“I was very excited about today’s class and wanted to win the golden globe. My trainers [Judd and Jennifer] told me to have a nice, fast walk in and jog down the chute and over the hill into the pen on purpose with some speed. That was the judges’ first impression. They said to keep my arms back and tight and my shoulders back.”

“Pattern classes are my favorite. It’s more exciting, because you can do fast stuff. He’s good at it, and I’m just along for the ride.”

While her horse’s name may have alluded to her experience at the AQHA Youth World Show, 13-year-old Dakota Andrie is a YWC newbie no longer. At her first appearance at a Youth World, Dakota walked out of the pen with a golden trophy for her performance with her THREE-YEAR-OLD, Never Have I Ever. 

In 13 and Under Trail, Lenora Roberts came back from a Reserve finish last year to win the class and her first golden globe with Don’t I Look Good.

“We decided to let her do her thing. I just needed to sit there and let her do her job. She carries me. She’s truly awesome.”

“I also needed to remember that Diamond will jump anything for me, so I just needed to believe in myself and in Diamond and know that we will go over the jumps and we look great together.”

In 14-18 Level 2 Trail, Klair Merrell rode Chillin Ona Dirt Road to a win with a monster score of 214. Not only was she the winner of the Level 2, but she also tied to have the high score in the 14-18 Level 3 class as well heading into the finals.

“It got a little nerve-racking, because it’s his first World Show, and I’ve only shown him a few times,” she says. “He’s only four. He was amazing. I couldn’t have asked for anything more. There were some really good horses out there today.”

8-year-old “Maurice” and 15-year-old Brooke have been a team for four years now under the guidance of Kelly McDowall Quarter Horses. They had a marathon day with a class that started at 8 am and finished at 3 pm. Brooke and Maurice were seventeenth in the draw, so they had a long wait ahead of them.