Wisconsin Arabian Horse Association

The Wisconsin Arabian Horse Association (WAHA) was founded in Waukesha, WI, in 1953, by a small group of Arabian enthusiasts who initially called it the Arabian Horse Association of Wisconsin.  The club focuses on promoting the "breeding, exhibiting, use, and perpetuation of Arabian horses" by providing a wide range of educational opportunities for members and the general public, member benefits, show formats, and clinics that help promote interest in the care, use, and breeding of Arabian horses.

WAHA coordinates the Arabian demonstration and information booth at the huge Midwest Horse Fair, a major equine promotional venue in the Midwest.  It also has a very popular Native Costume group in the annual Chicago Thanksgiving Day Parade.  In addition, WAHA has regular membership meetings and clinics throughout the year, welcoming members and guests to a variety of educational and social opportunities.

The High Point Awards program offers members awards in many divisions such as Dressage, Costume, Driving, Halter, pleasure classes, reining, and eventing.  Competition is broken down by age for 13 & Under, 14-17, 18-39, and 40 & Over.  Awards are also given for showmanship and equitation.  The High Point program also offers Legion of Merit and Supreme Legion of Merit awards, and the trophies are specially commissioned bronzes only available from WAHA.  The annual Awards Party in December is a highlight of the year. We also have a free Italian dinner with the annual meeting in January. 

WAHA's expanding Youth program is also very popular.  In addition to regular youth meetings and clinics, WAHA sponsors a Youth Judging Team which competes on a local, regional, and national level, winning awards at all levels.  And the Youth Achievement Awards program lets youth members earn awards in 4-H and Open shows along with non-competitive awards for youth who don't show.

To keep members informed, we publish a newsletter every other month.  It's available on the club website, which also has comprehensive information on all WAHA programs. 

Finally, WAHA offers a variety of showing opportunities.  There is a large Class A show in Milwaukee on Memorial Day Weekend with a complete list of classes for both youth and amateurs.  Then the August Class A show in Jefferson, WI, between Madison and Milwaukee, has a full complement of traditional show ring classes as well as Dressage and Sport Horse classes.  Finally, in September WAHA sponsors two one-day shows in Deerfield, near Madison:  Saturday is an Open Show with classes for all breeds, and Sunday is an Arabian Community Show with several classes specifically for Arabians and Half-Arabians but also with lots of showing opportunities for all breeds. 

WAHA is constantly looking for ways to make showing more affordable and more enjoyable for our members, and for other ways to help our members enjoy their wonderful Arabian and Half-Arabian horses.  Check us out at www.wisconsinarabian.com, and call any officer, director, or program head for more information.