Building Buckeyes for the Future – L1 & Rookie Programs

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146 – July/August, 2017

BY MEGAN ARSZMAN

Think back to your first breed show. More than likely it was a small, local show where you dipped your toe into the competitive waters, looking for any friendly face or small amount of success to make you feel like you belonged. At that point in your show career, would you have had the gumption to make your debut at a major event, where multiple World Champions and Congress Champions stroll through the gate in every class? Probably not. But that’s what the organizers of The Buckeye Classic are hoping will happen at their 2017 event, July 14-23, in Wilmington, Ohio.

This year, The Buckeye Classic is rolling out some new programs and incentives specifically for Rookie and Level 1 AQHA exhibitors in both youth and amateur divisions, to entice them to make the leap into breed show competition. “There’s been this thought that you can have a really big horse show that’s prestigious, or you can have a smaller, grassroots one, but you can’t have both,” says Scott Nemeth, second vice president and member of the Ohio Quarter Horse Association’s Executive Committee. “That’s been AQHA’s struggle, and that’s why they’ve started the Leveling and Rookie programs to make it open for newer people. We decided we could do both. We want to make the show welcoming for rookies, but still have a big, first-class horse show.”

How to accomplish that feat was another question entirely. Show organizers understood the difficulty that equine sports have when faced with more mainstream hobbies like football, soccer, or cheerleading, and the struggle that comes with competing for valuable time and funds. “We were thinking longterm about our sport,” Scott says. “That’s especially true with all the choices youth have and with different activities that cost less compared to what we do.”

Warm Welcome

There aren’t many that can pass up a free meal and the chance to catch up with old friends and make new ones. That’s what organizers are hoping for during a special Welcome Reception for Rookie and Level 1 exhibitors on Friday, July 14th. While the reception is focused on making the Rookies and Level 1 exhibitors feel welcome, everyone is invited to attend. There will be discussions to help everyone understand exactly what the Rookie and Level 1 titles mean and how those programs work.

Click here to read the complete article
146 – July/August, 2017