Taking Life By The Reins: Christian Jauntig Shares His Gifts With The Industry
By Delores Kuhlwein
If you’ve spent any time around Christian Jauntig – and if you show, chances are, you have – it might not surprise you he managed his first horse show at age 12.
This go-getter won the AQHA Emerging Leader Award in 2023, recognition for young adults in the American Quarter Horse Association who are achieving “an elite level of professional success, contributing to their communities and transforming the horse industry.”
Whether he’s managing a horse show, working behind the scenes, serving on the AQHA Shows Committee, or any one of the other countless roles he fulfills, he’s sought out for his can-do attitude and seemingly endless knowledge.
“I still consult with him on numerous items,” says Kathy Avolt of An Equine Production. “He is a walking rulebook as well; if I am ever searching for a rule, he knows the rule number, page, and paragraph off the top of his head! I am grateful for his guidance and expertise.”
Christian has only been home one day out of the last few months due to all those responsibilities – and oh, yeah- he additionally started his own show management business in 2021, Topline Event Management. He’s also a licensed insurance agent.
“I never like to be idle (apparently) so I always have multiple irons in the fire,” he confesses.
He attributes his positive outlook, the one you know you’ll get when you ask for help, to his having a bit of knowledge about many positions – with a background that’s very diverse. “When there are things happening, I can fix them without getting flustered,” he explains. “I also always try to remember that everything can be fixed – it might not be the most ideal situation, but we can fix it.”
The Humble Beginnings
Those many positions for Christian began when he stepped up to be a volunteer at his local riding clubs not long after he became a self-professed barn rat at the age of seven.
“My family went on a trip to Jackson Hole, Wyoming, and we went on a trail ride. The horse I rode was named “Fiddle” – it’s been history ever since then. When we got home my dad found a barn five minutes away from the house and I started taking lessons. I showed the all around during my youth career before starting to work shows at the age of 11.”
Because Christian volunteered, he found himself learning all the ropes. “As we know, it’s incredibly difficult to get volunteers for anything, so when someone does volunteer, they get handed any task they will take,” he says, which included ring stewarding, announcing, working the entry desk, and eventually managing the shows. “I started working Quarter Horse shows to learn the different aspects of larger shows and bring that knowledge back to our smaller groups.”
He has been welcomed at all levels with open arms, explains Andrea Simons. “We have many amazing people that have done this for years, but our industry is in need of more young show producers and managers.”
Sissy Anderson says she’s known Christian for almost five years in her capacity as an AQHA judge, and Christian as a show manager. “It has been an honor to see his passion, leadership, and involvement in the industry. I am excited about Christian’s future in the horse industry – his passion and enthusiasm is both needed and appreciated!”
His experience, combined with the support of his mentors, like Simons, Anderson, Avolt, and countless others, facilitated Christian to strive forward in reaching his goals of supporting others, due to the example they consistently set for him. “In this industry it is hard not to have mentors. I have been mentored by so many people who I look up to and look to for advice all the time. The way our industry is we all mentor each other in so many ways. It’s a great feeling to be able to help each other. There is room for everyone,” he explains.
Even though the turnover for shows is constant (even when he’s not at a horse show, he’s usually preparing for one), he makes his home in New York and loves to spend time with his family there and in New Jersey, “when I’m not living in a hotel,” he quips.
Always Looking Forward
For Christian, his motivation behind filling his plate so full continues to be the opportunity to help others as his mentors did – and being able to step into many roles to do just that. He also possesses what supporter Andrea Simons deems “a great bedside manner with an ability to soothe when someone is upset,” a true gift to have in public relations, combined with his boundless work ethic, she says.
Sissy Anderson agrees, citing her personal witness to Christian’s handling of “the day-to-day challenges and adversity with professionalism, leadership, and friendliness.”
Linda Murphy, a mentor from the Missouri Quarter Horse Association, says Christian doesn’t just manage the Missouri Quarter Horse Association shows – he has also become part of the MQHA family. “He has joined our association and works hard to help us make it the best association we can be!” she explains. ‘Outside of managing our shows, he has donated his time and expenses to judge our MQHA Charities show, and has he become our emcee at our annual awards banquet, and he attends our board meetings and sits in on zoom calls to help with all our show planning from the ground up. Christian knows our exhibitors and what they want from our shows and he works hard to achieve their goals while also achieving the goals of our association. MQHA is grateful to have Christian Jauntig on our team!”
Even though there are times they cannot help as much as they want to, he says, “I think I can speak for everyone in the show management side that we WANT to help you,” he explains. “We do not want to make life difficult. IF we can do something to fix a problem or help make your life easier, we are going to do it.”
In whatever role he is filling for that day, one thing is certain – what Author Kevin Hall said in his book, Aspire, rings true for Christian Jauntig, not only an aspiring leader, but one who leads now by example:
“A life of significance is about serving those who need your gifts, your leadership, your purpose.”
