The American Quarter Horse Heritage
Center & Museum
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The American Quarter Horse
Heritage Center & Museum
The
American Quarter Horse Heritage Center and
Museum is in Amarillo, Texas where the
American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA) Is
based. The AQHA, founded in 1940 in Fort
Worth, is an international organization
which is dedicated to the improvement,
record-keeping and preservation of
the American Quarter Horse.
The AQHA organizes numerous competitive
events, sponsors educational programs, and
houses the Hall of Fame and Museum of the
American Quarter Horse. Currently, the AQHA
has over 350,000 members.
The AQHA began when Robert M. Denhardt
published articles during the 1930s about
the
characteristic and history
of the quarter horse. Denhardt wrote in an
article that the people interested
in establishing a breed
registry should meet in Fort Worth to
discuss and act on the idea. On March 15,
1940, seventy-five people showed to discuss
Denhardt’s proposal. The result of that
meeting was the forming of a non-profit
stock holding association to be the
registry. During the first meeting,
thirty-six people bought stocks, and the
board of officers and directors were
elected.
The association was the sole registry for
American Quarter Horses for the first five
years. Controversies over how many
non-Quarter horses should be allowed in, and
which horses should be registered arose.
Some breeders also felt that it was unfair
that only stock owners were allowed to vote.
In addition to the disputes, some of the
racing interests, who wanted more
thoroughbred blood to be added to the
Quarter Horse, felt that the AQHA was too
strict.