Amarillo, Texas, May 1, 2006 – The American Quarter Horse Association Ride Program celebrates 10 years of connecting people with their American Quarter Horses on some of the most beautiful trails in the world. In honor of this milestone, AQHA is giving away an Exiss XT300E trailer and a trip for two to a 2007 Ride. Participants can register at an AQHA Ride event in 2006 for their chance to win these prizes.

Presented by Sooner and Exiss Trailers, AQHA Rides are open to all breeds and disciplines of riding. The Ride Program provides a great opportunity to have fun on horseback, while enjoying breathtaking scenery and making new friends. Sooner and Exiss Trailers have contributed to making the program bigger and better every year. Since 1997, more than 46,000 riders have participated in the program. Last year, AQHA set a new record with almost 100 rides held across the world.

“We are extremely proud of the growth in participation in the Ride Program,” said AQHA Executive Vice President Bill Brewer. “Sooner and Exiss Trailers are great supporters of the program, and we are very appreciative of the trailer that will be given away this year. I can’t think of a better way to reward AQHA members for their involvement with American Quarter Horses.”

As a way to recognize participants who attend more than one trail ride a year, AQHA introduced the PASSPQRT Frequent Rider Card. With the PASSPQRT, AQHA members can earn awards by attending numerous trail rides in one season. The participant attending the most Rides during the year wins a Tex Tan saddle. PASSPQRTs are available at all AQHA Rides.

AQHA members who are enrolled in the Horseback Riding Program earn double the hours on all AQHA-approved trail rides. The AQHA Horseback Riding Program rewards participants for simply riding their horses. Members log the hours they spend in the saddle and then reap the rewards.

Each AQHA Ride benefits local and national charities, and provides funding for equine research through the American Quarter Horse Foundation. In addition to research, the Foundation also provides scholarships, preserves the history of the breed and supports therapeutic riding.

Call the Universal Trailer Ride hotline at (888) 414-RIDE or visit http://www.aqha.com/recreation/ride/index.html for more information or to find a Ride near you.

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