Gordon and Youngkin Win Working Hunter and Eq Over Fences at AQHYA World Show

By: Brittany Bevis

This morning at the AQHYA World Championship Show has been devoted entirely to Over Fence classes. First, Ashley Youngkin rode Hez Itchy Too to win Working Hunter. The Reserve World Champion was Karrington Christmas with Fabyoulous. Third place was Addison Bowman with Tuscany Blue Sky. Fourth was Francesca Selvaggio with Elite Iron. Fifth place was Chandler Runnells with She Lukes Starstruck.

In Equitation Over Fences, Erin Gordon rode An Indian Breeze to a World Championship finish. The Reserve World Champion was Ashley Youngkin with Hez Itchy Too. Third place was Grace Baum with Red Hot Details. Fourth was Haleigh Holliday with Dee Lucks Detail. Fifth was Gentry Cherry with Blue Sky Serenade.

This is Erin’s first Youth World Championship title. After winning a Congress Championship title last year, Erin was even more determined to snag a golden globe this year before she heads off to college at New Mexico State University in the fall.

“I’ve had Dallas for seven years this November,” she says. “He is ten years old and he is my best friend. When we bought him, he didn’t know how to jump or do a lead change, so it’s been a journey from where we’ve started to where we’ve finished.”

Erin and Dallas compete under the guidance of her AQHA coaches, David Miller and Scott Jones, and her USEF coach, Erin Bownds. “Erin is from Colorado, where I’m from, and I’ve been with her for a couple years now,” she says. “This summer, I really wanted to focus on AQHA. This was my year end goal.”

Last year, Erin and Dallas were named the Reserve World Champions in Equitation Over Fences, so this year she was itching for a win in her favorite class. “I really like it because your horse doesn’t have to jump a 10,” she says. “We’ve been working with him to get better throughout this summer, and that paid off in Hunter Hack where we were fourth. I like Equitation Over Fences because it’s all about you as a rider and what you can accomplish. It’s so hard to do those rollback turns and hold your body up. That’s one of the biggest things I’ve learned. You have to sit back, and you can’t get ahead of these horses.”

Making this experience even more special is the fact that Erin was able to share the arena with her best friend, Gracie Baum, who placed third with her horse, Red Hot Details. “It’s such a good experience, and I’m so happy I could share that moment with her.”