The Latest News

Are you interested in learning more about versatility or becoming an MFTHBA carded judge?  The Judges Committee is looking for scribes to assist in the versatility arena at the MFTHBA World Show and Celebration.

Scribes serve an important role in assisting judges with documenting their scores for the classes.  Because of the hands-on experience, serving as a scribe is a great way to learn the ends and outs of the versatility classes.

Scribes will be paid $50 per day.  If you are interested in learning more about the opportunity, contact MFTHBA Judges Committee Co-Chair, Debbie Franklin at 913-238-2759.

It is time to RSVP for the 7^th Annual Membership Dinner which will be on Saturday, September 5th from 6-8.

The menu of this year’s dinner will feature smoked chicken, and it will be held at the Roy Williams Pavilion.

The Membership Committee would like to thank MFTHBA member Jimmy Bell for donating all of the chicken for this year’s dinner.  Jimmy has also arranged for all of the members to be entertained by a bluegrass band during dinner.

Please plan to bring a chair to the dinner.  We also ask that members practice social distancing during the dinner.

To help with planning, please RSVP by Wednesday, September 2nd by using the provided link or calling the MFTHBA Office at (417) 683-2468.

Plus, we will also host a Kentucky Derby Watch Party, so get out your fancy hats and outfits!  The Derby is scheduled to run prior to the dinner.  The plan is to show the race before dinner.  We will have prizes for the best hat and the best dressed, so come early for some added fun!

We look forward to seeing everyone there!

RSVP Online HERE

Attendees bringing horses to the World Show and Celebration are reminded that ALL horses entering the grounds must present a negative Coggins test and a valid Certificate of Veterinary Inspection.  The MFTHBA Board of Directors recommends that the Certificate of Veterinary Inspection (aka health papers) be issued no more than 7 days before arrival at the MFTHBA World Headquarters and Showgrounds.  Ideally, attendees should have them issued within 48 hours or as close as possible to their arrival.

With the recent outbreak of Vesicular Stomatitis around the Midwest, attendees are encouraged to work closely with their local veterinarian to determine the requirements to enter the state of Missouri.  Additional items, including a permit issued by the Missouri Department of Agriculture, are required for those that reside in counties with positive Vesicular Stomatitis cases.

Attendees should also be aware that there is currently one premise in Douglas County, Missouri that is under quarantine for Vesicular Stomatitis.  There is a possibility that this quarantine will be lifted before the World Show and Celebration.  However, if it is still in place, out of state exhibitors will need to meet their state’s import requirements before returning.  The MFTHBA has a list of local veterinarians that can issue a Certificate of Veterinary Inspection for those needing them.

The Board also recommends that exhibitors work with the veterinarian to determine appropriate booster vaccinations needed before attending the show, including Eastern Equine Encephalitis, Equine Influenza, and Equine Herpesvirus.

All Horses Checked Upon Entry

Horses must enter through the equine entry gate to have their paperwork checked and be visually inspected.  There is a $10 per horse inspection fee. The equine entry gate will be staffed starting Friday, September 4.

Equine Entry Gate Hours:

Friday, September 4, and Saturday, September 5: 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Sunday, September 6- Saturday, September 12: 7:30 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.

For horses arriving earlier than Friday or outside equine entry gate hours, an individual will be available Friday, September 4, and Saturday, September 5 to check in horses at their stalls.  This will occur between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. each day.  To have horses checked during this time, owners must sign up in the MFTHBA office.

Monitor Your Horses

Before, during, and following the show, all horses should be closely monitored for any signs of illness.  Horses exhibiting any symptoms of illness should not be brought to the show.  If symptoms of any type of illness are noticed during the show, horse owners should contact the on-call veterinarian and the MFTHBA office immediately.

The following information regarding clinical signs was taken from the United State Department of Agriculture (USDA) Fact Sheet on Vesicular Stomatitis:

“The incubation period for vesicular stomatitis is 2 to 8 days. The first sign of illness is often excessive salivation. If you look inside the mouth, you will see blanched and raised vesicles or blister-like lesions on the inner surfaces of the lips, gums, tongue, and/or dental pad. These blister-like lesions can also form on the lips, nostrils, coronary band, prepuce, vulva, and teats. The blisters will swell and break open, which causes mouth pain, discomfort, and reluctance to eat or drink. This can cause severe weight loss. If the coronary bands of the hooves are affected, then lameness can occur. You may notice a rise in body temperature before or at the same time lesions first appear.

In horses, vesicular lesions generally occur on the upper surface of the tongue, the lips, the corners of the mouth, and the gums, as well as around the nostrils. The lesions in horses may also appear as crusting scabs on the muzzle, lips, ears, coronary bands, sheath, udder, or ventral abdomen.”

Practice Biosecurity

Horse owners should practice good biosecurity before, during, and following the event.  Below are some suggestions for preventing disease in your horses. These recommendations were adapted from the United States Department of Agriculture brochure “Biosecurity—The Key to Keeping your Horse’s Health.”

At the show or trail ride:

• Don’t share equipment (e.g., buckets, brushes, etc.) with other horses. Diseases, fungus, and bacteria can be spread through shared equipment.
• Wash your hands, especially after you help other people with their horses.
• When you arrive at the show grounds or trail riding facility, clean and disinfect the stalls you will be using. This is especially important in locations where another horse recently occupied the stalls.
• When you arrive home, shower and put on clean clothes and shoes before going near your other horses. Clothing can carry disease from one location to the next.

Visiting farms, horse shows, and auctions:

• Have a pair of boots or shoes that you save for visiting. These shoes or boots should not be worn around your own horses. Plastic boot covers are another option. Manure and soil collected on your boots can carry disease from one location to the next.
• Change clothes when you arrive home, prior to working with your own animals.

Bringing a horse home from a show or trail ride:

• If even one of your horses travels, all of your horses need to be vaccinated. Horses can bring disease home with them to your operation. Work with your local veterinarian to determine an appropriate vaccination program. Be sure to tell the veterinarian where you plan to travel as different areas of the country have different disease concerns.
• When you return from a trip with your horses, isolate the horse from the rest of your herd for at least 2 weeks. Returning horses should not be allowed to have nose-to-nose contact with other horses.
• Work, feed, and care for quarantine horses last to prevent spreading diseases among your herd.
• Don’t share equipment (e.g. buckets, brushes, etc.) with other horses. Diseases, fungus, and bacteria can be spread through shared equipment.
• Wash your hands and change your clothes after you work with quarantined horses.

Exhibitors are encouraged to work with their local veterinarian to determine other ways they can prevent the spread of disease.

“We want all the equine visitors to the World Show and Celebration to arrive and leave healthy,” shared Mark Mackie, MFTHBA President.  “If the health status of your equine partner is in question, we ask that you consider all the other horses attending the event when making your decision to bring the horse to the showgrounds.”

A new schedule for the 2020 World Show and Celebration has been posted on the Celebration website.  Exhibitors and attendees.  Any copies received or printed prior to 8/12/2020, should be considered void.

2020 World Show and Celebration Schedule

The World Show and Celebration brings together Missouri Fox Trotting Horse enthusiasts to participate in a variety of in-arena competition.  Committees are busy planning all aspects of the show.  One of those committees is seeking volunteers interested in helping put on this special event.

The MFTHBA Versatility Committee, chaired by Julie Bellucci, is looking for volunteers to support the versatility and ranch horse classes.  Events in the versatility arena begin at 9 a.m.  Morning volunteers will need to report at 8:30 a.m. Volunteers can volunteer for a short amount of time or all day.

Volunteers are needed for the following positions.

Ringmaster – Sunday, September 6, Monday, September 7, Tuesday, September 8, and Wednesday, September 9

Gate person – Sunday, September 6, Monday, September 7, Tuesday, September 8, and Wednesday, September 9

Ribbon Presenters – Sunday, September 6, Monday, September 7, Tuesday, September 8, and Wednesday, September 9

Obstacle Set up/Take down – Monday, September 7

Speed event Barrel & Pole set up/take down – Tuesday, September 8

Announcer helper – Tuesday, September 8, and Wednesday, September 9

If you can volunteer or have questions regarding the job responsibilities, please contact Ms. Bellucci at 913-207-6707 or haudios@gmail.com.

Will you be at the Celebration on Sunday, September 1^st?  Attendees are invited to join Mike Rutledge and the Common Ground Band at 10:30 under the Roy Williams Pavilion for a non-denominational church service. The Common Ground band will be performing and Mike Rutledge will bring a message.

If you are coming to the World Show & Celebration and bringing a large trailer that you don’t want to haul to the trail heads each day, Wildcat Rental in Rogersville has a 16′ bumper pull trailer for rent. The trailer rents for $50 per day or $240 for the week. You can call 417-573-8665. website is www.wildcattoolrental.com

In addition to great prizes like those pictured, versatility competitors will also have the opportunity to win payback.

Exhibitors competing for 2019 Versatility World Grand Champion titles will also be able to earn payback.  Thanks to an anonymous sponsor, $8000 will be paid out to the Open, Open Amateur, and Youth Versatility World Grand Champion Top 5.

In addition, Versatility World Grand Champions and Reserve World Grand Champions along with the Ranch Horse World Grand Champions and Reserve World Grand Champions will be recognized in the Dale Esther Arena.

The Top 5 for the Open and Open Amateur divisions will each split $3000 in payback.  Youth competitors will split $2000.  Exhibitors will need to have a W-9 on file with the MFTHBA prior to receiving payback checks.  Checks for the first and second place winners will be presented during the Dale Esther Arena presentation.  Winners of third through fifth placings will be able to pick up their checks in the MFTHBA office the day following the presentations.

The Top 5 in each division will receive payback at the following percentages:

• 1st: 30%
• 2nd: 25%
• 3rd: 20%
• 4th: 15%
• 5th: 10%

Payback for the Open and Open Amateur World Grand Champion Top 5 will be:

• 1st: $900
• 2nd: $750
• 3rd: $600
• 4th: $450
• 5th: $300

Youth payback will be:

• 1st: $600
• 2nd: $500
• 3rd: $400
• 4th: $300
• 5th: $200

In the event that a division does not have 5 entries, payback money not paid out by placing will be divided evenly among the other placing entries in that division.

The MFTHBA requires all horses entering the MFTHBA World Headquarters have a current Certificate of Veterinary Inspection, also known as a health certificate, and negative Coggins test.  The Certificate of Veterinary Inspection is required regardless of state of origin.

Due to Vesicular Stomatitis, the Missouri Department of Agriculture requires horses from impacted states to request a permit from their office before entering Missouri.  Currently, this includes horses originating from Texas, Colorado, New Mexico, Nebraska, Utah, and Wyoming.  The board recommends that exhibitors work with the veterinarian to determine appropriate booster vaccinations needed before attending the show, including Eastern Equine Encephalitis, Equine Influenza, and Equine Herpesvirus.   Those bringing a horse onto the MFTHBA showgrounds can find more information about disease prevention HERE.

Horses must enter through the equine entry gate to have the paperwork checked.  There is a $10 per horse inspection fee. The equine entry gate will be staffed starting Friday, August 30.

Equine Entry Gate Hours:

Friday, August 30 and Saturday, August 31: 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Sunday, September 1- Saturday, September 7: 7:30 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.

After Hours Arrivals

For horses arriving earlier than Friday or outside equine entry gate hours, an individual will be available Friday, August 31 through Saturday, September 1 to check in horses at their stalls.  This will occur between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. each day.  To have horses checked during this time, owners must sign up in the MFTHBA office.

After Sunday, any horse entering outside the equine entry gate hours must bring their horses to the gate to be checked promptly after the gate reopens.

With the World Show and Celebration just a few weeks away, the MFTHBA Board of Directors encourages all exhibitors to keep their horse’s health and the health of other equine competitors in mind.  “The health of all the horses attending the World Show and Celebration is a top priority for the MFTHBA,” said Mark Mackie, MFTHBA president.

The MFTHBA requires all horses entering the MFTHBA World Headquarters have a current Certificate of Veterinary Inspection, also known as a health certificate, and negative Coggins test.  The Certificate of Veterinary Inspection is required regardless of the state of origin. Due to Vesicular Stomatitis, the Missouri Department of Agriculture requires horses from impacted states to request a permit from their office before entering Missouri.  Currently, this includes horses originating from Texas, Colorado, New Mexico, Nebraska, Utah, and Wyoming.  The board recommends that exhibitors work with the veterinarian to determine appropriate booster vaccinations needed before attending the show, including Eastern Equine Encephalitis, Equine Influenza, and Equine Herpesvirus.

Horse owners should practice good biosecurity prior to, during, and following the event.  Below are some suggestions for preventing disease in your horses. These recommendations were adapted from the United States Department of Agriculture brochure “Biosecurity—The Key to Keeping your Horse’s Health.”

At the show or trail ride:

• Don’t share equipment (e.g., buckets, brushes, etc.) with other horses. Diseases, fungus, and bacteria can be spread through shared equipment.
• Wash your hands, especially after you help other people with their horses.
• When you arrive at the show grounds or trail riding facility, clean and disinfect the stalls you will be using. This is especially important in locations where another horse recently occupied the stalls.
• When you arrive home, shower and put on clean clothes and shoes before going near your other horses. Clothing can carry disease from one location to the next.

Visiting farms, horse shows, and auctions:

• Have a pair of boots or shoes that you save for visiting. These shoes or boots should not be worn around your own horses. Plastic boot covers are another option. Manure and soil collected on your boots can carry disease from one location to the next.
• Change clothes when you arrive home, prior to working with your own animals.

Bringing a horse home from a show or trail ride:

• If even one of your horses travels, all of your horses need to be vaccinated. Horses can bring disease home with them to your operation. Work with your local veterinarian to determine an appropriate vaccination program. Be sure to tell the veterinarian where you plan to travel as different areas of the country have different disease concerns.
• When you return from a trip with your horses, isolate the horse from the rest of your herd for at least 2 weeks. Returning horses should not be allowed to have nose-to-nose contact with other horses.
• Work, feed, and care for quarantine horses last to prevent spreading diseases among your herd.
• Don’t share equipment (e.g. buckets, brushes, etc.) with other horses. Diseases, fungus, and bacteria can be spread through shared equipment.
• Wash your hands and change your clothes after you work with quarantined horses.

Exhibitors are encouraged to work with their local veterinarian to determine other ways they can prevent the spread of disease.

“We want all the equine visitors to the World Show and Celebration to arrive and leave healthy,” added Mr. Mackie.  “If the health status of your equine partner is in question, we ask that you consider all the other horses attending the event when making your decision to bring the horse to the showgrounds.”