2010 Ford Youth World Roundup

Would you like to relive all of the excitement from the 2010 Ford Youth World?

The American Quarter Horse  Journal staff was on the scene for the 2010 Built Ford Tough AQHYA World Championship Show. The Journal staff went back through the week to highlight some of our favorite moments of the show. Here’s a snapshot of the memories we’ll take home from the Ford Youth World, in no particular order.

1. Repeat Winners. For the fourth year in a row, Ali Papendick of Rapid City, South Dakota, captured the western riding world championship on Harley D Zip. It has been a pleasure to watch Ali, as well as so many other youth, grow up in front of our eyes here at the Ford Youth World, like Ceri McCaffery of Wayne, Oklahoma, who trains her own horse and just captured her third pole bending championship. Then there are Parris Rice of Snohomish, Washington, capturing her second hunt seat equitation title and Darcy Reeve of Garden City, Kansas, picking up her second western pleasure win. It’s great to see continued excellence.
2. Double Winners. In heading, Thompson Berryhill of Talala, Oklahoma, finished first AND second. In team penning, Jordan Lesh celebrated his last year in youth by winning first AND second place with his teammates Carrie Dean and Tristan McCormick. He also celebrated by tossing his hat in the air – though he later got it back. Thompson, Carrie and Tristan will be back next year, though, and they hope to defend their titles.
3. More Than Just a Horse Show. Ethan Propp of Oklahoma Adair FFA scored 582 in the horse judging contest, but his reasons score really lit up the board. Ethan scored a 194 out of a possible 200 in reasons. Ward Stutz, AQHA senior director of breed integrity, animal welfare and education, came into the pressroom boggling at how well Ethan did in reasons, especially. “That kid can talk!” Ward told us. We can’t wait to see how Ethan does in 2011. He’s among the many youth in contests proving that the Ford Youth World is about more than showing horses.
4. Welcome to the World. Some AQHYA members traveled a long way to get to the Ford Youth World, but other AQHYA members traveled a REALLY long way. Speed aficionados traveled from Venezuela to march in the Parade of Teams with their country's flag. During the finals, Jesus Roman Martin-Herrera placed sixth in pole bending and Jorge Luis Cid, Christopher Taylor and Ramon Patino placed 10th in team penning. Meanwhile, Jamie Sutton of the United Kingdom picked up a reserve world championship in hunt seat equitation on Slightly Overdressed. We have no idea how that trophy is going to fit in her overhead luggage bin on the plane back across the Atlantic.
5. Helping Hands. Some teens just like to help out. AQHYA officers and directors helped with award presentations, sometimes staying late into the evening to make sure that all the exhibitors got full recognition of their accomplishments. “E” Gaffney, Hunter Smith and Marcus Mann went a step further. They showed up in the Journal press room and took a video camera out into the wider world of the Ford Youth World to show what goes on behind the scenes. You can catch some of their cool videos – all their own idea and their own photography – here.
6. Help from NRCHA Top Hands. Speaking of volunteers – how about a hand for the top riders from the National Reined Cow Horse Association who decided to put on a working cow horse clinic? Carol Rose of Gainesville, Texas, supplied the cattle and Cary Chambers of Tuttle, Oklahoma, opened up his practice arena. Our hats are off to Jay McLaughlin, Sam Rose and Todd Crawford for volunteering their time to teach tomorrow’s exhibitors today.
7. Family. AQHYA is about the family of horse owners, and nowhere did that show up the way it did in halter, where the Hamm sisters of Phoenix, Arizona, Kaylee and Monica, went 1-2 in aged geldings, and where Molli Jacobs of Dover, Ohio, won a world championship in 2-year-old mares while her brother R.J. won one in 2-year-old geldings.
8. Courage. AQHYA is also about courage, and we have a lot of respect for Melissa Doddridge of Tustin, California, who had a hard fall in the warm-up arena before her working hunter class. Tough Melissa shook it off, rode into the Jim Norick Coliseum and challenged herself to defend her world championship while wearing a formal shadbelly. Talking about clothes leads us to Carey Nowacek of San Antonio, who eschewed bling and went with a plain, black button-down shirt for her horsemanship final – which she won.
9. Years of Memories. A bunch of youth exhibitors said goodbye to the Ford Youth World this year. One, Ryan Lynn Schroeder, won the second-most gold trophies from the Ford Youth World, taking home nine since 2001 when he captured his first in heeling. He closed out his youth career this week with a final win in heeling. (First place still belongs to Nancy Wells Barr, Jerry Wells’ daughter who claimed 12 world championships.)
10. It's Hard to Say Goodbye. We love Oklahoma City! Thanks to all our great class sponsors who helped make this happen. It’s always sad to say goodbye, and we can’t wait to come back for the 2011 Ford Youth World.

• July 30 -- Let the dreams begin.
• July 31 -- Bright Lights, Big City -- This is Haymanot "Hemi" Kebedes' first Ford Youth World.
• August 1 -- Gold, Silver and Bronze -- The Hamm sisters take all colors at the 2010 Ford Youth World.
• August 2 -- Pushing American Quarter Horses is part of the job.
• August 3 -- Some might say that he's too old, but Docs Some Boss isn't going to let that stop him from making his last run at another world championship.
• August 4 -- A wave of talent is coming to the amateur ranks.
• August 5 -- The Built Ford Tough AQHYA World Championship offers more than just horse showing.
• August 6 -- Working cow horse exhibitors get a little extra practice.
• August 7 -- A look back at the 2010 Built Ford Tough AQHYA World Championship Show.