AQHA Regional Championship 2011: A Day at the Show

It was a great event for sure. With 220 horses at the show and 1037 total entries, the Region 1 show was a success. This year’s event was hosted by The Canadian Quarter Horse Association, an affiliate of the AQHA, at Thunderbird Horse Park in Langley, BC.

It was a bit windy, but the bright sunshine pushed away the dark clouds to make a beautiful afternoon. It was Thursday afternoon during the English classes. I ran into an acquaintance, Splendora Huizenga. She was there with some of her students. One in particular, Carly Glick, was competing in her first AQHA show riding Major Leaguer, a 23-year-old AQHA Gelding owned by Splendora. I believe he was the oldest horse competing at the show. They won the Reserve All Breed 14-18. Congratulations!

I watched as riders groomed their horses, prepping for each class, or warmed up in the outdoor arena. It was good to catch up with old friends and meet some new ones, like AQHA Executive Committee Member, George Phillips. George just recently joined the AQHA team and was delighted for the opportunity to visit British Columbia..

This year the event added a trail demonstration by Mark Bolender. Extreme trail is rapidly becoming one of the most popular events in the nation. Mark gave a demo Friday evening followed by a clinic and competition on Saturday.

The AQHA Professional Horsemen stepped up this year with various clinics and demonstrations. Members included Traci Olney, Laurie Takoff, Genny Miller, Splendora Papetti-Huizenga, Edward Higbee, and Denise Callahan.

Watch for next year’s event happening in Monroe, Washington. For more information visit www.r1aqha.com.

1st photo by Don Trout Photography
All other photos by Karen Pickering

• < Prev
• Next >