Paint Horse Journal, via AHPA.com.
The American Paint Horse Association (APHA) held an official grand opening celebration Feb. 28 to coincide with their annual convention.
Mule Alley in the Fort Worth Stockyards continues to take shape, and the first business to open within the development helped introduce the public to their new digs.
The American Paint Horse Association (APHA) held an official grand opening celebration Feb. 28 to coincide with their annual convention. Joining the crew were APHA supporters and community leaders, alongside Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller and Cowtown’s own Mayor Betsy Price donning a cowgirl hat while riding a palomino tobiano stallion.
Since August 2018, the Stockyards Heritage team has been working to restore and rehabilitate 180,000 square feet of historic horse and mule barns in Mule Alley, adding restaurants, retail, and office space. Originally built in 1912, the structures housed the horses and mules of locals for several years.
Inside the international HQ for AHPA, visitors can expect a marriage of Western heritage with modern technology, according to the organization. They’ve got an official retail store called PH Barn Door, a multimedia “grain bin” theater, office and meeting space, and the Rebecca Baker Paint Horse Legacy Loft, which is home to APHA’s Hall of Fame.
“We’re celebrating the Paint Horse in ways we’ve never been able to do before,” APHA Executive Director Billy Smith says in a post by the Paint Horse Journal, an APHA publication. “This building is here for you.”
Everyone is welcome to tour or simply admire the space, the organization says. Visitors even have the chance to “leave a more permanent mark on the building space” by visiting apha.com/foundation/capital-campaign/give-a-gift-form.