Last week I had the pleasure of attending the AQHA Level 1 East Championships in Wilmington Ohio. This was the largest Level 1 Championships to date and featured five days of stiff competition. In just one example, the Level 1 Amateur Showmanship featured more than one hundred entries! As a result, there were definitely some late nights, but to play even the smallest role in what were some amazing memories for so many exhibitors during the awards presentations made it all very worth it. I can also say that the daily macaroni and cheese that I got from the snack bar and the candy from the candy shop that tempted us through the window of the awards office also helped us get through!
For some exhibitors it was their first time back in the show ring after a long hiatus and for others it was the biggest show they had participated in to-date. Many happy tears were shed amongst the winners, who in some cases were experiencing their first win at a major show. I heard so many inspiring stories from exhibitors about their journey to the show, including one exhibitor who was showing their mother’s horse for the first time. There was also a youth who had been happy with her rides throughout the show but had not cracked the top 15 until her very last class – which she promptly went out and won! I am always inspired when seeing the culmination of hard work in the ring when putting on the neck ribbon on a new champion. And, of course, a victory lap always takes my breath away.
During the show I was also joined by several of the candidates competing for the title of 2022 Congress Queen. The Queens who were able to make it out included Pennsylvania Quarter Horse Association Queen Kylie Good, Ohio Quarter Horse Association Queen Elexxah Maxwell, Southern Ohio Quarter Horse Association Queen Abigail Gay, Michigan Quarter Horse Association Queen Katherine West, and West Virginia Quarter Horse Queen Caitlyn Christman. It was great to be able to get together prior to Congress and build on friendships both new and old. We had a blast! In addition, between the three pens we were quite busy handing out awards, so having back up to hand out awards allowed us to successfully divide and conquer.
As with any show I attend, I was so happy to catch up with people from the Quarter Horse community who I have met along my journey, while also taking out time to get to meet many new faces as well. One evening I was so lucky to talk with two youth exhibitors, aged 8 and 10, while watching the show. I spoke with both girls for about an hour and learned about their horses and their favorite classes. They also asked me about the Queen Contest, so I spent a bit of time talking about the process with them. Hopefully in a few years we will see one or both vying for Congress Queen! Speaking with these two girls was one of the highlights of my show.
Another highlight was awarding the champion trophy and neck ribbon in the Level 1 Amateur Trail to Ontario-native Annika Rear and her horse Maybeline. It was my first time presenting a champion award to someone from my home province, which was a really special moment. On another note, and this doesn’t necessarily count as a highlight, I learned from this show was that horses DO NOT like the color red. It was my first time wearing the red Berryfit Queen outfit at this show and there was a much higher rate of uncertainty about me amongst the horses than usual. Now that the show is over, and no one was harmed by my wearing of the color red, I am sure that will be a funny anecdote that I can tell each time I wear that outfit.
Overall, when the week was over, I was a bit sad to leave. As always, I had a wonderful time! I want to thank everyone who was involved in making the show a huge success (including our awards office supervisor Bella the rescue dog). I also want to thank the AQHA for hosting me. Looking forward to seeing where my journey takes me next!
