Thoughts from Participants
My best advice for kids trying to reach a horse showing dream, is to surround yourself with people who KNOW! Have the full support of your parents and work with a dedicated trainer. Matt McAuslan made the trip to Texas just for me when he had a barn full of futurity horses he could have been riding! Also, make sure that the dream is YOURS, not someone else's. Lastly, be prepared to make sacrifices to reach your goal. Your true friends will be there for you when you come home from traveling – you will find the time to be a great student, a good friend and have fun! Besides, who wants to hang out at the mall on weekends, anyway?
Laura Calcagni is 15 years old. She is a sophomore at Woodinville High School in Woodinville, WA. Besides her horse life, she is an avid soccer player, an honors student and is a tutor in a 2nd grade classroom
********
One of my goals this year was to go to the Youth World Show and make it into finals. The day we got to Texas my mare was injured so to make finals in two out of three of my classes and to place 9th in barrels was even more exciting. I owe a lot to my mare, Tru. Don’t let her small size fool you - she has a huge heart and loves what she does. We've won three saddles so far this year. She had never seen barrels or poles when we bought her three years ago and I’ve accomplished all this with just my parents help. My dad is my trainer and shoer, and my mom makes sure everything is in order. I would like to thank the WSQHA clubs that offered my classes at their shows to allow me such a great experience at the Youth World Show.
Alyson Rehm
Tips from the Trainers
Cory Hutchins
The World Show is a great experience for life in general. Whether you win or lose, being part of something like this is a great growth opportunity for the kid and builds the family unit. It is a family commitment involving parents, siblings and the student. Together they must be dedicated, committed and have a goal. It takes support from all directions.
The first year is a big shock, so it is good for kids to go back the year before they want to show and see what they are in for. It is quite a frightening experience to see the thousands of horses and kids. In the Northwest we are not used to the big shows they have in Texas.
Whether brand new to riding or a seasoned rider, it still takes approximately one year to properly prepare for World. There are several factors involved in the mix. It depends on the horse, the student and the discipline to practice. You can buy the best horse in the world but you still need to know how to push the buttons.
Comments by Corliss Branch
There are three things required for a winning combination at the World Show:
It requires parental support, both financially and emotionally. It is a tremendous commitment financially, and parents need to be willing and able to sacrifice. It takes a lot of showing to get to World and that costs a great deal of money.
The quality of the horse is very important, but it is not the final deciding factor. It is all about the temperament and the mood of the horse. The horse needs to be designed for the task at hand. It needs the conformation to support the task. Beyond that, there must be a very clear and close communication between horse and rider where they are somehow able to become one. You can spend a great deal of money on the perfect horse, but unless the communication is there, it is not a winning combination.
It requires a youth with a competitive spirit. The youth has to be passionate about competing. Winning requires a willingness to sacrifice whatever it takes to win – even if that means giving 110%. The youth must demonstrate a dedication to the task at hand and a willingness to stay focused.
2003 Youth World Team representing Washington State
Congratulations to Samantha Cooper on Somewhat Shady Zip on her repeat performance as the World Champion in Western Horsemanship! Congratulations also to Jenna Wyrick riding Super Kat Man to a fifth place in Hunt Seat Equitation and Alyson Rehm riding Ima Tru Skeeter to a ninth place in Barrel Racing and a finals performance in Stake Race.
