Congress is back as amazing as ever and it felt so great to be back! After being crowned the 2021 Congress Queen, I got a look behind the curtain all that goes into putting on this incredible event. What struck me were the little things that, as an exhibitor or spectator of the show, I may not have thought about. However, having experienced the show each day, I gained a whole new appreciation for everyone who makes this event so special. For example, the ladies in the awards office are at the fairgrounds from before the start time each morning and until the last trophy is handed out each night (and on personal note always made sure I was fed and did not have lipstick on my teeth). The ring stewards scribe every entry of trail and continue scribing and supporting our judges’ hours and hours after that. The gate people attend to the gate all day and are there to cheer on and support each exhibitor as they come out of the ring.
These are just a few of the incredible groups of people that make Congress so special.
After being named Congress Queen, I was in awe of how I was welcomed with open arms and treated like family by people I had just met. Everyone greeted me with a smile and a kind word of support while I got acclimated in my role and I will forever be grateful for all the wonderful people who allow us to create amazing lifelong memories at Congress as a result of their dedication and hard work.
Speaking of hard work, I would be remiss if I did not mention the hard work of the exhibitors and their horses as they competed in the most prestigious horse shows available. Being a small part of their Congress moments as I handed them a coveted Congress medallion or the Don Bell Congress bronze was truly humbling and I am so honored to have had this opportunity. These moments are the culmination of years of training and it was truly inspiring to see this hard work pay off. Some highlights include a youth exhibitor who was so overcome with emotion that she asked me to fix her makeup before the photo. Another highlight includes a horsemanship rider who had never won at Congress whose horse thought the neck ribbon would make a tasty snack and we all laughed together as I tried to retrieve it from his mouth. And, of course, there was a grand champion halter winner who sang along to the music as he exited the ring as he was so excited about his victory. It was also truly inspiring to see the EWD exhibitors competing with their American Quarter Horses. Their dedication, horsemanship and love of their equine partner was incredible.
These are moments I won’t soon forget.
Throughout Congress, I had the opportunity to meet and speak with many youth. Some were younger children attending Congress for the first time, while others were seasoned Congress exhibitors happy to be back again. I spoke with many of the competitors of the judging, hippology and horse bowl teams and had the opportunity to attend the NYATT awards ceremony. It was interesting to hear about each of these young people’s Congress experience and what their goals were for the future, as well as see them support each other’s successes regardless of what their own results were. Of course, they all had one thing in common and that is a love for our American Quarter Horse!
I can’t neglect to mention the incredible experience that was Queen week. Though we were thoroughly tested through each portion of the competition, we also had a great time! I am so happy to have made 14 new friends through this experience. I think what was so incredible was how much we lifted each other up. Whether it being helping someone else prepare for their event, doing another’s hair or makeup, or cheering loudly for each other’s successes. The friendships that were made through that experience are sure to last a lifetime.
At times I was starstruck by the incredible equine athletes that I was privileged enough to meet over the course of this past month. These are horses that I have previously seen and admired on the glossy pages of the Equine Chronicle. Seeing them up close at the top of their game highlighted the elite level of competition that is always on display at the All American Quarter Horse Congress, an event that we all truly missed these past two years.
While Congress was surely missed, there was no doubt that everyone was thrilled to be back. People came ready to shop, as the vendors I spoke to said they had had the best Congress to date. We had missed our cinnamon rolls of the Sweet Shop and late-night rides, but I think what we had missed most of all was the people. Being from Canada, there were people many of us haven’t seen in two years and, of course, we all went a year without Congress. Despite this, Congress was still the same event we all know and love and returning to the Ohio Expo Center felt like coming home. I think we can all agree that the All American Quarter Horse Congress is still the one!
