Youth World Cup
Press Release
Preparations continue for the 2012 American Quarter Horse Youth World Cup on July 21-29 in Kreuth, Germany.
The American Quarter Horse Journal, June 4, 2012 – When the world’s top youth riders assemble for the 2012 American Quarter Horse Youth World Cup on July 21-29 in Kreuth, Germany, they’ll be vying for more than honor and glory.
Throughout the competition, each country will ride for gold medals in cutting, reining, horsemanship, western pleasure, trail, western riding, hunt seat equitation, hunter under saddle and showmanship. Medallions will be awarded through 10th place, and every ride counts.
The riders, coach and manager representing the high-point team, crowned at the end of the event, will receive buckles. The riders, coach and manager of the reserve high-point team will receive spurs. High-point and reserve high-point riders in each event will also receive buckles and spurs, respectively, for their performances.
The Youth World Cup at the Gut Matheshof in Kreuth kicks off on July 21 with a welcome ceremony and opening barbecue. At the opening event, competitors will exchange gifts and coaches will draw for their teams’ horses.
In alphabetical order, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, the Czech Republic, Denmark, the Dominican Republic, Germany, Israel, Italy, Luxemborg, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Switzerland and the United States will draw their team’s group of horses. The draw will actually be a double draw, where the coaches will initially draw a draw order, and then proceed to draw in that order for their team’s group of horses.
“This form of drawing is the most transparent method of selecting horses,” said David Avery, AQHA director of international affairs.
One of the trickiest parts involved in coordinating the Youth World Cup is the grouping of donated horses.
“We balance the groups of horses based on horse skill level, so you’ll find a wide variety of horses with different skill levels grouped for each team,” said Avery. “Every team will have a fair advantage between the double draw and the careful grouping of their horses.”
And riders and teams aren’t the only groups recognized at the Youth World Cup: The high-point and reserve high-point horses, and their owners, will receive prestigious honors.
“At the 2010 Youth World Cup, we recognized Rip City Zip, owned by Breanne Porter of Pilot Point, Texas, as the high-point horse, shown by Team Germany,” said Avery. “The reserve high-point award went to An Honest Detail, owned by Gabriella Salamone of Scottsdale, Arizona, who was shown by Team Italy.
“The themes of the Youth World Cup are always great riders, great education, great hospitality and camaraderie, and great American Quarter Horses,” Avery added. “We’re very excited to unveil at the Youth World Cup the talented horses that we have lined up.”
Set to judge the Youth World Cup are AQHA international judges Sylvia Katschker of Austria and Sylvia Jackle of Germany. The AQHA judges who will judge the cutting at the event are Jan Boogaerts of Belgium and Hans Kuhn of Germany.
The Youth World Cup will actually follow a National Cutting Horse Association and AQHA dual-approved special event cutting on July 21, where the cutting horses donated to the event will have a chance to compete with their owners. Before the youth cutting riders compete on July 22, they will have a chance to familiarize themselves with their mounts in a clinic.
“Clinics – the chance for education – have always been one of my favorite aspects of what the Youth World Cup has to offer,” said Avery. “Education evens the playing field for everyone.”
For more information about the Youth World Cup, including a schedule of the event, visit www.ywc2012.com.
AQHA news and information is a service of AQHA publications. For more information on The American Quarter Horse Journal or America’s Horse, visit AQHA Publications.
Founded in 1940, the American Quarter Horse Association is the largest equine breed organization in the world. With headquarters in Amarillo, Texas, AQHA has a membership of more than 280,000 people in 86 countries and has registered more than 5 million horses in 95 countries.