AQHA Youth World- Ride The Pattern Horsemanship Recap

EC Blog by: Cameron Crenwelge

On behalf of the AQHA Professional Horsemen’s Association, Melissa Dukes walked exhibitors through the ins and outs of the following AQHYA World Western Horsemanship patterns:

Visit www.AQHA.com to view all patterns for the Youth World Show.

14-18 Level 3

• Maintain a forward walk as to make a strong first impression.
• Pattern is centered on the red line on the area wall.
• A great simple lead change is ALWAYS better than a poorly executed flying.
• It is important to maintain a consistent speed throughout the extended lope circle.
• The size of the extended lope circle should fit the needs of your horse.
• Never compromise accuracy for speed.
• The pattern takes around 1 min 15 secs to work.

18&U Level 2

• Held in performance arena.
• Cone will be set on the blue line.
• Maintain a forward walk as to make a strong first impression.
• Beware of the cone when backing so that you have room to execute the turn.
• Get to your preferred extended lope pace and keep it consistent throughout.
• Be sure to stop past the first marker.
• Don’t be afraid to use the arena space to your advantage.
• The pattern takes around 1 min to work.

13&Under

• Maintain a forward walk as to make a strong first impression.
• Precision + Flow = Higher Level of Difficulty = Higher Score
• The pattern has no set size; so, lay out a pattern that will work best for you and your horse.
• Don’t forget to back!
• The pattern takes around 1 min and 15 secs to work.