ASAC Convention & Banquet

Dear Members,

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2018 was a great year in the Carolinas!! ASAC Members, Exhibitors, Trainers, and Barns have wrapped up another successful year of showing and promoting the American Saddlebred. Again in 2018, The Carolinas were very successful on our super competitive Southeastern circuit as well as bringing home a number of World Championships and World Grand Championships! Also, as always, we have one of the country’s largest Academy groups which are always top notch wherever they compete. We should all be proud of our successes and extend our industry influence by continuing to be exemplary competitors and role models in our sport.

Competing, whether winning or not, impresses upon us all the close and dynamic relationship we each must have to bring out the very best in ourselves and our partner, the American Saddlebred Horse. This special relationship is what brings us all together in celebration of our accomplishments and the true good fortune that we share through our involvement with American Saddlebred Horses. These magnificent animals teach us many values that we will use every day—cooperation, respect, flexibility, friendship, admiration, understanding, and humility. As we celebrate 2018, let’s all remember how fortunate we are to be able to experience all the accomplishments, victories, lessons learned, and friendships that we enjoy through our association with American Saddlebred Horses.

This year, our convention is February 8-9, 2019. We have a very special weekend planned that will be fun for all! On Friday night, we will have our annual auction followed by a huge party with the theme “Wild West Family Night”! There will be games, best dressed western wear contest, a “Saloon Bar”, and the big highlight of the night---a mechanical bull-riding contest!! You do not want to miss this! We will have contests for different groups culminating with the Trainer’s contest—who will win???? Please come out and bring all your barn friends to participate in our upscale live auction and have a blast at the Wild West Family Night!

Saturday’s lunch theme will be “Hot Topics”. You do not want to miss this! Please plan on

having lunch with us after the general membership meeting to learn about what is hot in the Saddlebred Industry today. Saturday night will be our ASAC Annual Awards Banquet when we reward our members who have worked hard all year and achieved great success. Our ASAC Special Awards will recognize those members who have exhibited exemplary service to the organization and its members. The Eddie Case Memorial Scholarship will also be awarded Saturday evening. We have been selling raffle tickets since July for a Yamaha ZF Scooter to fund this scholarship. We will continue to sell the tickets during the convention. The Scooter will be given away at the convention during the Awards Ceremony! So, if you have not bought your tickets, please see an ASAC board member!

The ASAC Board has been working very hard to make our organization stronger and to make our convention a fun and rewarding event for our members. I would personally like to thank the ASAC Board for their commitment to our association and our members. Please extend a “Thank You” to our board members as you interact with them at the convention. ASAC would also like to thank all of those vendors and members who have sponsored and given of their time and talents to make this a successful event. Please patronize our vendors while at the convention and throughout the year. Their continuing financial support allows us to have a convention that is second to none!

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In closing, we look forward to a great time and participation at this year’s convention! Please plan onattending and bring your whole family!

Sincerely,

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Karol E. Kunkle

President, ASAC