Page 30 - August 2017

Brazil. The word conjures up pictures of good coffee, exotic beaches, professional soccer and the famed Carnival of Brazil, the week-long festival that marks the beginning of Lent each year. Brazil, the world’s fifth-largest country, is home to more than 205 million people, the vast majority of whom live near the Atlantic coast and in the bustling cities of Sao Paulo and Rio de Janiero. But what you might not know is that Brazil is also home to more than 500,000 Quarter Horses.
The Brazilian love affair with the Quarter Horse is a relatively new one, stretching back only as far
as 1955, when the Swift-King Ranch imported six horses from the United States. By 1969, the breed’s popularity had grown enough to necessitate the founding of the Brazilian Association of Quarter Horse Breeders (ABQM) in Sao Paulo.
As of Jan. 13, 2017, the ABQM had 104,238 members, 50,403 of whom are breeders, while its Stud Book has registered 514,316 horses. In the past five years alone, the ABQM has registered more than 130,000 foals. During the same period of time, approximately 27,000 horses have sold through sales in the country, generating around $1 billion BRL ($315,147,756 US) with a per- horse sale average of $37,000 BRL ($11,661 US). Breeding farms, or haras, utilize an estimated 1 million hectares (2,471,054 acres) while creating 310,000 jobs, making the horse industry a vital component in the country that is coming off two years of its worst recession in history.
Many of Brazil’s Quarter Horses are competition horses, either on the racetrack or in the show ring. The ABQM estimates it awards
by Stacy Pigott
trophies, buckles and purses worth in excess of $4 million BRL ($1,260,716). As the Quarter Horse industry in Brazil grew, so did the bonds between U.S. and Brazilian horsemen and the countries associations. The ABQM is one of 10 Latin American International Affiliates of the American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA), which recently hosted a trip to Brazil.
The trip was coordinated by AQHA Chief International Officer Anna Morrison, who previously attended the Congresso Brasileiro in April. That show includes disciplines such as cutting, barrel racing (three drums), roping, ranch sorting, reining, Western pleasure, working cow horse and team penning. The strength of the show horse market was apparent during a sale held at the show, where 49 head sold for a total of $2.2 million BRL ($693,394 US). Two Dash Ta Fame fillies, 5-month old Dashtaflo OFV and Maria Ta Fame ZD, topped the sale at $129,000 BRL ($40,658) and $111,000 BRL ($34,985), respectively.
The July trip started with a focus on the Quarter Horse racing industry and was planned in conjunction with the 40th Grand Prix ABQM Foal of the Future race on July 8 at the Jockey Club of Sorocaba. Also attending from AQHA were First Vice President Jim Heird, Executive Committee Member Butch Wise and Chief Racing Officer Janet VanBebber. Invited guests included liaison Vince Genco, Track Magazine Associate Editor Mark Herron and Speedhorse Magazine owners John and Susan Bachelor.
“At AQHA, we are striving to improve the value of our membership to all members,
both domestic and international. We want to partner with our affiliates in a combined effort to further the American Quarter Horse,” Janet VanBebber explained of the reason for the trip. “ABQM, our affiliate in Brazil, boasts 500,000 horses in their registry. Our recent trip there
was a mission to learn how AQHA could better serve their needs and how we can coordinate our efforts to improve our breed.”
The tour started with a day at the races at
the Jockey Club de Sorocaba, where AQHA presented track officials with a trophy and recognized their efforts in implementing a drug testing policy that supports the integrity of the sport and the health and welfare of the American Quarter Horse. A memorial plaque was presented to the ABQM and the Jockey Club
de Sorocaba to recognize the founding members of the Jockey Club de Sorocaba and the global impact their vision has contributed to expansion of Quarter Horse racing internationally, and to commend them for the “creation of a thriving industry in Brazil that continues to benefit the American Quarter Horse throughout the world.”
The next day, the tour continued at two breeding farms—Haras Vista Verde, owned by Mauro and Lia Zaborowsky and Marco and Rosa Zaborowsky, and Rancho Das Americas, owned by Dr. Valdemar Di Giuli and his wife, Dra. Denise Athiade, and their son, Dr. Tuco Di Giuli.
On July 10, the North American delegates visited the ABQM office, where they were received by President Fábio Pinto da Costa, In- ternational Director Haroldo Pessoa Sobrinho,
STRENGTHENING
South American
BONDS
In July, a group of AQHA and media delegates visited Brazil to improve international cooperation between associations for the good of the Quarter Horse.
28 SPEEDHORSE, August 2017