Team Benelux wins the 2024 Youth Team Tournament

By Alison Chaney, PHJ News:

Team Benelux, representing Belgium and The Netherlands, won the 2024 Youth Team Tournament on June 21. The event kicked off the APHA World Championship Show in Fort Worth, Texas, and attracted 112 participants from across the world. Participants composing 18 teams faced off in events that included a scavenger hunt, relay race and video challenge.

The Youth Team Tournament was revamped last year to give all Youth an opportunity to participate in a fun, friendship-building activity—no horse required.

“I think what makes the Youth Team Tournament so special is the camaraderie among the Youth who participate,” APHA President Kelly Boles Chapman said. “It’s a competitive event with amazing prizes and, still, teams are cheering each other on and working together to solve a question or task, even if they just met earlier in the day.”

The Top Six teams competed in a fast-paced, clean-slate finals, which included donkey riding and a water relay. After much bucking, running and a few dirt-dives, the teams rallied in the race against the clock. When the dust settled and the water dried, Team Benelux emerged victorious.

Congratulations to the 2024 Youth Team Tournament winners:

Champion Team Overall: Team Benelux

• Femke Kramer
• Nienke Kramer
• Charlaine Janssen
• Rochelle Ubachs
• Nissa Claessen
• Evy Gadet

Reserve Champion Team Overall: Michigan Blue

• Riley Francis
• Ethan Jones
• Rachel Jones
• Hailey Smith
• Lila Schinker
• Colton Dulin

3^rd Place Overall: The Bridle Bunch

4^th Place Overall: Halvorson Ranch

5^th Place Overall: Texas Gold & Friends

6^th Place Overall: Team France & Friends

2024 YTT Sponsors

Thank you to the generous sponsors who made this year’s event possible:

• The John & Vanessa Froman family
• Finkenbinder Ranch
• The Herman Family, Superior Care Management
• English Quarter Horses
• The JR & Melissa Cook Family
• Josh & Kaleena Weakly
• Living Large
• Edie Xheka
• Vickery Performance Horses
• Lonnie & Tawnie Ledbetter, Iron Horse Ranch
• Trudy Proet, Tarpan Construction
• Teresa Sullivan Performance Horses
• Jason Smith Show Horses
• Sara Simons Show Horses
• Shannon Watters Show Horses
• Kevin Miller Quarter Horses
• Anthony Zizza
• Steve Byers