New Opportunities Coming to 2022 AQHA World Shows
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90 – May/June, 2022
By Kelli Hardy
The American Quarter Horse Association, in partnership with various sponsors like Nutrena, Ford, and Farnam, has been providing opportunities for exhibitors to compete on the World Show stage for over fifty years. Today, AQHA offers five different World Championship shows including the Built Ford Tough AQHYA, Farnam AQHA, Adequan AQHA Select, AQHA Versatility Ranch Horse, and AQHA Cowboy Mounted Shooting World Championship shows. These prestigious events, held in various cities each year in the United States, offer a chance for accomplished horses and exhibitors to compete for the elusive title of World Champion, as well as millions of dollars in cash and prizes.
In 2015, AQHA first recognized the need to make changes to the existing World Show format in order to encourage the participation of more exhibitors, starting with the addition of Level 2 classes. The classes were an immediate success, and the 2015 Lucas Oil AQHA World Championship Show saw an increase in entries by 32 percent over the previous year. The Level 2 classes offer exhibitors the opportunity to compete on the World Show stage, but against peers of similar skill level and achievement. Since their implementation, these classes have been immensely successful. In 2021, these were some of the largest classes at the Built Ford Tough AQHYA World Show, with over 100 entries in disciplines such as Showmanship, Horsemanship, Equitation, and Ranch Riding.
For 2022, the AQHYA World Championship show will see further changes to the Level 2 division in order to level the playing field for AQHA’s youngest exhibitors. The Level 2 division, which was previously for all exhibitors aged 18 and under, will now be split into 13 and under and 14-18 age divisions. This decision was made after a research review showed that a large percentage of 13 and under exhibitors were showing in the existing Level 3 core 13 & under classes, but not taking the leap to the Level 2.
AQHA Chief Show Officer, Justin Billings, expects an overall positive response to this change, as it will provide an opportunity for the youngest AQHA competitors to show in the Level 2 division against those closer to their own age. “We anticipate a favorable response from the 13 and under exhibitors now that they have the same opportunity in Level 2 as is currently available to them in Level 3,” Billings remarks.
