HALTER
that people are taking this seriously and breeding their best mares to those stallions to try to get the best opportunity to make money. It’s key that these futurities try to keep themselves together and moving forward, because that’s ultimately what’s going to keep people breeding horses.” Breeder and exhibitor Roxann Hart, who serves on the board of Region 12’s Spotlight, has experienced the benefits
“People have a wide variety of discretionary income, and they want to spend it where they will enjoy it. You can create that desire. I think one reason the futurities are growing is because they augment the entire horse show feeling. They generate camaraderie at the auction sale.” – Roxann Hart
44 | AR ABIAN HORSE TIMES
of the futurities. “Rohara has been very successful in showing in the Scottsdale Signature, the Iowa Gold Star and the Spotlight,” she says. “Two Rohara horses (one was a client horse, one was not) were tied for first at the Signature, one in the auction and one in the Signature colts, and that was quite a sum of money those two horses won. That literally paid for that horse’s entire trip to Scottsdale and put money back in the pocket of the breeder and owner of the horse. “The excitement factor is important too,” she continues. “People have a wide variety of discretionary income, and they want to spend it where they will enjoy it. You can create that desire. I think one reason the futurities are growing is because they augment the entire horse show feeling. They generate camaraderie at the auction sale.” Janet Searls offers an illustration of the emotion involved in the futurity classes, where the competition is limited to amateurs. “Last year, after years and years of having trainers show his horses, Don Olvey showed his horse himself,” she says, adding that Olvey, who is in his 80s, has had “some phenomenal horses through the years that have done very well regionally and nationally.” Two-thousand-nine became his year to be at the end of the lead, showing Celestial Fire AF in the 2-year-old filly class. “When he was pulled the winner in his class, I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone with a bigger smile on his face,” says