Affiliate With the Australian Barrel Horse Association (ABHA)
Love barrel racing and looking to run great events for your riders?
Become an ABHA Affiliate and join a supportive, national community dedicated to growing barrel racing across Australia.
The Australian Barrel Horse Association (ABHA) has been proudly supporting barrel racing since 1996. By affiliating with ABHA, your club becomes part of a respected national pathway that offers consistency, opportunity, and recognition for riders of all ages and experience levels.
Who Can Affiliate?
Any club, group, or organisation with a passion for barrel racing can apply to affiliate with ABHA. Whether you’re a long‑standing club or starting something new, ABHA affiliation gives you the backing of an established national association while still allowing you to run events that suit your local riders.
Events You Can Run
As an ABHA Affiliate, you can host a variety of exciting, sanctioned events, including:

• Divisional barrel races that caters for all levels of skill and abilities

• Junior events, tailored to suit your club’s age groups

• Futurity events for 4, 5 & 6‑year‑old horses
  Maturity events for 7, 8 & 9-year-old horses

• Clinics and training days to support rider development

• Extra events, eg Novice, Over 45's

Sanctioned events allow competitors to work toward ABHA National Finals qualification, creating clear and rewarding goals for your members.
Why Affiliate With ABHA?
Affiliating with ABHA gives your club more than just rules — it gives you support, recognition, and opportunity:

• Nationally recognised event sanctioning

• Access to National Finals qualification pathways

• Insurance coverage for sanctioned events*

• Event promotion through the ABHA website

• Clear rules, policies, and safety standards

• Support from an experienced and dedicated Board

Most importantly, ABHA affiliation helps you deliver safe, fair, and professionally run events while preserving the welcoming, grassroots spirit of barrel racing.
*Insurance does not include ambulance cover; members are responsible for their own coverage.
Fees at a Glance

• Event Application Fee: $44 per event

• ABHA Admin Fee: $3 per entry

• Clinic Application Fee: $110

• Clinic Admin Fee: $15 per participant

How to Become an ABHA Affiliate
Getting started is easy:

1. Complete the online Affiliate Application

2. Nominate your Affiliate Committee

3. Agree to follow ABHA rules and policies

4. Receive annual approval from the ABHA Board

Once approved, you can begin applying to run ABHA‑sanctioned events and start building exciting competition opportunities for your riders.
Run Events With Confidence
ABHA Affiliates are supported every step of the way with clear guidance on:

• Event approvals and listing

• Safety and risk management

• Arena and facility standards

• Membership checks

• Event reporting and results submission

At ABHA, we believe strong affiliates are the heart of our sport. We’re here to support you in creating events that are fair, enjoyable, and memorable for everyone involved.