finally, the first annual beach volleyball tournament had eleven teams participating with the Worzalla Family coming up on top and crowned the 2012 champions. Summer Fun 2013 will also have a theme, and there are hints as to what it will be at this year’s ASAW awards banquet. The dates for the 2013 Summerfun show are July 18-20, 2013.
The ASAW 2013 Summer Premier Horse dates are August 10-11, 2013. This year the show will be held at a new location, Ozaukee Cnty Fairgrounds in Cedarburg, WI. There will be 65 stalls available, as well as an indoor and outdoor ring. Stall and utility water will be accessible in every aisle. There will also be a full service kitchen where food will be prepared and available to the exhibitors. Finally, exhibitors will be able to relax between classes on the patio adjacent to the barns. And the most important thing, as our Chair, Nancy Turner reported, is that it will have “REAL” bathrooms. We hope everyone will enjoy this new venue and plan on attending. For more information contact Nancy Turner.
Another one of ASAW’s goals for 2012 was to become more user friendly for our membership. With that in mind, we established and made available an online electronic membership and nomination form. In addition, we expanded our electronic communications through broadcast emails and ASAW Facebook page notifications. As of February 2013, we have received approximately 50 memberships through our online form. Also during 2012, we have sent out 23 broadcast emails to our 342 subscribers, which is up from the 200 subscribers we had just two years ago. These are getting so popular, that other horse associations are asking us to share their important information with our ASAW subscribers. Finally, we receive approximately 2 to 3 email enquiries a month regarding our breed and ASAW activities at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . I think we can say that ASAW is well on its way to achieving our long-term goals of becoming more a part of our membership’s life.
In regards to our youth, the ASAW Board is looking for a youth liaison to work with us in regards to communicating better with our youth and helping us plan activities they may be interested in. If anyone is interested in this position please contact me.
I would also like to remind everyone of the three scholarships available through ASAW Scholarship Fund. The Melvin and Marion Meyer $3,000 scholarship is awarded annually to an incoming college freshman. The other two ASAW scholarships, one for $3,000 and the other for $2,000 is available for any educational institution and for any age student. Please contact Mary Markwiese for additional information or see our website for more information.
Lastly I would like to thank all our trainers, exhibitors, owners and their families for making the saddlebred industry as strong as it is here in the Midwest. We should be proud of our area and all the fabulous horses and riders that are a part of it. In closing, I wish everyone much success in 2013 and may all our rides be safe and enjoyable.
Vicky
Vicky Holston
ASAW President