Washington Foundation Quarter Horse Club is an affiliate of the National Foundation Quarter Horse Association (NFQHA).  The NFQHA was formed in 1995 and was founded on the philosophy that the more Quarter Horse blood a horse carries, the more Quarter Horse traits it will exhibit.  The horse is judged on it's performance without all the glitz and glitter.  The NFQHA is growing and expanding into many states.  Our club focuses on preserving and promoting the original versatile bulldog foundation Quarter Horse.

Horses may only be registered with the NFQHA if they are registered AQHA and have at least 80% Quarter Horse blood. Horses that qualify may participate in shows to earn points that will qualify them for the end of the year finals show. The NFQHA focuses on a versatile animal that can do anything from pleasure, trail, to chasing a cow. That makes the shows fun and exciting, as well as a great learning experience for both horse and rider. Everyone is encouraged to participate in all classes, even if you have no experience. The best way to learn is to do.

Lots of 2008 Events coming your way including an NFQHA point earning show and a WaFQHC horse sale! Please contact one of our Board Members for more info!

Contacts:

President Greg Akehurst, Ellensburg, WA. longhorn@kvalley.com (509)962-8610
Vice-President Cecelia Van Epps dive@kvalley.com (509)962-5826
Treasurer Sally Taylor TaylorDS@starband.net  (509)485-3002
Cheryl Chance rcbar@fairpoint.net 509.962.6818
Show Manager Maynard Larson mmlarson@elltel.net (509)968-4802

LEGISLATION THAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT!

Vehicle License Fee Bill SB6900

here is a bill that the Washington State Legislature is trying to pass
in Olympia that, if successful, will directly add huge costs to our
vehicle license fees. Everyone needs to know about so this situation so
that you can contact your representatives and voice your objection.

The bill is SB 6900 and it adds an "engine displacement" fee to the
vehicle license tabs upon renewal.

The fee has a varied amount depending on the size of the vehicle's engine:

Engine Size (liters) Rate Schedule
Up to 1.9    $0
2.0 - 2.9    $70
3.0 - 3.9    $225
4.0 - 4.9    $275
5.0 - 5.9    $325
6.0 - 7.9    $400
8.0 or over  $600

For each car & truck that you own, calculate the rate by matching the
engine size in liters to the dollar amount.  Add the amounts for each
vehicle and you'll see that the average two car family will be paying
$500+ every year in "displacement fees" on top of the normal license
fees.  If you have three vehicles, you'll be paying even more.

The average family is already struggling with the high cost of gasoline,
electricity, food and everything else, and our lawmakers want us to pay
more, thinking we have unlimited deep pockets. This will do great damage
to the budgets of retirees on fixed incomes as well.

Now is the time to be very vocal against this bill.

I have contacted all of our representatives, and I would encourage
everyone reading this to do the same.

Here's the web page for the bill where you can read the text:

http://apps.leg.wa.gov/billinfo/summary.aspx?bill=6900&year=2007

Here's the link for contacting your representatives:

http://apps.leg.wa.gov/DistrictFinder/Default.aspx

An interesting note on the Horse Slaughter Bill:

The other day, it occurred to me that if Congress manages to block all routes to slaughter for horses intended as food, the U.S. horse economy would become the first in history to operate without
> food-salvage value as its floor. Basically, this also would make horses the only form of livestock WITHOUT per-pound salvage value, having the effect of turning horses from assets into liabilities.
> In turn, this would alter the horse economy's infrastructure so profoundly as to force a new one into being, to replace the one society now finds repugnant.So, for what it's worth, here are some of
> the things I can see coming as a result:* An annual tax per head on every horse we own. This is how the government will seek to fund the equine holding facilities, "re-homing" operations, and
> disposal stations it will see a need to build as the unwanted-horse crisis continues to build. The Seattle Post Intelligencer just ran an editorial calling for this very sort of
> tax:http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/opinion/347789_erbe18.html* Mandatory microchipping of every horse. These ID chips will be used for multiple purposes, including ability to track down and
> fine/prosecute any owner who abandons a horse. As the rate of abandonment accelerates, this will come to pass sooner rather than later.* Mandatory facilities registration, accompanied by inspections.
> Horse owners will pay fees toward these measures, too. This already has a name: NAIS, for National Animal Identification System. The general public will buy into this as a way to protect itself
> against a form of bioterrorism, among other justifications:http://animalid.aphis.usda.gov/nais/index.shtml* Mandatory application for and payment of a "transport voucher," any time you wish
> to move a horse to or from your property. This will be used as a way of funding reinforcement of a federal ban against transporting a horse for the purpose of slaughter, once that's been made
> illegal.* Federally built, regulated, and funded equine euthanasia/disposal stations (see my first point). Whether people care to acknowledge this or not, every horse eventually ends up as a half-ton
> carcass that needs to be disposed of somehow. If not turned into usable meat/hoof/hide byproducts, it comes garbage--buried or composted on private property, rendered, dumped in a landfill, or
> dragged off for wild animals to feast on. I just read a statistic, published in the New York Times, stating that 138,000 fewer horses were processed in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico in 2007 compared
> to 2006:http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/11/us/11horse.htmlIf all 138,000 head were "humanely put down" instead, that'd add up to around 75,000 TONS of horse carcasses to be dealt with in some
> manner. A year. With somewhere around 100K of those in the U.S. How long do you suppose our "not in MY neighborhood!" society will put up with that before getting the government involved?
> Especially when you consider that the carcass of a horse killed with barbituates is increasingly considered to be a threat to the environment?* As an answer to the toxic-carcass problem, a new
> service provider will appear: The person willing and able to euthanize your horse by gunshot. In my area, such a service is already available, if you know the numbers to call. However, those who
> provide the service will be forced underground, once those in the general public get wind of it. "My God--people are allowed to SHOOT horses?! This must be stopped!"* Federal taxation on
> every breeding. I don't think I need to explain this one. Just see all the above.* A resulting horse economy--for good or for bad--that will be unrecognizable to us within 10 years.--Juli Thorson

The WaFQHC had a very good sale in Ellensburg at the Rafter cc Ranch.  Lots of items were donated, as well as stallion breedings that were raffled off for the benefit of the club. 

Robin Dillin waiting for class	Darcy Wright waiting for class
youngest rider KC Laub