The American Quarter Horse Youth Association World Championship Kicks off This Weekend!

The American Quarter Horse Youth Association World Championship Show is hitting Oklahoma City from July 28th to August 6th, taking over the Oklahoma State Fair Park. Youth riders have worked hard to earn a spot at this show all year. And this is where it all gets put on the line. The show determines who puts in the most effort and has the most determination, horsemanship, grit, and heart. It’s time for horses and rider to put their names down in the history books as world champions.

The AQHYA World Championship show is the world’s largest single-breed championship horse show open only to youth riders. To have a chance to show off their stuff, both horses and riders must qualify by earning a predetermined number of points. Riders can also qualify by showing through their state or provincial affiliate. There is a large selection of classes for competitors to compete for a world championship title, with separate opportunities for riders 14-18 years of age and 13 and under. At the show’s core are seven classes: western pleasure, hunter under saddle, horsemanship, hunt seat equitation, showmanship, ranch riding, and trail.

The chance for youth riders to earn a world title came along in 1972, which was two years before the American Quarter Horse Association hosted the inaugural AQHA World Championship Show for open and amateur riders. Over the years, the location has changed along with the addition of new classes allowing for the recognition of more world champions. In 2017, AQHA added the Level 2 Youth Championships, sponsored by Adequan, a concurrently hosted show to the AQHYA World Show. 2018 saw the first naming of world champions in the 13 and under division in the core events: western pleasure, hunter under saddle, horsemanship, hunt seat equitation, showmanship, ranch riding, and trail. Today, the show crowns 42 world and 33 Adequan Level 2 champions. Catch the highlights from last year’s show below!