Alexandrea Albright and Best Gift Yet Win AQHYA World Showmanship

By: Brittany Bevis

This afternoon, a first-time AQHYA World Champion was crowned in one of the show’s most competitive classes, Showmanship, which had 148 entries. Alexandrea Albright led her 9-year-old mare, Best Gift Yet, aka “Honey,” to win the golden globe.

Alexandrea and Honey have been a team since September of last year, when she first leased the mare prior to competing in Horsemanship at the All American Quarter Horse Congress.

“I leased her out in October before the Congress for Horsemanship, and she started doing Showmanship right around that time,” Alexandrea says. “I bought her right after we did our Horsemanship class, so we’re a newer team. We just started riding together in September of last year, so it hasn’t even been a year yet.”

Alexandra and Honey currently compete under the guidance of Chris and Melissa Jones, who provided some helpful advice before they entered the show pen this afternoon. “[They said to] make sure everything ends up straight and that both circles are perfectly even. Everything kept coming back to the center point, and everything needed to be even on both sides, because the whole pattern was set up in two’s.”

This trip to Oklahoma City is the 17-year-old’s second time competing at the Youth World Show, and she’s qualified for the finals in both of her two classes. After today’s Speed classes conclude, Alexandrea and Honey will show in the Horsemanship finals. “I came to the Youth World when I was much younger and did Showmanship with my old horse. We were about to retire him, and I thought he deserved to come through the Gateway of Champions one time.”

“Showmanship is my favorite class. I feel like you really connect with your horse. You’re right next to them, and you have to work together during every little piece. You have to think about yourself as well as your horse, and everything has to blend together perfectly. I feel like it takes a really good connection with your horse to do that.”

After they compete in Horsemanship this evening, Honey is looking forward to enjoying her favorite treat, a bushel of carrots.

The Reserve World Champion in Showmanship was Harley Huff with GW Jack Bar. Third place was Paige Wacker with Ima Moxie Man. Fourth place was Jillian Stopperich with Invested Pine Asset. Fifth place was Kiersten Beckner with EBG Groovy Affair.

Sixth place was Kathryn Bunting with A New Dimension. Seventh was Ellexxah Maxwell with Zips Bossy Chip. Eighth place was Danielle Paulson with Ima Blazing Rosita. Ninth place was Emma Edwards with This Is Why I’m Here. Tenth was Holly Strevey with Remarkable Can.