Published by The News-Herald | December 2014
Carly L. Kidner, 23, daughter of Chris and Lesley Kidner of Ashtabula, was crowned the 2014 All American Quarter Horse Congress Queen on October 19, in Columbus, Ohio at the world’s largest single breed horse show. Annually the All American Quarter Horse Congress boasts over 20,000 entries and houses 6,000 horses over its three week duration bringing over $180 million to the central Ohio economy.
Since 1968, young women representing their state quarter horse associations have traveled to Columbus to compete for the prestigious title of Congress Queen. The Congress Queen serves as an ambassador for the show and for the Quarter Horse industry. Because of all she does during the show, the Congress Queen is the most recognizable face of the Congress each year. This year as the Congress Queen, Kidner will travel to American Quarter Horse shows and events throughout the country as well as 4-H events to share her love and knowledge of the American Quarter Horse.
The Congress Queen competition is a challenging one consisting of three parts. The first portion of the contest worth 40 percent of the overall score is a written examination of the American Quarter Horse Official Handbook of Rules and Regulations. This is the most demanding portion of the contest because the AQHA Rulebook is 288 pages. Kidner began studying for this portion of the contest in 2012, by making several thousand notecards and often waking up at 5am to study a few hours before attending her classes at Hiram College. Read More...