Arizona Youth Head to Fort Worth

Kristin Crumpton & Finely Principled Blake Johns Natalie Anderson & Gunslinger Chic

MAKE IT COUNT is the theme for the American Quarter Horse Association Youth World Championship Show. While all youth world exhibitors hope to make the show count, there is a special group of kids from Arizona who will be riding hard to make this show count.the kids going showing for the last time in youth, and since they are will no longer be eligible for youth classesnest year, they are really not kids. AzQHA is proud to showcase these young adults representing our state for the last time. They are:

Natalie Anderson, usually just called "Nat" is taking two horses to the youth worlds: Gunslinger Chic and Boomernic Dude. Gunslinger Chic, better known as "Shooter," is Nat's entry in the reining class. She will also be showing Boomernic Dude, "Dude" in working cowhorse. This is Nat's third year to show at the youth world and she is hoping to make the finals. Reining is her best chance since she has more experience showing in reining classes. She has only shown Dude three times so the cow work can be "intense".

Nat has had horses since she was 10. Her Dad also rides and shows, and her Mom is the cheerleader. Dude is actually her father's horse and Nat had to work really hard to get permission to show him. She has mixed feeling about qualifying to show Dude at the world show. The AzQHYA president, Janelle Hermann, was scheduled to go in working cowhorse, but her horse was lame so Nat will be taking Dude as a state-qualified alternate exhibitor. While pleased that she has the chance to show in cowhorse, Nat would really have preferred that Janelle be able to show. But since Janelle can't show and Nat can she's thankful that Dude is really "cowy, and once he's locked on to the cow he's really good." After the world show, Nat will be heading to ASU, and while she would like to continue showing in amateur, "school will have to be a priority.

Blake Johns will be showing three different horses in three different classes at the AQHYA Youth World Show. He will show The Blue and Gray (Ty) in western riding, Jet Set Spots (Jet) in trail, and Tuff Sliding Peppy (Gonzo) in reining. Blake first showed at the Youth World show when he was 11, so he has seven years of experience showing there. The horse that he showed all those years ago, Dun By Gold, is now retired, but still in the family. And its quite a horse family, Blake's Mom and Dad both showed as youth exhibitors, in fact his Mom is still showing and a World Champion in her own right, and his grandfather was president of the American Quarter Horse Association (his cousin Harrison Tobin is also showing at the youth world for the last year; his brothers, Trevor and Blake have several years of eligibility left).

While Blake likes the fun and thrill of reining, he would be most pleased to do well in trail. He has been showing in that class the longest and would really like to do well. Trail is "not as easy as one might think"; the pattern is long and involved; its difficult to memorize the course, and with so many good horses

"even a few ticks" will knock you out of the running. Blake is looking forward to going to the show, having a good time, and "making it count." He appreciates all the good times showing horses, help from his Mom and trainers, Jim and Deanna. After the world show Blake probably won't show as much since he will be starting classes at ASU in the fall.