AQHA - Youth World Cup Saturday Hunt Seat Equitation

YOUTH WORLD CUP HUNT SEAT EQUITATION-SATURDAY

PROMISES KEPT AS UNITED KINGDOM CAPTURES ITS FIRST GOLD.

BY LARRI JO STARKEY AND CANDACE DOBSON

Tammy Greaves kept her promise to her father.

Tammy Greaves of Team United Kingdom wins gold on Different Kinda Time on Saturday, July 1.
Tammy told John that this year she would win a gold medal and that he would get to hear his country’s national anthem played while she held the flag.

In the hunt seat equitation Saturday, Tammy scored the first gold medal for the United Kingdom.

It wasn’t an easy win. Tammy has been working with Different Kinda Time for just six days, long enough to realize that the horse didn’t want to go in the arena by himself this week – a problem in hunt seat equitation.

The week’s clinics helped Tammy become better acquainted with the horse.

“It was brushing up on stuff you might get sloppy on practicing on your own,” she said. “It’s just getting with the horses.”

In the ring, Tammy was able to put her practice into use.

“The run was OK,” Tammy said. “He did a good pattern, and then he was good on the rail, which was nice.”

Different Kinda Time, a 1991 brown gelding owned by Andrea Danford of Woodway, Texas, has 262.5 lifetime points.

Tammy was happy to get the chance to ride him.

“I love doing the Youth World Cup, and it’s great fun,” she said. “I enjoy riding other people’s horses.”

This year’s Youth World Cup was Tammy’s last chance to fulfill her promise to her dad. Next year is the 18-year-old’s last year of youth eligibility, and Youth World Cup only happens every other year.

“I did promise I was going to win a gold this year,” she said when reminded of the promise.

She has another day to try to redeem that promise again. To prepare, “I’m going to eat lots of pizza and have an early night,” she said.

Sharnai guides SR Is A Regal
Gent through the hunt seat
equitation pattern.
SHARNAI THOMPSON DELIVERS SILVER FOR THE UNITED STATES

Sharnai Thompson claimed her fifth medal of the day for the

United States after sealing silver in hunt seat equitation. Sharnai earned the title of reserve champion aboard SR Is A Regal Gent. The gelding is owned by Select exhibitor Lee Blakeney of Amarillo.

"We just got this horse yesterday, so I didn't know what to expect," she said. "I just rode whatever he gave me, and made the best I could of it."

Sharnai isn't celebrating all her victories quite yet. She still has one more day of competition left.

"Not much could top today," she said. "I just want to put today behind me and start back fresh tomorrow."

For more results on hunt seat equitation, click HERE.