NSBA Youth Spotlight- Abby McCormick
By: Kendalyn Herlocker
Abby McCormick
Abby McCormick is an active long-time member of the American Youth Association. Abby is a seventeen-year-old junior at Indianola High School where she is on the National Honor Society, show choir team, student council, and is the wrestling manager. Currently, Abby is an AQHYA Region 3 Director and the president of the Iowa Youth Association. In previous years, she has also been the Vice President twice and the point Secretary.
She has been involved in horses since she was three competing in Leadline with her mom. When she turned eight, she started showing walk trot. Her first show was the Seven Day Run held at the Iowa State Fairgrounds. Soon after her debut in walk trot, she bought a mare called Sonny’s Sweet Sierra or “Sweetie” for short. She kept the mare for several years showing her at the AQHA Youth World Show and at the All American Quarter Horse Congress. She racked up multiple top tens and top fifteen placings at the Congress, including a top five in the Level One Youth Horsemanship. In 2016, she was Novice All Around at every circuit show she attended. Also in 2016, she ended the year eighth in the nation in Level One Horsemanship.
At the end of 2016, Abby had bought Don’t Take No Lip or “Tex” for her aunt, who was battling breast cancer and who wanted to start riding again. Tex was a green horse, and Abby’s aunt just wanted to show in the walk-trot events. In 2017, Abby started working with Tex and ended up showing him at the county fair. She then proceeded to show at some open shows in walk trot. At the start of 2017, they sold their mare so Abby could better focus on Tex teaching him the all around events, since Abby wanted more of a challenge.
Abby’s love for horses also lead to her joining a local drill team. She had been riding with the team since she was nine. At the end of October 2017, Abby was at drill practice when the horse she was riding collided with another then flipped over and landed on her. Abby was airlifted to Blank Children’s Hospital with a brain bleed. She was in the hospital for four days and missed almost an entire month of school. Abby took about six months off from riding while her body healed.
Despite the seriousness of her injuries, Abby still wanted to ride. She and her mom consulted with several doctors about the option of her riding again. She was eventually released to ride with the condition that she would always wear a protective helmet. Ultimately, the risk of more potential brain damage with even a minor accident or injury caused Abby and her mom to make the difficult decision to stop riding. In November of 2018, just a year after her accident, she hung up her saddle and spurs. But even though Abby has stopped riding, she is still an active member of the Quarter Horse Youth Association and is thankful that she has that outlet to stay involved with this sport and the horses she loves so much.
