This past week I had the pleasure of attending the AQHYA Youth World Show in Oklahoma City. It was truly inspiring to watch these talented youth and their American Quarter Horses show and compete at the highest of levels. I did not have the opportunity to attend the Youth World Show when I was younger, so it was very special to me to attend in the capacity of Congress Queen. I had the honour of awarding many youths their very first globe and witnessed history being made across many events. What was particularly special about the event was the emphasis on team spirit and the opportunities for youth who may not have access to a horse to compete. These included the boot and jean decorating contests, the judging contests, speaking contests, and awards for team spirit and stall decorating. It was awesome to see the enthusiasm and the time put in by the youth towards these special awards.
There were some standout moments in the arena as well. Particularly, on the Thursday night I watched the L3 Reining finals followed immediately by the L3 14-18 Horsemanship finals. I hadn’t watched much reining on my journeys thus far as I just missed them at both the World Show and Congress. Justin Eddy and his beautiful palomino Xtra Wimpy Voodoo were the first in the pen and laid down an electrifying run. The Norick got louder and louder with each maneuver and his score held up throughout the entire class which featured many more impressive performances. There is almost nothing more exciting then ending a victory lap with a sliding stop and the neck ribbon on the horse. That was definitely breathtaking to watch in the arena floor. Next up was the Horsemanship. Sydney Swollom took the gold globe in that class with a near flawless run. You could feel the tension in the arena as she neared her final maneuvers, the Norick went fairly silent as the crowd rode every stride with her as she neared perfection. Then once she completed her pattern, I think the crowd took a collective breath before erupting in cheers.
In staying until the end of the Youth World, I got to watch many events that I don’t see very often. For example, the ranch sorting, team penning, roping and cow events. I had learned about ranch sorting and team penning for the rule book test in the Queen Contest so it was really cool to finally see in-person these very difficult events!
The cutting, working cow horse and boxing classes were fun to watch as well. I have tried cutting before, so I especially appreciated how in-tune with the horse each rider had to be as well as how difficult cows are to deal with! The working cow horse was a particularly special moment in the show as two sisters took the top two spots in the class.
Like the ranch sorting and team penning, I had not watched any roping events previously. My only experience with them was reading about the events in the rule book. It was fun to test my knowledge while watching the classes. What was really special about the roping events is that Justin Ochs won the gold globe in all four events. He rode Duals Magic Potion to win the tie-down, breakaway, and heeling classes and Namgis D 14 to win the heading. This was a first-time achievement in the 50-year history of the AQHYA World Show. It was so cool to witness history being made!
That was not the only record-breaking performance at this year’s Youth World. On the very last day of the show, Lanie Cornelius won all the speed events - the barrel racing and the pole bending with Rosies Rollin, and the stake race with Leapin Lela Jet. This was definitely a great way to end the show. As in the roping events, this was the first time that a single rider had swept the speed events.
Overall, the Youth World was a fantastic experience. Not only did I get to watch history being made and electrifying performances across all disciplines, but I also got to catch up with many friends that I had met on my travels so far. A special thank you to the AQHA for having me and taking care of me while I was there. It was also nice to return to Oklahoma City as the Amateur and Open World Show was the first event I attended after Congress last year. In a way it was a bit bittersweet to be leaving as I am coming up on the end of my time as Congress Queen, but I am so thankful for the memories and friendships I have made in the Norick Arena. Hopefully, it won’t be too long before I get to return. My time isn’t quite up yet as this Friday I head to back to Oklahoma, this time to Tulsa for the NSBA World Show. Looking forward to seeing everyone there soon!
