2008 AQHA YOUTH WORLD CUP

XX-TRA BIG EFFORT.

BY CHRISTINE HAMILTON, FIELD EDITOR 

Team Canada poses with their team spirit fund-raising efforts.

It takes a lot to get a team to the AQHA Youth World Cup, even if you’re the host country. And the youth on Team Canada really dove into the fund-raising effort.

“With it being in Canada, we really wanted to come off looking good,” said Team Manager Karen Westerback of Thunder Bay, Ontario – and “looking good” included both the team and fans.

“We had tank tops, T-shirts, hats and hoodies made,” Karen added. “And we sold them across Canada from British Columbia to New Brunswick, and they’re still selling.”

The team members sold the merchandise everywhere they could: at horse shows, equine events and tack stores and to friends and family members.

“They’ve been selling them like crazy,” Karen said, proudly.

Have there been any mishaps along the way?

“The big tank tops,” the team said all together, and held up a tank top of almost gargantuan proportions.

“Our tank tops are very, very cute for little people,” Karen explained. “So we decided to order some extra tank tops for anybody bigger than a size 8. When they came they were men’s.”

“We could fit two of us in one of them,” one team member added.

“They’re good bathing-suit covers, or nightgowns,” Karen said with a laugh.

The team’s goal is to raise $5,000 to cover the cost of Team Canada’s team outfits. They don’t know yet how close they’ve come to that goal.

If you’re interested in a cool 2008 AQHA Youth World Cup in Canada souvenir, head to the team’s stalls. T-shirts are $20, the nice tank tops are $25, hoodies are $60, hats are $17.50. Or contact Karen Westerback at: kjwester@shaw.ca.

And they even have some of those really big tank tops left.