Youth World Show & NSBA World Show Adventures

The energy was palpable on the OKC Fairgrounds as youth from around the country came together at the AQHYA World Championship Show. The high spirits were evident in the barn area, where the themed stall decorations of each state association were proudly on display. Decoration themes ranged from basketball teams to state fair amusements - the Texas youth even brought a pet prairie dog as their association mascot! Inside the arenas I awarded Level 1, Level 2 and World Champion Level 3 classes of all disciplines to amazing horse and rider teams. I was often inspired seeing the top riders immediately praise and thank their horses when they were announced with a high placing. I know that the future of our industry and its horses will be in good hands.

Outside of the showpen, temperatures often rose to well over 100 degrees, making visits to the ice cream stand a necessity. Each day, I posed in front of giant “AQHA” letters and twirled, showing off my outfits for a social media video chronicling my looks each day. I was blessed with plenty of good company throughout the week, including Equine Chronicle’s Gordon Downey, former Congress Queen Kylie Good and her mom, Denise, as well as fellow queens from the Northern Ohio, Southern Ohio, Ohio, and Kentucky Quarter Horse Associations. On my final day at the Youth World, some of my favorite classes took place, like the Level 3 14-18 Western Pleasure and Level 3 14-18 Horsemanship. Both classes drew large crowds that were captivated by excellent performances.

As I loaded up the trailer to head to Tulsa, I was so thankful for my time at the AQHYA World Show and so genuinely happy for all the amazing youth who #gottheglobe!

After a drive across the Turner Turnpike and an unplanned trip to the Verizon store to get a new phone, it was time to begin my “queening” duties in Tulsa at the National Snaffle Bit Association World Show!

I was stationed in the awards island in the middle of the Ford Truck Arena, the arena that hosted all the incredible Western Pleasure and Hunter Under Saddle classes during the show. I very much enjoyed peering out over the trophy tops to see the industry’s most talented horses in action. On Wednesday evening, one of the headline events of the show, the CINCH Horsemanship Invitational Finals, drew a large and lively crowd. Before the individual patterns, I helped present a beautifully baked pie that was auctioned off for over a thousand dollars! At the end of these jaw dropping patterns and strong railwork, Paige Rogers was crowned the champion of the class, taking home a large check. Friday showcased the famous Markel Yearling Sale! I enjoyed seeing lot after lot of promising young horses and the many industry members bidding on them.

After over a week of watching and awarding such incredible classes, I could not help but think of how wonderfully I was accommodated by the NSBA, and all of the show staff. Every morning when arriving in the building, I was greeted so warmly by the ring staff, stewards, announcers, gate crew and office staff. I am so very grateful to have had this as my final show before I head back to the Congress!

The Not-So Little Buckeye

On July 10th, I arrived at the AQHA Top Ten show dubbed “The Most Exhibitor Focused Show” at the beautiful Garwood Arena facility. The show was presented by the Ohio Amateur Quarter Horse Association, and I was warmly welcomed by the many volunteers. The next day, classes kicked off with competitive trail runs, and outside the show ring, tasty food was served for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

Friday was filled with many wonderful moments, and kicked off with an enjoyable coloring contest. I was joined by the Tri-State QHA Queen, Madi Heilveil, Ohio QHA Queen Sidney Hawk, and Northern Ohio QHA Queen, Madison Sigrist. Together, we colored and chatted with many young horse lovers and future Quarter Horse Queens!

One of the highlights of the show was the Lead Line class with 30 impressive entries! Giant elephant stuffed animals and beautiful champion neck ribbons were awarded to every participant. That afternoon featured competitive halter classes, and grand and reserve champions were awarded neck ribbons.

On Saturday, I watched large western pleasure and horsemanship classes and enjoyed the ice cream social that was put on by Heather Duer of OAQHA. Amateur and open ranch riding classes were also held in the Ranch Arena that day.

The large and competitive hunter under saddle and equitation classes capped off the very successful show. I enjoyed awarding the championship trophy to the winner of the $1,000 added NSBA Green Hunter Under Saddle Class!

I would like to extend a huge congratulations as well as a sincere thanks to Heather Duer, Madeline Graves, the OAQHA board members, Mark Harrell and all other show staff. It was truly a pleasure to be a small part of this incredible show!

Queening Marathon: The AQHA Level 1 Championships East & West and The Madness

Level 1 East

The AQHA Level 1 Championships East spanned seven exciting days at the incredible World Equestrian Center in Wilmington, Ohio. Former All American Quarter Horse Congress Queen, Darcy Woods and her mother, Jaqueline, headed the awards for the entire show. Thanks to their expertise, I was able to navigate many busy days of awards presentations spanning across three show pens. Later in the week, current state association queens not only joined me in presenting awards, but we enjoyed other aspects of the show like an ice cream social, visiting with vendors, and chatting with Gordon Downey of the Equine Chronicle. I was also delighted by a visit from Jaymie Drury, the Chair of the Congress Queen Committee a.k.a. the “Queen Team”. When the largest number of queens were present, we took a lovely photo with Michael from Shane Rux at the backdrop. Friday included what was arguably the most important class of the show, the leadline. The class had 35 adorable participants and drew the largest crowd of joyful spectators. I was impressed at how well the show was run, making for a very enjoyable experience for participants and spectators alike!

SOQHA’s The Madness

Almost two weeks later, I arrived at SOQHA’s “The Madness” back at the WEC, a show that holds the honor of being an AQHA Top Ten Show Circuit. Not only did the AQHA classes boast large numbers with incredible quality, but there were also many exciting futurities like the Maiden Horse Slot class and Novice Horse class. It was such a pleasure to award the top placings in those classes to such talented horses and riders. I also enjoyed presenting awards for the Non-Pro Trail Challenge to those who navigated such a difficult course with ease. Perhaps my favorite class was the Dad’s Walk-Trot. Dads, husbands, and brothers that do not normally ride were bid on calcutta style before the class - what a truly fun class to watch! To wrap up my visit at the show, on the final day, I spent time with my lovely mom on Mother’s Day. Enjoying a horse show together was the perfect way to celebrate the holiday!

Level 1 West

After a very quick turnaround from The Madness, I flew to Las Vegas and arrived at the iconic South Point Hotel, Casino, and Equestrian Center for the AQHA Level 1 Championships West. The show was held in conjunction with the AZQHA Pinnacle Circuit and was the largest Level 1 West show to date. It was great to be reunited with many friends from Arizona Quarter Horse that I made during the Sun Circuit and especially with the ladies of the awards, Penny King and Anica Reddick. We had the best time giving awards presentations each day to the grateful class winners. During the Level 1 Amateur Western Riding, I had the pleasure of awarding a top ten placing to former Congress Queen, Meghan Murphy. It was such a joy chatting with her after the presentation - I felt so blessed to follow in the footsteps of so many great former Congress Queens. I saw many incredible horses inside the show pen, but I also met some other interesting animals outside of the pen as well, like a sweet dog named Carl that wore goggles and two traveling goats. On the final two days of the show, I was joined by local royalty in Mrs. Agriculture America Southwestern States, Cheyenne Bertrand. She had excellent timing in that she made it in time to watch and award a great leadline class. We could not stop talking about how cute the participants would look with the adorable buckle they won for entering.

After such a fun-filled stretch of shows, I couldn't help but think about the busy AQHA staff members and SOQHA show staff that worked tirelessly to make each of these shows so incredible. Our industry is so blessed!

Fun in the Sun at the Arizona Sun Circuit

“We are making our final descent into Phoenix where the weather is warm and sunny!” I could hardly contain my excitement as I heard the pilot say this on my way to the Arizona Quarter Horse Sun Circuit. Visiting the largest circuited show of the year held at the iconic WestWorld facility was the perfect way to kick off my spring travels! As soon as I arrived, I met up with my dear friend, Penny, who worked the awards at the Congress. It was so great to catch up and reminisce on the many laughs we shared in October. She also introduced me to Anica and more members of the amazing show staff. Next, I connected with the Iowa Quarter Horse Association Queen, Mateer Strong! We toured the show grounds together and talked about our favorite aspects of “queening”! To conclude my first day, I presented NSBA awards and picked up a beautiful fringed jacket from Rock’n J to round out my wardrobe for my photoshoot the following morning!

Bright and early the next day, I smiled, laughed, and posed for the amazing Ali Hubbell in the beautiful desert scenery at Brown’s Ranch in the McDowell Preserve. I felt so confident in the brown Berry Fit queen outfit, and I had so much fun showing off more Congress Queen sponsored items in two casual looks. Aside from the many photos, we made some videos and even recorded a TikTok-style funny clip that featured my dad! Back at the show that evening, the Kimes Ranch exhibitor party showcasing the hilarious contest for the title of King and Queen of Sun Circuit took place. After a close competition, I crowned Tim and Debbie as the King and Queen of the Sun Circuit!

The following day, red, white, and blue covered WestWorld as the NSBA hosted their Heroes on Horses ceremony in the Equine Chronicle Arena. This was the third ceremony that I have carried a flag for, and I never fail to be moved by the sacrifices of the veterans and their connections with their horses. The tasty lunch after the ceremony helped fuel me for the games I played with the Prize Patrol later that day.

On Thursday some rain came to the desert, but it didn’t dampen the spirits at the show! The slack running of the Scottsdale Rodeo continued inside the Markel Equidome and classes resumed as soon as skies cleared! That evening, I even got to hold the reins to a six-horse hitch!

Friday was a busy day for awards! From the working cow horse pen, to the ranch riding course, I was delighted to award joyous champions with beautiful saddles and big checks!

Throughout the week, I also visited with many Congress Queen Sponsors including Custom Collars, Brinks Hattery, Just Peachy, Kelly Herd Jewelry, Shorty’s Caboy Hattery, and D-Designs! It was amazing seeing friendly, familiar faces across the country!

Saturday headlined the class that many consider to be the most important class of the show - the lead line! Over 20 young exhibitors showed their ranch riding horses, mini horses and even 17 hand hunters! I felt so inspired seeing the passion for horses that already lives within those children!

I would like to give a big congratulations to Doug Huls and the Arizona Quarter Horse Association for a spectacular show! Thank you again to everyone for their amazing hospitality - the welcoming environment helped me enjoy this show in the sun to the fullest!

AQHA World Show

On November 10th, my mom, dad, cat, and I drove to Oklahoma City to attend the Nutrena AQHA and Adequan Select World Championship Show. After seeing online results of the classes that had already been held, I was excited to watch the high level competition and present coveted World Show Globe trophies.

In the Ranch Trail, the pattern included dragging a sled, jumps over logs, weaving with buckets and suspenseful ground ties. In the final, the top two exhibitors not only tied for first place, but broke the previous scoring record! In the tiebreaker Gunnar Got Out edged out Lets Double Down for the win with another record breaking go. The Level 3 Senior Trail did not disappoint for spectator excitement either. From intricate lope-overs to backing obstacles that left no room for error, the level of precision the horses performed with was incredible. Hot Lopin Lilly emerged victorious in the class, and then later went on to be named the 2023 AQHA Superhorse.

One of the most anticipated classes of the show was the Pleasure Versatility Challenge - in fact, I planned my trip around seeing this specific event! Commentators announced how it was created by Professional Horsemen to help showcase the 3 year old group of all-around pleasure horse prospects. The class kicked off with a pattern that combined elements found in trail, western riding, and horsemanship classes. The excited crowd cheered on each lead change and ride-over obstacle. The horses then went on the rail for a beautiful western pleasure class. Following that, the race was on to untack and brush out saddle marks for the final component, the halter class. At the end of the night, Queen Ov Hearts was crowned the overall winner, and I presented Professional Horseman Gil Galyean the championship neck ribbon alongside the many class sponsors.

Another highlight of my time at the show included meeting and snapping a selfie with Terry the Turtle, who was the popular pet in the show office. I also loved watching finalists trot in the historic Norick Arena with a bird's eye view from the AQHA Members Lounge. I even found many different photo-ops across the grounds like in the Gateway of Champions and World Show photobooth. After the conclusion of the show in the evenings, I enjoyed visiting the historic OKC Stockyards and eating scrumptious Oklahoma beef. As I left Oklahoma City, I felt nothing but excitement as I look forward to returning there for the Ford AQHYA World show in July.

The All American Quarter Horse Congress

The theme of this year's All American Quarter Horse Congress was “Where Legends Are Made”, and this year’s Congress was nothing short of legendary!

Arriving at the show a few days before the Queen Contest, I was already filled with excitement as I made my final preparations, studied the 2023 Official Congress Program, and got my hats reshaped. The contest kicked off with a pajama pizza party which was made even more fun by receiving goodies from sponsors, like Durango boots for each contestant, and then a gift exchange between the girls. I listened as the 2022 Congress Queen, Kylie Good, recounted some of her favorite memories of her past year, and I looked forward to the upcoming competition. Over the next few days, my fellow contestants and I completed the scored portions of the contest that included an in-depth test over the AQHA rulebook and Congress facts, a dinner and interview with panel judges, and a horsemanship class. In between those components, we thanked the gracious vendors that sponsored the contest and then had a fun-filled excursion to the bowling alley thanks to Experience Columbus. The last event before the crowning was the Heroes on Horses ceremony, where we presented the flags and awarded decorated veterans after their class. When it came time for the coronation, I was so honored to have represented my home state association of Indiana as I fulfilled my childhood dream of becoming the 2023 All American Quarter Horse Congress Queen.

During the following two weeks after my crowning, I congratulated hundreds of finalists, top ten exhibitors, and Congress Champions. I got to connect with businesses and individuals who sponsored the Queen Contest and express my gratitude. I also met with various special groups including horse judging teams and children from the Discovery Riders Program. From taking photos with little girls, to meeting horse enthusiasts from other continents, or meet-and-greets with western celebrity influencers, every day was filled with wonderful interactions. It was an experience that was truly remarkable!

I cannot thank the Ohio Quarter Horse Association staff enough for all of their hard work in putting on this most spectacular horse show. Jaymie Drury, Jess Elsass, and Brittany Hostetler made competing for and then becoming the Congress Queen the most enjoyable experience, and I greatly appreciate their hard work on the “Queen Team.'' After a year of looking up to Kylie, I was so thankful for the help and guidance she offered as I became Queen and she moved into her new position on the “Queen Team.” As I drove away from the Ohio Expo Center on October 22nd, I felt so incredibly thankful for the family members, horse trainers and all those who helped me achieve my goal, and therefore making it possible for me to have this once-in-a-lifetime experience at the 2023 All American Quarter Horse Congress.