Aging Out of Youth And Moving Into Amateur

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454 – July/August, 2023

By Megan Sacia Ulrich

Change of any kind can be scary, so when it comes to changing divisions in the show pen from Youth or Novice Youth to Amateur, exhibitors facing the switch are understandably hesitant. For some, the nerves associated with the step up can really shake their confidence. We talked to three exhibitors who are headed into their last Youth World Show this year and asked them to share their feelings about this sometimes daunting transition. Three Amateurs who recently stepped up volunteered their advice and encouragement about making the change a positive experience.

Feeling the Nerves

Cheyenne Augsburger, Taylor Kennedy, and Bella D’Onofrio will all be joining the Amateur classes next year. Aside from that potentially unnerving change, they’re juggling other life changes, too, like new horses, more challenging schedules to navigate, and less time to spend in the saddle. But just as they do in the show pen, they’re meeting the challenge with poise and keeping their chins up.

Cheyenne “Scoot” Augsburger

Age at First Show: 18 months
Current Horses Shown: Hunt-in for Candy and Made No Regrets
Biggest Concern About Amateur Division: Being the youngest in the class.
Do the math, and Augsburger has been in the show pen for 16 years. By the time she’s done as a Youth, she will have shown at the Youth World nine years consecutively–an event she says she’ll surely be sad to leave.
“Since I started showing at such a young age, I have been in the youth division for so long that aging out is going to be a huge change,” Augsburger says. “It’ll be intimidating to be the youngest in the Amateur division and showing against the older exhibitors who have been in that division for awhile, but I’m excited about the challenge.”
An all-arounder, Augsburger doesn’t plan to make any changes to her class list or her goals, but she does hope to bring some of the younger prospects she’s raising into her show string. As the only Youth in her barn, she is looking forward to sharing in the camaraderie of the Amateurs. “I’m super excited to be able to show with everyone instead of being in my own division,” she says.

Bella D’Onofrio

Click here to read the complete article
454 – July/August, 2023