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What is the South Dakota Quarter Horse Association?
The South Dakota Quarter Horse Association is a nonprofit organization for people interested in American Quarter Horses. Its stated mission is to develop and provide services and opportunities for horse enthusiasts, with a focus on education, recognition, recreation, monitoring equine public policy, industry relations, and promotion of the breed.
Its structure reflects a statewide membership rather than a single stable or club. The board is divided into East, Central, and West regions, plus at-large and national directors, and it includes youth and amateur roles. That matters if you are deciding whether to join: it suggests events and leadership are spread across the state, so travel and local representation are practical considerations.
What it offers, based on the page
- Educational and recognition programs for members
- Recreational opportunities and industry relationships
- Monitoring of equine public policy
- Marketing, promotion, and publicity for the American Quarter Horse
- Youth and amateur pathways, including youth advisor and amateur ambassador positions
- A lead program for developing younger members
Who it suits
- Quarter Horse owners and riders in South Dakota
- Families looking for youth involvement
- Amateur competitors who want recognition and connection
- People who want a say in equine policy and breed promotion
A practical next step
If you are considering membership, check the current officers and regional directors listed on the site, then contact the director for your area. Ask what local events are planned, what youth or amateur programs are active, and how policy issues are handled. For broader breed information, the American Quarter Horse Association at AQHA is the national body, while this association is the South Dakota affiliate.
How do I become a member of the SDQHA?
Membership in the South Dakota Quarter Horse Association is handled directly by the organization rather than through an online signup flow shown on its homepage. The page presents SDQHA as a non-profit serving "all horse enthusiasts," with programs in education, recognition, recreation, equine public policy, industry relations, and promotion of the American Quarter Horse. That breadth is a clue about who joins: not only show competitors, but also trail riders, youth families, breeders, and owners who want a local network.
Practical route to joining
- Use the "Message Us" form on the homepage to ask for a membership application and current dues. That is the clearest contact path visible in the page evidence.
- Say what kind of membership you want — individual, family, or youth — and whether you own a Quarter Horse or are joining as an enthusiast.
- Ask what the annual term covers and whether membership runs by calendar year or from your join date.
- If you already show, mention it; the officers and directors listed include people tied to showing, youth activity, and national AQHA roles, so they can point you to the right program.
What membership connects you to
The page lists an executive committee, state board divided by East, Central, and West regions, national directors, Region 2 representatives, amateur ambassadors, and AQH Lead Program graduates. For a new member, that structure matters more than a generic benefits list: it shows there are regional contacts, youth pathways, and amateur-focused roles. If you live in one of those regions, asking for your regional director is a sensible first step.
A concrete example
A family in central South Dakota with a teenager who rides a Quarter Horse but has never competed could message SDQHA, ask about youth membership, and request the name of the Central region director. That single inquiry can open doors to clinics, recognition programs, and volunteer opportunities that fit a beginner better than jumping straight into a show schedule.
Decision criterion
Join if you want local, state-level involvement — education, recognition, recreation, and policy monitoring — rather than only a national membership. If your main need is national competition records or breed registration services, a state affiliate is a complement, not a replacement. For official breed programs, see American Quarter Horse Association.
Next step: send a short message through the SDQHA homepage form asking for the membership application, dues, and your regional director's contact.
What educational programs and recognition opportunities does the SDQHA offer?
The SDQHA's stated mission centers on educational programs and recognition programs as core member benefits, alongside recreational opportunities, equine public policy monitoring, industry relations, and promotion of the American Quarter Horse. The site itself describes these as organizational goals rather than listing individual program names, so treat the specifics as something to confirm with the association directly.
What the site confirms
- Educational programs — named in the mission as a primary way the association develops its membership.
- Recognition programs — also named in the mission, suggesting member and horse achievements are formally acknowledged.
- A youth pathway — a dedicated Youth Advisor sits on the Executive Committee, and the AQH Lead Program Graduates list (2024 and 2025) shows a structured leadership or development track for younger members.
- Volunteer leadership roles — State Board of Directors seats by region (East, Central, West, At-Large), National Directors, Region 2 Representatives, and Amateur Ambassadors give members visible positions to work toward.
How this plays out for a typical member
Picture a South Dakota family with a young rider and a Quarter Horse gelding. The educational side is where they would start: clinics, judging or showmanship instruction, and youth-oriented activities run through the Youth Advisor and the Lead Program pipeline. The recognition side matters later in the season, when year-end awards, placings, or leadership appointments give the family a reason to keep showing and volunteering. For an adult amateur, the Amateur Ambassador and regional board roles are the realistic entry points into recognition beyond competition results.
Practical next step
Because the site names program categories rather than schedules, ask directly which educational events are on the calendar this year, what the criteria are for each recognition award, and how a youth member enters the Lead Program. The "Message Us" form on the homepage is the obvious first contact, and the listed officers — including the President, Vice President, and the Secretary and Treasurer who handle the website — are the people who can route a question.
For broader context on Quarter Horse programs and awards, the breed registry is American Quarter Horse Association. Regional and national show circuits in the area are covered by AQHA affiliates, and general youth equestrian development is addressed by 4-H.
Who are the current officers and board members of the SDQHA?
The SDQHA's listed leadership for 2026 is organized into an executive committee, state board of directors, national directors, and several representative and ambassador roles. The page names officers and directors, but it does not spell out each person's duties beyond their titles.
2026 Officers
- President: Bob Carr
- Vice President: JD Lauing
- Treasurer, Website: Jodie Svennes
- Secretary, Website: Shelby Holmes
- Youth Advisor: Dee Haugen
State Board of Directors
| Region | Members |
|---|---|
| East | Bob Carr, Sheila Prins, JoLynn Jacobson |
| Central | Sydney Gray, LeAnn Bender, JD Lauing |
| West | Belynn Johner, Doris Lauing, Kerry Papendick |
| At-Large | Mindy Hubert, Randy Guggisberg, Dakota Karber |
National Directors and AQHA Recognitions
- Debbi Holmes-Stockstill, National Director
- Janet Hansen, National Director Emeritus
- Kristen Gonsoir, National Director
- Dean Johnson, National Director
- Georga Sutton, AQHA Honorary Vice President
- James Hootman, National Director Emeritus
- Larry Larson, National Director At-Large
- James Sutton, National Director At-Large
- Heather Sutton, National Director
- Jim Hunt, AQHA Past President (2025)
Region 2 Representatives
- Jodie Svennes
- BeLynn Johner
Amateur Ambassadors
- Amanda Dikoff
- Shelby Holmes
AQH Lead Program Graduates
- Zane Zilverberg (2024)
- Shelby Holmes (2025)
If you need to contact a specific officer or director, the next step is to use the "Message Us" form on the SDQHA site and address your note to that person by name. For questions about a particular region, the East, Central, and West board lists are the most direct starting point.
How can I contact the SDQHA or its representatives?
The SDQHA site lists its officers and board members by name, with role labels, rather than publishing individual phone numbers or email addresses. The clearest route is the "Message Us" form on the site, which reaches the association's officers.
Who to reach, and for what
| Your reason for contacting | Listed contact |
|---|---|
| General inquiries, membership, events | Message Us form; President Bob Carr or Vice President JD Lauing |
| Website, records, or administrative questions | Jodie Svennes (Treasurer, Website) or Shelby Holmes (Secretary, Website) |
| Youth programs | Dee Haugen, Youth Advisor |
| Amateur programs | Amanda Dikoff or Shelby Holmes, Amateur Ambassadors |
| Regional matters | Jodie Svennes or BeLynn Johner, Region 2 Representatives |
| National-level AQHA matters | Debbi Holmes-Stockstill, Janet Hansen, Kristen Gonsoir, Dean Johnson, James and Heather Sutton, and other listed National Directors |
Board members are grouped by region — East, Central, West, and At-Large — so if your question concerns a specific part of South Dakota, start with the director listed for that area.
A practical next step
Use the Message Us form and state your purpose in the first line — for example, "new member question about youth eligibility" or "media request about an upcoming show." That lets whoever monitors the form route it to the right officer instead of forwarding it through several people. If you need a response by a particular date, say so in the message.
For anything tied to American Quarter Horse Association records, registrations, or national competition rules, contact AQHA directly at American Quarter Horse Association rather than a state officer, since those functions sit outside the state association.
What is the SDQHA doing to monitor equine public policy and promote the American Quarter Horse?
The South Dakota Quarter Horse Association treats public policy and promotion as two of its core purposes, not as side projects. Its own mission statement lists "the monitoring of equine public policy" and "the marketing, promotion, and publicity of the American Quarter Horse" alongside education, recognition, recreation and industry relations, which tells you these are standing responsibilities of the organization rather than one-off campaigns.
How the policy side works in practice
For a state affiliate, monitoring equine public policy usually means tracking legislation, agency rules and local ordinances that affect horse owners — things like brand and identification requirements, liability and premises rules, trail and land access, transport rules, and animal welfare proposals. The association's role is typically to watch those items, tell members what is moving, and represent members' interests when a rule or bill would change how they keep, move or show horses. The practical value to a member is early warning: you hear about a proposed change while there is still time to comment, rather than after it takes effect.
The organizational structure supports this. The board is divided into East, Central and West regions plus at-large seats, with a slate of national directors and two Region 2 representatives, so there is a network of people positioned to hear about issues in different parts of the state and carry them to the national level.
How promotion happens
Promotion of the American Quarter Horse through a state association generally takes recognizable forms: sanctioned shows and events that put the breed in front of the public, youth programs that bring new people in, recognition and awards that reward participation, and general publicity that keeps the breed visible locally. The page evidence shows a youth advisor on the executive committee, amateur ambassadors, and AQH Lead Program graduates, all of which are vehicles for members to represent the breed and the association to newcomers.
Where to look next
If you want to know exactly which bills, rules or events the association is currently engaged with, the mission statement and officer roster on sdqha give you the "who," but the "what" will live in meeting minutes, newsletters or event listings. A reasonable next step is to contact a regional director for your part of the state — East, Central or West — and ask what policy items are active this session and which shows or youth events are coming up. That is also the fastest way to find out whether membership includes a vote on the association's positions or simply updates.
For comparison, the national breed organization, American Quarter Horse Association, handles breed registration, national rules and national-level advocacy, while a state affiliate like SDQHA is where local policy monitoring and in-state promotion usually happen. If your interest is a South Dakota ordinance or a state bill, the state association is the more useful first call; if it is a breed rule or registration question, go national.
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