THE AID TO ZOO HORSE SHOW

What's all the excitement? Starting March 6 and coming up fast - it's the A to Z. And for any not up on the abc's of Phoenix activity, the A to Z is the Fifth Annual Aid to Zoo National Horse Show in the Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum. Pink-coated, traditionally garbed Ring Master Francis Manley, Jr. enters the ring, lifts a slim four-foot-long English hunting horn and trumpets a volley of spine-tingling notes. It's a heart-seizing herald for five days of thrilling competition from the handsomest, best-disciplined jumpers, fine harness and gaited horses of America.

It's show time for a cast of hundreds from all corners of the country, show time for a spirited audience of fashionably affluent, and plain, horse lovers, show time for a pageant months in the planning. This year exhibitors will test their best for $25,000 in prize money, silver trophies and coveted ribbons for winners.

Still a colt compared to other major events, the A to Z Horse Show presented by the Phoeniz Zoo Auxiliary has vaulted to double success. Not only is it secure as one of the most popular charities and big money raisers of the social and resort calendar, it boasts an American Horse Show Association gold star rating. That's a recognition reserved for the best in the nation the Madison Square Garden Show, the Chicago International, the Kansas City Royal.

"A to Z presents a colorful display of the best in horses and riders

By Moyca Christy Manoil

"... a really national East-meets-West horse show . . . horse-powered by know-how and can-do, plus generous portions of want-to . . . a quality production that has punch, pride and personality," writer Louise B. Francis sums up the horsey set's assessment in the national Saddle and Bridle magazine.

What's all the excitement? Peak performance inside the ring, peak performance outside the ring. And the latter is the story behind the show women motivated, directed, effective.

The A to Z starts and ends with the drama of festivities. It's show all the way personalities (you see them present-ing the awards) pace (nothing lags), gimmicks and glamour.

Credit its innovator and four-time producer a dynamic blonde actress and horsewoman Mrs. Jack Harris, who, as Ann Lee, supplemented a Broadway and television career by pioneering professional theater in Phoenix. "Guess I've gone from show business into the horse business," she conceded in launching the A to Z back in 1963.

Taking over the lead reins this year is Mrs. Kemper Marley. The new chairman has been an A to Z Horse Show stalwart from the start. Mrs. Marley (nee Ethel Chambers) is a native Arizonan who grew up on a cattle ranch near Phoenix, rode horseback to her first day of school.

"She has enough horse sense for all of us," Mrs. John Leibold, ticket chairman, says in praise of her. Reserved and quiet spoken, Ethel heretofore has tackled the tough job of rounding up the underwriters. This feat, at which she's excelled, assured the dollar success of the horse show.

"We do this show for one of the best causes imaginable the Phoenix Zoo," she says. "We offer many classes for the Broadest representation of horses, from elegant gaited to western pleasure and stock, another basis for calling it A to Z. It fills a gap in the show circuit which existed between the California shows and the big Southern and Eastern shows."

Her co-chairmen, also born horsewomen, are Mrs. Tom Glass and Mrs. John Love. Lydia Glass, another cattle-ranch bred native, saw her first horse show as a bride and vowed, "If it's the last thing I do, I'll own an American saddle-bred gaited horse." She's had several. And she's followed horse shows ever since. Her paramount interest with the A to Z "is to attract the finest horses in the land and put on the kind of a show the most demanding exhibitors call 'a glamour show.' "

Mrs. Love is both Zoo and horse committed. With her former husband, Robert Maytag, she founded what originally was called the Maytag Zoo. Also, she proposed the idea of a horse show benefit. In the ring as a teenager, she thinks the Horse Show "marvelous entertainment for young and old, an exhilarating example of man and beast working together."

The trio will steer the Fifth Annual pretty close to established pattern. Frank Jordano, of Santa Barbara, California, again will manage the show.

"This year a Sunday night show will be added, and divisions will be upgraded to offer top or A ratings and more prize money for five-gaited, three-gaited, fine harness and walking horse competition," the chairman early pointed toward the yearly improvement which has been policy.

What's all the excitement?

A record of hurdles cleared, a Pegasus not sprung fullwinged.

"I'm inclined to act first and think afterward," Ann Harris ruefully recalls the initial challenge: four months to organize and face the need of additional facilities on the Biltmore Hotel grounds, which had been offered as a staging area. The inspiration of November, 1962, was an accomplished miracle by March 6, 1963. "Thanks to the Scottsdale Sheriff's Posse, the grounds were readied. And we built 200 portable stalls and a show ring, and borrowed jumps from the Arizona Hunter Jumper Association." Prize money of $13,000 and seventy classes with two A divisions lured 220 exhibitors from sixteen states with 355 horses.

"What a reward to be rated an Honor Show by the American Horse Show Association! That's rare for a first time," Ann smiles.

The Second Annual A to Z followed the next March again on the Arizona Biltmore Hotel grounds. Prize money rose to $17,250, classes to eighty-two. Exhibitors increased to 239 entering 375 horses. Seventy more stalls were added and sales for boxes were doubled. "We erected a huge tent for social events and the greatest excitement of that show, socially at least, was Mamie Eisenhower's attending on opening night," Ann recalls.

In 1965 the Biltmore grounds were no longer available and there was no suitable substitute. The committee decided to skip a year and set their sights on the new Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum, which would be ready for 1966, and a bigger than ever Horse Show. This ideal stage offered A to Z fulfillment as a sports spectacular.

"We built jumps with donated labor and material. The men were wonderful like Tom Glass and Charles Larkin. Charles Larkin gave invaluable technical assistance from the first, built an inner ring so we could have the needed oval. It was earth shaking, literally, as tons of dirt were dumped onto the Coliseum floor. Mrs. Jerome Louchheim, with ingenious talent and all-out committee effort, transformed the lower vaults of the Coliseum into handsome headquarters for the spirit-spurring parties. We were primed for a glamorous, dustless indoor show."

The Third National lured 308 exhibitors from seventeen states, with 479 horses to compete for $17,000 in prize money. Classes went up to ninety-seven, with A ratings in five divisions. Box buyers climbed to 169, and sponsors donating $100 or more to 130.

Exhibitors voiced glowing praise. Attendance and $20,000 to give to the Zoo reflected public support. A Gold Star Honor Rating from the American Horse Show Association crowned the efforts. The A to Z had added lustre to the civic image of Phoenix.

A production now involving thousands of dollars and millions of details, the horse business called for a business address. Town and Country Shopping Center offered space. The Fourth Annual A to Z was the first to move its pre-show headquarters out of Ann Harris's home and the ticket office out of the Leibold family's den. From November 1, 1966, committee and auxiliary members harnessed themselves to fullday work weeks. The business-like approach paid dividends. The Fourth Annual improved upon the Third. Prize money increased to $23,000. Exhibitors came from twenty states, with 547 horses more than ever before. The 110 classes had six A rating divisions. At accounting time, there was $35,000 for the monkeys, elephants, zebras and company at the Zoo at Papago Park. As Louise Francis tallied it, "1967 saw a nearly one-third jump in numbers over last year. But when it comes to interest and quality in competition, the growth was even more marked the big strength from the West Coast and Mountain States was all there. Add the top pony stables from the Midwest and South; knowing horsemen from everywhere coming to watch champions meet; golden days; velvet nights... Phoenix-you're almost there!" The spacious Coliseum arena is a major factor in qualifying the A to Z as a star show by THE AMERICAN HORSE SHOWS ASSOCIATION She manifested a deep interest in the Phoenix Zoo by organizing the Zoo Auxiliary and serving as its president. This force of 150 fillies, as the synonym goes, dressed in jaunty Zebra-striped uniforms, adds physicial as well as functional aura to the Horse Show.

For Ann, for the horses, for the Zoo, or because the Zoo Auxiliary has a certain blue-blooded chic born of membership by invitation and sustained by proving one's caliber through work, the fillies fall in.

In the beginning, it wasn't because they loved horses. "You don't have to know a thing about horses to enjoy a horse show" became accepted philosophy.

"It's exciting to see what's accomplished," says Mrs. William Saufley, who, as social events chairman, proves herself by engineering an opening night cocktail buffet for 1000 guests with everything donated, and follows that within the week with a gala exhibitors dinner party. Her attitude is typical. "My interest is raising funds for the Zoo. Before the A to Z most Auxiliary members, including me, didn't know a thing about horses. Yet we probably have better benefit participation than any group ever had. Ninety-seven percent helps - not just with one job, but four or five. And we have fun. "You put in hours and hours of effort to produce a show which pro's of the horse show circuit call glamorous! tremendous! beautifully done! Well, who can help feeling proud? Being a part of the accomplishment is a prime force. Of course, the girls have become horse oriented."

The Horse Show in fact brings the entire community to a new horse orientation. Southwest development parallels the changing evolution of the horse. The early West bowed to the Apache pony which, as historian Frank Dobie records, What's behind this phenomenal success in only a few years? A major mover who manages to impart her own tremendous drive and warm enthusiasm to associates, Ann Harris is a pied piper of impressive persuasion. She sees herself as an innovator: "I like to do new things, start things..." A friend says, "Ann's finest role is organizing some worthy project."