My name is Claudia Marie Morgan and I am 22 years old. I currently live with my parents, Scott and Gail and three brothers Brian, Hunter, and Alex in Jackson, New Jersey. I am enrolled at Monmouth University with a Major in Biology and Chemistry in their Pre-Veterinary Program. In my summer months off from college, I take online classes in order to get my Veterinary Technicians certification through Penn Foster University.
Ever since I was younger, I have had a love for all animals, especially horses. At the age of nine I received my first horseback riding lesson and a few months later my parents had bought our first horse. In 2015 after 12 years of dance lessons, I made the decision to leave my dancing school to further continue my hobby of horseback riding. I knew how important it was for me to further educate my career to become a veterinarian, and being with horses would allow me to do that. From the first time I had sat on the back of a horse, they have been the center of my world. Presently my family owns and takes care of 14 horses, in which seven consist of Quarter Horses.
When I am not at home, working, or studying, you can most likely find me at the barn either riding or managing the care for our horses. I typically ride or have a lesson on a daily basis with my riding instructor, Martha Rahming, who I have been with ever since I started riding in 2005. My lessons are usually twice a week and consists of different riding styles that range from English, Western, English Dressage, Western Dressage, Gymkhana and Hunter Jumping.
In 2016 I became a member with New Jersey Quarter Horse Association after the purchase of my first Western Pleasure Horse, Good Kind of Lazy. Since then I have been trailering south to Cape May to train with Gary Weeks twice a week. In October of 2017, my family purchased two more Quarter Horses, a yearling named FlashNtheDark from the Congress Super Sale with the intent for my instructor Gary Weeks to train him as a new Western Pleasure Horse for me along with Hes Natural a five-year-old Hunt Seat in a private sale at the All American Quarter Horse Congress.
I feel, my biggest accomplishments in both my life and my riding career so far have been being the 4-H Equestrian of the Year for Ocean County in 2015, as well as being the 4-H State Runner-Up Equestrian of the Year in 2015. I also have had the opportunity to attend World Vets and travel to Nicaragua in 2017 and 2018 to help give back to the community by taking care of owners beloved animals and pets. Because of my strong knowledge of the equine species, I was given the opportunity to be the treatment team coordinator for equines on both trips. For the past three years, I have had the opportunity to be a volunteer as an Ocean County 4-H Leader in which I teach 4-H members Hippology and Horse Judging for the New Jersey State 4-H Competitions. Many of my members have qualified for the New Jersey State 4-H National Round-Up Team. My biggest accomplishment in my riding career was learning that I was 17th place in the Nation for American Quarter Horse Level 1 Amateur Trail. My most recent and I feel the most important accomplishment was being crowned New Jersey Quarter Horse Queen this past June.
I believe that I am a great candidate to represent American Quarter Horse as the Congress Queen because of the positive impact that I may have on younger children in the equine industry based on my personal horse involvement. By being Queen I feel that I can possibly be the inspiration for younger girls to ascent in their own personal horsemanship and apply to be an All American Quarter Horse Congress Queen. All an individual needs is a goal, a plan, and the motivation to work hard. The amount of people that the Queen can have an impact on, especially those who are young and new to the Quarter Horse world is astounding. Hopefully if I am chosen as queen, I may be able to impact younger children to want to join a Quarter Horse Association in their own state.
