First Two Hunt Seat Winners on Day 3 at AjPHA Youth World are Gross and Hatcher

By: Brittany Bevis

English enthusiasts will be delighted with today’s schedule at the 2016 AjPHA Youth World Championship Show, which includes a full range of hunter-type classes including Hunter Under Saddle, Equitation, and Bareback Equitation.

First up this morning, Samantha Gross rode Vegas Made Me Do It to win the Novice Youth 14-18 Hunter Under Saddle out of two splits. The Reserve Champion was Callie Foster with Noterized. Third was Ellie Becker with Too Hot To. Fourth place was Makayla Blauwkamp with Ton of Trouble. Fifth was was Ashley Kahler with Chex N Checkers.

In the Novice Youth 13 and Under Hunter Under Saddle, Sydney Hatcher rode her 6-year-old, tricolor gelding, Only Good Intentions, to a big win. The Reserve Champion was Lillian Woodruff with All Or Nothin. Third place was Kristen McPherson with All Right All Reddy. Fourth was Sage Winters with Huntin Love Letters. Fifth was Reagan Jennings with Cadets Honor.

We caught up with 12-year-old Sydney as she and “Elvis” were resting after their big win and preparing for Equitation later this afternoon. Sydney and Elvis have a special connection because he was born at her family’s farm in Grinnell, Iowa.

“He was born on our farm, and then we had him sent off for training,” Sydney says. “Then, he had a problem with one of his legs. He had to go to a special horse hospital for special help. Then, he got cut, because he was still a stallion, and I started showing him. We started last year and I have been working up to today for the World Show!”

Sydney started riding at the age of two aboard her family’s miniature ponies, graduated to Paint Horses, and has stuck with the spotted breed ever since. Last year, she was named a Reserve World Champion in Showmanship with Sunny Sensation.

Later on in the show, Sydney will compete with Elvis in Equitation, Trail, Showmanship, Horsemanship, and Western Pleasure. “My favorite thing is loping on Elvis because he’s really easy to lope. He puts his head down and stretches out nice and pretty,” she says.

This is Sydney’s first World Championship title and thanks to the modern miracle of Snapchat, her trainer Shannon Vroegh was able to watch live from Georgia, where she is currently competing at the Big A and Stars N Stripes AQHA show. Here in Fort Worth, Sydney is receiving help from her other horse trainer, Hannah Lind. “Shannon was watching,” she says. “She called and she was crying, so she’s really excited!”