Area Equestrians win national titles
At the 20th annual Youth National Arabian and Half-Arabian Championship Horse Show (Youth Nationals) held from July 21-July 28, 2012, at Expo New Mexico in Albuquerque, the following exhibitors and horses won national titles. The youth are all members of the Ozark Rough Riders 4-H Horsemanship group and Region XI (MO-IA-IL) Arabian Youth Association.
Lauren Bishop, ten-year-old fifth grade student at Lincoln Intermediate in Farmington, daughter of Karl and Sara Bishop, granddaughter of Ranny and Shirley Lorch of Fredericktown, Alma Lorch of Farmington, Fred and Pamela Bishop of Arnold and Terry and Linda Ottoline of Imperial; competing on SF Khemo Sunday owned and trained by Herbst Farms of Farmington won National Top Ten in Hunt Seat Equitation and Introductory Dressage Walk Trot ten and under.
Jenna Upchurch, 14 years old, a Freshman at Marquette High School in Chesterfield, MO, daughter of Diane and Barry Upchurch from Chesterfield, granddaughter of Don and Maxine Danieley of Farmington and Phil and Sallaine Upchurch of Chesterfield. Jenna competed on three horses in the 13 and under division, trained by Andy Amsden of Farmington.
Takhosabi+/ owned by Jenna Upchurch, Champion First Level Dressage, Top Ten First Level Dressage and Second Level Dressage.
Alada Motion+// owned by Libby and Mindi Montgomery, Champion First Level Dressage, Reserve Champion Training Level Dressage and Top Ten Hunt Equitation.
Latest Buck owned by Patricia Moore, Top Ten Training and First Level Dressage.
Top Ten Hippology
Claire Nickelson, nine-year-old fourth grade student at Jefferson Elementary in Farmington, daughter of Brian and April Nickelson of Ironton, granddaughter of Mary McKay of Park Hills, Ken and Isabel Jackson of Waterloo, IL, and Hall Fairfield of Pharump, NV. Claire won National Top Ten Introductory Dressage on her horse NTC Sonata by Bey and National Top Ten in Hippology.
Kate Lewis, 13-year-old eighth grade student at Farmington Middle School, daughter of Tony and Kathryn Lewis, granddaughter of Mary Voertmann, Frank and Mary Jo Voertmann and Imogene Lewis all of Farmington competed on three horses in the 13 and under division, trained by Andy Amsden and Herbst Farms of Farmington.
Beyond the Seaz+/ owned by Kaylan Herbst, National Top Tens in Training Level Dressage, Hunt Seat Equitation, Hunter Hack and Working Hunter.
Tagg Yorr It owned by Sonya Hampton of Farmington, National Top Ten Training Level Dressage.
Zulu LOA+// owned by the Lewis Family, Reserve National Champion First Level Dressage and Top Ten First Level Dressage.
Libby Montgomery, eight-year-old third grade student in Fredericktown, daughter of Tim and Mindi Montgomery, granddaughter of Gary and Vicki Montgomery of Fredericktown, Mike Hill of Dexter, Janell Hill of Potosi, great granddaughter of Roberta Rogers of Fredericktown competed on her horse Alada Motion+// in Introductory Dressage and Hunter Pleasure.
Klaire Lewis, had a birthday and turned 17 at the show. She is a Senior at Farmington High Schoo, and daughter of Tony and Kathryn Lewis, and granddaughter of Mary Voertmann, Frank and Mary Jo Voertmann and Imogene Lewis, all of Farmington. She competed on two horses trained by Andy Amsden of Farmington in the 14-18 division. Klaire is also the Region 11 Arabian Youth Horse Association (Missouri-Iowa-Illinois) Youth Director.
Zulu LOA+// owned by the Lewis Family, Reserve National Champion Second Level Dressage, and two National Top Tens in First Level Dressage.
Tagg Yorr It owned by Sonya Hampton of Farmington, National Top Ten Training Level Dressage.
Karoline Lewis, 11-year-old sixth grade student at Lincoln Intermediate in Farmington, daughter of Tony and Kathryn Lewis, granddaughter of Mary Voertmann, Frank and Mary Jo Voertmann and Imogene Lewis all of Farmington competed on two horses in the walk trot division, trained by Andy Amsden of Farmington.
Tagg Yorr It owned by Sonya Hampton of Farmington, National Top Ten Introductory Dressage.
Zulu LOA+// owned by the Lewis Family, National Top Ten Introductory Dressage and National Top Ten Hunter Pleasure.
Taylor Fischbeck, 11-year old sixth grade student at Lincoln Intermediate in Farmington, daughter of Mark and Leslie Fischbeck, granddaughter of Ron and Phyllis LaPlant, and Bonnie Fischbeck of Farmington and Ron and Peggy Curtman of Owensville, MO competed in the walk trot division, trained by Herbst Farms of Farmington.
SRC Annabelle owned by Herbst Farms, National Top Ten Hunter Pleasure.
Demie Darian 16-year-old Junior at St. Pius in Festus, competed on SF Khemo Sunday owned and trained by Herbst Farms of Farmington National Top Ten Training Level Dressage.
The Youth Nationals show offers over 130 classes with over 700 Arabian, Half-Arabian and Anglo Arabian horses representing 44 states and provinces across the United States and Canada. Horse show competition and activities are open to youth up to 18 years of age and individual entries totaled more than 2,000.
Classes range from lead line to the highly skilled disciplines of western, hunter, English pleasure, reining, showmanship, trail, side saddle, native costume and dressage. Youth prepare for this show all year long and must qualify to compete by earning championships and first place ribbons at local shows. Youth Nationals is produced by the Arabian Horse Association (AHA) in Aurora, Colorado.
In addition to the horse show, the event featured a shopping expo, a stick horse work shop, and a novice horse judging contest awarded prizes to participants whose scores most closely matched those of a professional judge. A Hippology contest offered all participants, including adults, the opportunity to test their equine knowledge about horse anatomy, nutrition, physiology and tack.
The Arabian Horse Youth Association (AHYA), which makes up ten percent of AHA, has approximately 3,000 members in the U.S. and Canada. AHYA held its annual convention the day before the show started.
