Check out this sequence of photos and see if you can guess what these riders are doing at the 2013 AQHYA World Show. Here’s a hint. This is an activity the announcer does to get the crowd amped up in between classes…  

“I was honestly speechless. I’ve literally been dreaming about this day for so long. It was just incredible standing out there by myself. There is no better feeling.”

“It’s funny, we call him ‘Baby Giraffe’ because he is so big. He is hilarious. I love him and his attitude. He’s one of those horses that just goes around, and he tries very hard for me. He’s just an all-around great horse.”

“It’s pretty surreal right now,” she says. “It hasn’t sunk in yet. It’s what I’ve always dreamt of. I’ve been riding since I was little, tiny.”

For 11-year-old Shea Graham’s performance this evening in the Freestyle Horsemanship at the 2013 AQHYA World Show, she embraced a decidedly flower child vibe with flowing hair and bare feet. She entered the pen on foot and frolicked around to the tune “Dreamer,” while her AQHA gelding, Lets Talk About AOK, followed close on her heels.