11-Year-Old Shea Graham Wins Inaugural Freestyle Horsemanship at 2013 AQHYA World Show

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.

It was a beautiful start to the exhibition this evening by celebrating the emotional connection between a horse and its rider. When Graham mounted bareback and completed her pattern without a bridle, it was clear this tough horsemanship competitor would be very tough to beat.

The second to compete was another adorable youth, Claire McDowall, aboard The Ultimate Zip. Ever the performer, McDowall rode to the Gretchen Wilson track, “Momma’s Broken Heart,” while waving and smiling to the crowd. Becca Alden and Kc Fanfaire gave a two-in-one performance that began with an ode to Paul Harvey’s 1978 “So God Made a Farmer” speech. After a quick costume change, she rode the remainder of her pattern to the Templeton Thompson track, “When I Get That Pony Rode.” Thompson just happened to be the celebrity judge for the evening and also sang the National Anthem for the crowd.

Caption: Claire McDowall amps up the crowd.

The next competitor was Ingrid Lecont aboard Bright Seeker Bars, who was decked out with red, white, and blue paint, army fatigues, and camouflage. She completed her pattern to “Born In The USA” and rode double with an assistant who threw candy to an eager crowd. Chelsea Sterling and Triplicate Pleasure followed suit with an equally patriotic theme. She rode to Toby Keith’s country hit, “American Soldier,” while carrying a full size American flag on the back of her saddle.

Sarah Ann Pendergraft and Zip Past The Jag brought a little tropical flavor to Oklahoma City with a hula-inspired performance to the Beach Boys’ “Kokomo.” Ashley Ball and Absolutely Watch Me served up a rough and tough motorcycle-themed ride complete with plenty of black leather and road warrior patches.

Nadia Sherman and Heza Potential Star brought tears to many eyes with a touching performance that was dedicated to her late great-grandmother. Sherman wore a simple, white shift dress and had painted breast cancer ribbons on either side of her horse. Steve Wariner’s “Holes in the Floor of Heaven,” provided the perfect backdrop for the touching performance.

Finally, the dynamic duo of Miranda Mitten aboard Slightly Overdressed and Taylor Brown aboard Absolute Asset brought a little fun with a Yankee Doodle Dandy performance. The pair completed their pattern in tandem and made a big finish by doing backflips off the sides of their horses.

All of the competitors were very creative, but in the end, it was no match for Graham’s superior horsemanship skills and connection with her mount “Al.” Graham’s favorite part of her performance was the fact that she was allowed to ride barefoot.

“That’s the first time I’ve ever gotten to show without my shoes on,” she says. “It was pretty nice.”

She goes on to say that although Al is thirteen years old, he still has plenty of get up and go. She and Al have been coming to the Youth World Show for the past two years. She competed at her first Youth World when she was just nine years old.

“You have to ride Al every day,” she says. “You can’t go out there and just think he’s going to do it. He makes you work for it. [In this pattern] I did turns, a lot of lead changes, a big fast circle, an extended jog, a slow jog, a slow lope, a sidepass, and a two track walk.”

Graham first found out that the AQHYA World Show would be adding Freestyle Horsemanship to the schedule from her mother, Karen Graham, who apparently was a “freestyle queen” in her own right.

“Mom was like the freestyle queen when she was younger,” she says. “She has so many videos. She decided it was time for me to take it on. She had a lot of good ideas. The best one was probably getting him to bow. In two weeks we taught him to bow.”

“Mom helped by making [the pattern] a little more different. She told me a pattern, and then when I got in there, I completely forgot it! It was definitely freestyle.”

We are certain we will be seeing much more of this fierce, little competitor in all-around events for many years to come.

Freestyle Exhibition Horsemanship-:

1-Shea Graham/Lets Talk About AOK

2-Chelsea Sterling/Triplicate Pleasure

3-Claire McDowall/The Ultimate Zip

4-Sarah Ann Pendergraft/Zip Past The Jag

5-Nadia Sherman/Heza Potential Star

6-Ingrid Lecont/Bright Seeker Bars

7-Miranda Mitten/Slightly Overdressed and Taylor Brown/Absolute Asset

8-Ashley Ball/Absolutely Watch Me

9-Becca Alden/Kc Fanfaire

Scroll below to view more fun photos from the event.