2025 AQHA Ranching Heritage Young Horse Development Program Participants Selected

Thirty-one American Quarter Horse Youth Association members will record their progress training a yearling bred by an American Quarter Horse Association Ranching Heritage Breeder. At the end of the 2025 AQHA Ranching Heritage Young Horse Development Program, a select number of scholarships and prizes will be awarded.

The program was created to give AQHYA members an opportunity to learn the fundamentals of horsemanship. The horses used in the program are bred by AQHA Ranching Heritage Breeders, which are working cattle ranches with a remuda of at least five AQHA-registered mares that produce ranch horses. The participating Ranching Heritage Breeders donate weanlings for the program participants to evaluate, raise and train. Young Horse Development participants get to keep their horses.

“The Young Horse Development program was designed to give youth participants an opportunity to get hands-on horse experience,” said Katie Reynolds, AQHA director of youth development. “The program is connects our youth members with quality Ranching Heritage-bred horses donated by breeders, and provides a solid foundation for their education and future career path. In turn, this program gives them a valuable set of skills that will carry them forward as members of our industry.”

The 2025 Young Horse Development program participants are: 

• Addison Saterbak of St. Paul, Minnesota

Ranching Heritage Breeder: Schofield Quarter Horses of Philip, South Dakota

• Allyson Estep of Bellville, Texas

Ranching Heritage Breeder: Waters Ranch of Utopia, Texas

• Avery Jacobs of Valdosta, Georgia

Ranching Heritage Breeder: Daniel Gardner of Harpersville, Alabama

• Bentley Johnson of Phoenix, Arizona

Ranching Heritage Breeder: O RO Ranch of Prescott, Arizona

• Brody Clement of Clarendon, Texas

Ranching Heritage Breeder: Seven L Ranch of Sunray, Texas

• Ella Stevens of Cocolalla, Idaho

Ranching Heritage Breeder: Red Canyon Ranch of Forsyth, Montana

• Ellah Chesick of Rogersville, Missouri

Ranching Heritage Breeder: St Clair Farms of Kahoka, Missouri

• Ellie Dykstra of Pella, Iowa

Ranching Heritage Breeder: Open Box Rafter Ranch of Faith, South Dakota

• Ellie Haasis of Foxboro, Wisconsin

Ranching Heritage Breeder: Raymond Sutton Ranch of Gettysburg, South Dakota

• Emily Lakey of Maryville, Tennessee

Ranching Heritage Breeder: Private Treaty

• Evelyn Patrick of Phoenix, Arizona

Ranching Heritage Breeder: Bogle Brothers LLC of Dexter, New Mexico

• Garrett Kane of LaCrosse, Washington

Ranching Heritage Breeder: Flat Creek Ranch of Rogerson, Idaho

• Jake Huston of Douglass, Kansas

Ranching Heritage Breeder: Open Box Rafter Ranch of Faith, South Dakota

• Jaxon Caldwell of Stirling, Alberta

Ranching Heritage Breeder: Schofield Quarter Horses of Philip, South Dakota

• Jessi Petrin of Weatherford, Texas

Ranching Heritage Breeder: Durrett Cattle Co. of Wildorado, Texas

• Kenna Feland of Spanish Fork, Utah

Ranching Heritage Breeder: Shawcroft Performance Horses of La Jara, Colorado

• Kylie Huff of Mishawaka, Indiana

Ranching Heritage Breeder: Box O Quarter Horses of Gordon, Nebraska

• Lily Stanton of Ardmore, Oklahoma

Ranching Heritage Breeder: Bagley Performance Horses of Dimmitt, Texas

• Lily Kate Plummer of Clyde, North Carolina

Ranching Heritage Breeder: Clark Farms of Hustontown, Pennsylvania 

• Makeila Eserjose of Snohomish, Washington

Ranching Heritage Breeder: KT Ranch of Connell, Washington

• MaKinlee Christensen of Hyrum, Utah

Ranching Heritage Breeder: Mill Iron S Ranch of Kyle, South Dakota

• McKenzie Moon of Neola, Utah

Ranching Heritage Breeder: Wetz Stirrup Ranch of Vale, South Dakota

• Olivia Garvin of Yonges Island, South Carolina

Ranching Heritage Breeder: Private Treaty

• Piper Hall of Surprise, Arizona

Ranching Heritage Breeder: KT Cattle Inc. of Amado, Arizona

• Piper Jones of Seymour, Iowa

Ranching Heritage Breeder: Open Box Rafter Ranch of Faith, South Dakota

• Robert Culwell of Louisville, Mississippi

Ranching Heritage Breeder: Waters Ranch of Utopia, Texas

• Rowan Myers of Anacortes, Washington

Ranching Heritage Breeder: KT Ranch of Connell, Washington

• Sarah Wamsley of Laketown, Utah

Ranching Heritage Breeder: Woodworth Ranch of Alliance, Nebraska

• Savannah Hanson of Pikeville, Tennessee

Ranching Heritage Breeder: The Daube Company of Ardmore, Oklahoma

• Taebyn McGinley of Rozet, Wyoming

Ranching Heritage Breeder: Open Box Rafter Ranch of Faith, South Dakota

• Weston Proctor of Tyler, Texas

Ranching Heritage Breeder: L C Ranch of Crockett, Texas

The Young Horse Development Program was created to give AQHYA members an opportunity to learn the fundamentals of horsemanship. Since the program’s inception in 2011, nearly 450 horses have been donated, with an estimated value of $1.7 million. The horses used in the program are bred by AQHA Ranching Heritage Breeders, which are ranches whose remudas must consist of American Quarter Horses used primarily to work cattle. The ranch must own at least five American Quarter Horse mares that are used to produce the remuda, and the ranch must have received at least an AQHA 10-year breeder award. The participating Ranching Heritage Breeders donate weanlings for the program participants to evaluate, raise and train. Young Horse Development Program participants get to keep their horses.

To learn more about the program and to sign up for a notification when the 2026 application becomes available, visit www.aqha.com/young-horse-development.

About the Program

The Young Horse Development Program participants raise their weanlings-turned-yearlings and document their monthly progress; participate in webinars; complete monthly management assignments; track goals; engage in mentoring sessions with local AQHA Professional Horsemen; and compile videos of themselves with their horses, completing assignments including trailering, an in-hand trail pattern and more. Following project completion, a select number of scholarships and prizes are awarded. 

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