Fun in the Sun at the Arizona Sun Circuit

“We are making our final descent into Phoenix where the weather is warm and sunny!” I could hardly contain my excitement as I heard the pilot say this on my way to the Arizona Quarter Horse Sun Circuit. Visiting the largest circuited show of the year held at the iconic WestWorld facility was the perfect way to kick off my spring travels! As soon as I arrived, I met up with my dear friend, Penny, who worked the awards at the Congress. It was so great to catch up and reminisce on the many laughs we shared in October. She also introduced me to Anica and more members of the amazing show staff. Next, I connected with the Iowa Quarter Horse Association Queen, Mateer Strong! We toured the show grounds together and talked about our favorite aspects of “queening”! To conclude my first day, I presented NSBA awards and picked up a beautiful fringed jacket from Rock’n J to round out my wardrobe for my photoshoot the following morning!

Bright and early the next day, I smiled, laughed, and posed for the amazing Ali Hubbell in the beautiful desert scenery at Brown’s Ranch in the McDowell Preserve. I felt so confident in the brown Berry Fit queen outfit, and I had so much fun showing off more Congress Queen sponsored items in two casual looks. Aside from the many photos, we made some videos and even recorded a TikTok-style funny clip that featured my dad! Back at the show that evening, the Kimes Ranch exhibitor party showcasing the hilarious contest for the title of King and Queen of Sun Circuit took place. After a close competition, I crowned Tim and Debbie as the King and Queen of the Sun Circuit!

The following day, red, white, and blue covered WestWorld as the NSBA hosted their Heroes on Horses ceremony in the Equine Chronicle Arena. This was the third ceremony that I have carried a flag for, and I never fail to be moved by the sacrifices of the veterans and their connections with their horses. The tasty lunch after the ceremony helped fuel me for the games I played with the Prize Patrol later that day.

On Thursday some rain came to the desert, but it didn’t dampen the spirits at the show! The slack running of the Scottsdale Rodeo continued inside the Markel Equidome and classes resumed as soon as skies cleared! That evening, I even got to hold the reins to a six-horse hitch!

Friday was a busy day for awards! From the working cow horse pen, to the ranch riding course, I was delighted to award joyous champions with beautiful saddles and big checks!

Throughout the week, I also visited with many Congress Queen Sponsors including Custom Collars, Brinks Hattery, Just Peachy, Kelly Herd Jewelry, Shorty’s Caboy Hattery, and D-Designs! It was amazing seeing friendly, familiar faces across the country!

Saturday headlined the class that many consider to be the most important class of the show - the lead line! Over 20 young exhibitors showed their ranch riding horses, mini horses and even 17 hand hunters! I felt so inspired seeing the passion for horses that already lives within those children!

I would like to give a big congratulations to Doug Huls and the Arizona Quarter Horse Association for a spectacular show! Thank you again to everyone for their amazing hospitality - the welcoming environment helped me enjoy this show in the sun to the fullest!

AQHA World Show

On November 10th, my mom, dad, cat, and I drove to Oklahoma City to attend the Nutrena AQHA and Adequan Select World Championship Show. After seeing online results of the classes that had already been held, I was excited to watch the high level competition and present coveted World Show Globe trophies.

In the Ranch Trail, the pattern included dragging a sled, jumps over logs, weaving with buckets and suspenseful ground ties. In the final, the top two exhibitors not only tied for first place, but broke the previous scoring record! In the tiebreaker Gunnar Got Out edged out Lets Double Down for the win with another record breaking go. The Level 3 Senior Trail did not disappoint for spectator excitement either. From intricate lope-overs to backing obstacles that left no room for error, the level of precision the horses performed with was incredible. Hot Lopin Lilly emerged victorious in the class, and then later went on to be named the 2023 AQHA Superhorse.

One of the most anticipated classes of the show was the Pleasure Versatility Challenge - in fact, I planned my trip around seeing this specific event! Commentators announced how it was created by Professional Horsemen to help showcase the 3 year old group of all-around pleasure horse prospects. The class kicked off with a pattern that combined elements found in trail, western riding, and horsemanship classes. The excited crowd cheered on each lead change and ride-over obstacle. The horses then went on the rail for a beautiful western pleasure class. Following that, the race was on to untack and brush out saddle marks for the final component, the halter class. At the end of the night, Queen Ov Hearts was crowned the overall winner, and I presented Professional Horseman Gil Galyean the championship neck ribbon alongside the many class sponsors.

Another highlight of my time at the show included meeting and snapping a selfie with Terry the Turtle, who was the popular pet in the show office. I also loved watching finalists trot in the historic Norick Arena with a bird's eye view from the AQHA Members Lounge. I even found many different photo-ops across the grounds like in the Gateway of Champions and World Show photobooth. After the conclusion of the show in the evenings, I enjoyed visiting the historic OKC Stockyards and eating scrumptious Oklahoma beef. As I left Oklahoma City, I felt nothing but excitement as I look forward to returning there for the Ford AQHYA World show in July.

The All American Quarter Horse Congress

The theme of this year's All American Quarter Horse Congress was “Where Legends Are Made”, and this year’s Congress was nothing short of legendary!

Arriving at the show a few days before the Queen Contest, I was already filled with excitement as I made my final preparations, studied the 2023 Official Congress Program, and got my hats reshaped. The contest kicked off with a pajama pizza party which was made even more fun by receiving goodies from sponsors, like Durango boots for each contestant, and then a gift exchange between the girls. I listened as the 2022 Congress Queen, Kylie Good, recounted some of her favorite memories of her past year, and I looked forward to the upcoming competition. Over the next few days, my fellow contestants and I completed the scored portions of the contest that included an in-depth test over the AQHA rulebook and Congress facts, a dinner and interview with panel judges, and a horsemanship class. In between those components, we thanked the gracious vendors that sponsored the contest and then had a fun-filled excursion to the bowling alley thanks to Experience Columbus. The last event before the crowning was the Heroes on Horses ceremony, where we presented the flags and awarded decorated veterans after their class. When it came time for the coronation, I was so honored to have represented my home state association of Indiana as I fulfilled my childhood dream of becoming the 2023 All American Quarter Horse Congress Queen.

During the following two weeks after my crowning, I congratulated hundreds of finalists, top ten exhibitors, and Congress Champions. I got to connect with businesses and individuals who sponsored the Queen Contest and express my gratitude. I also met with various special groups including horse judging teams and children from the Discovery Riders Program. From taking photos with little girls, to meeting horse enthusiasts from other continents, or meet-and-greets with western celebrity influencers, every day was filled with wonderful interactions. It was an experience that was truly remarkable!

I cannot thank the Ohio Quarter Horse Association staff enough for all of their hard work in putting on this most spectacular horse show. Jaymie Drury, Jess Elsass, and Brittany Hostetler made competing for and then becoming the Congress Queen the most enjoyable experience, and I greatly appreciate their hard work on the “Queen Team.'' After a year of looking up to Kylie, I was so thankful for the help and guidance she offered as I became Queen and she moved into her new position on the “Queen Team.” As I drove away from the Ohio Expo Center on October 22nd, I felt so incredibly thankful for the family members, horse trainers and all those who helped me achieve my goal, and therefore making it possible for me to have this once-in-a-lifetime experience at the 2023 All American Quarter Horse Congress.