Arabian Horse Association of Arizona

Vision statement

To expose and encourage involvement with Arabian Horses to as many people as possible.

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Mission Statement

The Arabian Horse Association of Arizona is a non-profit organization comprised of Arabian horse owners, breeders, and enthusiasts worldwide who are dedicated to preserving the Arabian horse through education, competition, activities, and promotion.

The Arabian Horse Association of Arizona’s efforts will focus on:

Education: ownership and the welfare of Arabian horses
Promotion: breeding, competition & ownership of Arabian horses
Opportunities: Interaction and involvement with Arabian horses and people
Preservation: of the Arabian horse and its rich history

Scottsdale Arabian Horse Show

The Scottsdale Arabian Horse Show has been a well-attended Scottsdale signature event since 1956. Although its location and scope have changed over the years, its focus has remained constant – all Arabian. The heart of its operation has also remained the same – all volunteer. Hosted by the Scottsdale-calendar of events that celebrate Arabians. Since its humble beginnings, the association has also focused on community service.

Foundation

Scottsdale’s love affair with Arabian horses began around 1940, when several Arabian owners moved to town. The Merle Cheney's were among the first to own Arabians at their ranch north of Scottsdale. When Anne and Fowler McCormick established a ranch here in the early 1940s, Anne began raising prized Arabians, including the famed Naborr.

Ruth and Ed Tweed moved to Scottsdale in 1949. They bought a 160-acre plot on Hayden Road north of Shea Boulevard, where Tweed designed the sprawling Spanish Colonial ranch house, stables and out buildings. He named the place BruSally Ranch, and began to raise Arabian horses.

Inception

In 1954, the International Arabian Horse Association urged Tweed to help start the first Arizona Arabian Horse Association. The following year, Tweed, along with Arabian owners Helen Wrigley and Anne and Fowler McCormick, sponsored the first All Arabian Horse Show. It was held at the stables and arena at the Wrigley’s mansion near the Biltmore Resort. Some 100 horses and their owners participated in the inaugural show, which Tweed commentated from the bed of a truck.

The next year, 1956, the Arabian show was moved to the horse arena at the McCormick’s ranch north of Scottsdale. After two years at the arena near Scottsdale and Indian Bend roads, Anne has a larger, permanent facility built on the northern part of McCormick Ranch, and named it Paradise Park. Located near today’s southwest corner of Shea Boulevard and the Loop 101 Freeway.

Growth

During the late 1950s and throughout the 1960s, more Arabian farms and ranches opened in the desert north of Scottsdale, adding prestige to the association and its annual Arabian show. Valley television broadcasting pioneer Tom Chauncey opened Chauncey Ranch on the northwest corner of Scottsdale Road and Bell. Dr. Eugene LaCroix opened Lasma Ranch at 54th Street and Bell. Dan Gainey raised Arabians at Gainey Ranch on Scottsdale Road. There were many others, too, who became volunteer leaders of the Arabian Horse Association.

A New Home

After the McCormick’s 4,200-acre ranch was sold for development as a master-planned community, Paradise Park was relocated to 85 acres on Bell Road west of Scottsdale Road. The Association held the Arabian Horse Show there for over 15 years. As development moved north from Scottsdale and east from Phoenix, the show site was again threatened. The City of Scottsdale negotiated a long-term lease with the U.S. Bureau of Land Management to establish an equestrian park north of the then-new Central Arizona Project Canal and Bell Road. The Arabian Horse Association of Arizona moved the annual All Arabian show to Scottsdale’s Horse World in February 1989. Later renamed WestWorld, the Scottsdale Special event facility has been home to the annual show and other Arabian Horse Association events for over 30 years.

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History of A.H.A.A.

Arabian Horse Association of Arizona and the Scottsdale Arabian Horse Show History

August of 1952, at the Hotel Westward Ho in downtown Phoenix, a small group of Arabian horse owners met and agreed to the importance of the formation of a likeminded group, to promote interest in the Arabian horse and named this group the Arabian Horse Association of Arizona (AHAA).

Why the downtown Phoenix hotel? Knowing the history of this area, recall that the population was about 50,000 and air conditioning was very new, the Westward Ho was the very first hotel to install air conditioning – and August in Phoenix was usually less than bearable.

These founders were looking to the future and agreed to the education and promotion of the Arabian horse, in the Sonoran Desert, under like conditions of their native desert of Arabia. Corporate filings were completed for this “Non-Profit Arizona corporation” and the foundation had been laid.

The group elected Edwin J. Tweed of the Brusally Ranch as President; Hal Clay as Vice President; and Dorothy Clyde Long as Secretary-Treasurer. Bob Aste, Anne McCormick of McCormick Ranch Arabians and Dr. Eugene LaCroix; Bill Nelson, Tom Chauncey became part of the group; P. K. Wrigley; Helen Collins & daughter Carole Collins O'Connor; Rex Allison joined shortly after, and Bill Mahoney followed, along with many others. The AHAA was 'off and running’.

Early exhibitions were held at the Casa Blanca Inn, a winter resort for the first couple of years. It was decided to plan for a 'horse exhibition show' in mid-February at the Arizona Biltmore Hotel Arena which had a much larger venue, and the ability to show the horses to a lot more people. By this time, P. K. Wrigley had become part of the group, and since he was the owner of the Arizona Biltmore, it was a likely choice; and the Wrigley family had Arabian horses which were shipped by train every winter from Chicago to Phoenix. These horses were often welcomed by the local populace at the train station, as they were very new to most of the population, and something most had only read about but would not often see.

A few days before in mid-February, before the very first show in 1954, it was decided to make it a real competition, a judge was found in Southern California where a good number of Arabian horses had now resided, due to the W. K. Kellogg Arabian Horse Ranch, along with a large number of others in that area. Phone calls were made inviting owners to come to Arizona and a total of 102 horses attended the first competition at the Arizona Biltmore from California, New Mexico, and Arizona. 1955 an exhibition was again held at the Casa Blanca Inn that year.

The AHAA then decided to hold another competitive show and resumed the competition in the latter part of February of 1956, at the Arizona Biltmore Arena; and since that time has held a show annually every February. 1957 the show moved to the newly built McCormick Ranch arena where it shared its beauty with the rest of the world. Early attendees will recall the beautiful African daisies blooming in the desert, covering the floor of the desert, and having automobiles parking on them!

People began saying they were “going to Scottsdale”, even though the show was actually named the All-Arabian Horse Show, as most stayed in the new hotels which had sprung up around the town of Scottsdale, and that name became synonymous with the show; hence, what you heard was “Scottsdale Show”.

Eventually, Anne McCormick had erected a masonry walled arena, she planted four tall palm trees right in the middle, and although one did not live, the other three thrived and when the show took place a wooden floor was built in the middle of the palms, and a very exotic black and gold trimmed tent was placed over the floor for the judge to work from. This arrangement worked well until 1969 &1970, when an agreement could not be reached to host the show at McCormick Ranch, so the show moved to the northeast corner of East Bell & Tatum Roads, on Kemper Marley's property. By 1971 the show was moved back to the McCormick Ranch, where it remained through the 1978 show, which had 790 horses showing. Anne McCormick had passed away in 1968, and her Will had stipulated that the s how should remain there for ten years. On March 1, 1978, just at the conclusion of the 24th Annual All Arabian Horse Show, the Arabian Horse Association of Arizona received a notice from Kaiser-Aetna Corporation, the property owner to vacate the premises and to take any and all related objects wanted, including the three tall Mexican palm trees!

With the three palm trees firmly and carefully laid onto a huge flatbed trailer, the AHAA had secured a lease for 89.9 acres of land from the State Land Department of Arizona, at Bell Road, which backed up to the Central Arizona Project Canal. 1979 saw the 25thAnnual Show and welcomed 810 horses that year.

1983 was a different story, rains were much more severe and for eight days prior and four days into the show, it rained, and not enough people could get in to see the show. Two helicopters with their blades moving created enough air to help dry out the arenas so the competition could continue. By the end of the show the sun shone brightly, and the show was a success!

The show grew by huge numbers, largely due to the amazing production of the show, in 1985 there were 2,460 horses entered. The greatest horse show now referred to merely as “Scottsdale” continued on for another three years at the Paradise Park II facility. 1988 was the final year there, and 1989 the show moved to the WestWorld facility where it has been held ever since. A great amount has been spent to continually improve the grounds and improve the show. The show annually boasts over 2,400 horses, over 350 Commercial Exhibitors and attracts over 300,000 attendees making it the largest Arabian horse show in the world. May the welcoming spirit and hospitality of the City of Scottsdale and the Arabian Horse Association of Arizona continue to inspire all who attend the “Scottsdale Show” each February.

‍Location and Presidents Through the Years!

‍Location Years President

Casa Blanca Inn 1952 & 1953 Ed Tweed

Arizona Biltmore 1954 Ed Tweed

Casa Blanca Inn 1955 Ed Tweed

Arizona Biltmore 1956 Ed Tweed

McCormick Ranch 1957 & 1958 Hal Clay

Also known as Paradise Park 1959 & 1960 Dr. Eugene E. LaCroix

1961 Ed Tweed

1962 & 1963 Guy Stillman

1964 & 1965 Walter Ross

1966 & 1967 William Mahoney, Jr

1968 Howard Heaton

Kemper Marley Property 1969 Howard Heaton

1970 Al Mecham

McCormick Ranch 1971 Luis Merlino

1972 Bill Nelson

1973 Rex Allison

1974 & 1975 Marc Cosenza

1976 & 1977 Bill M. Owens

1978 Bill Littleton

Paradise Park II 1979 Bill Littleton

1980 Dr. Eugene E. LaCroix

1981 Horace Gregory

1982 Dr. Joseph Hawkins

1983 - 1988 Mickey Hegg

WestWorld 1989 Bud Adams

1990 Ed Grandon

1991 - 1998 Ed Grandon

1999 & 2000 Michele Johnson

2001 & 2002 Mark Owens

2003 - 2005 Janice McCrea-Wight

2006 - 2009 Bill Flood

2010 - 2013 Jay Allen

2014 Janice McCrea-Wight

2015 - 2018 Jay Allen

2019 - 2022 Mary Lou Houge

2022 - Paul Glans

1952,1953 & 1955: Casa Blanca Inn - North of Camelback Road

1954 & 1956: Arizona Biltmore - 24th & Camelback

1957 - 1966: McCormick Ranch, also known as Paradise Park - Pima south of Shea

1969 & 1970: Kemper Marley Property - Northeast corner of East Bell & Tatum Road

1971 - 1978: McCormick Ranch, under Kaiser-Aetna ownership - Pima south of Shea

1979 - 1988: Paradise Park II – Bell Road & 64th Street on Arizona State Land

1989 - Present: WestWorld Leased by the City of Scottsdale – Pima & Frank Lloyd Wright Blvd.

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‍Location and Presidents Through the Years!