Horse Illustrated Magazine

Young competitors strut their stuff and learn along the way during the American Quarter Horse Youth World Cup, July 6-13, in London, Ontario, Canada.

The World Cup is an educational and leadership based event for youth members from around the world. The culmination of this event is a showcasing of skills learned in an atmosphere of friendly competition. It gives youth a unique opportunity to learn in a hands-on setting with other international youth horse enthusiasts. All AQHYA members are eligible to participate provided they meet each country’s qualification guidelines.

The American Quarter Horse Youth World Cup has unique beginnings. Nearly 16 years ago Skip Parker of Carrollton, Texas, was invited to meet a man from Australia at the Dallas-Fort Worth Airport to discuss kids and American Quarter Horses. The gentlemen’s conversation ended that day with Parker agreeing to gather a team of youth from the United States and take them to Australia to participate in the 1986 International Youth Quarter Horse World Cup. Little did Parker know that his adventures Down Under would connect him to a renowned event.

After his Australia experience, Parker volunteered to host the next International Youth Quarter Horse World Cup in Fort Worth, Texas. (The event is held every two years and is hosted by a different country each time.) The 1988 World Cup was a monumental success. Since that time the competition has traveled to places like Canada, Australia, Germany and the United States.

For more information, visit www.aqha.com.