There is one thing that
unites young Quarter
Horse enthusiasts
around the World...the
chance to ride, repre-
senting their country
at the AQHA Youth
World Cup.
This event is held
every two years and
2016 was Australia’s time to host 13
countries. This year it was time for
Bryan/College Station, Texas, to host,
having also done it in 2014 - again it
was held at the Brazos County Expo
Centre. Starting June 28, and going
through July 8, the Youth World
Cup comprises a week of clinics, and
getting to know the five horses that
each country has drawn. With five
riding members, a reserve rider, and
a maximum of
four leadership participants, each
team also has a Coach and a Manag-
er. This year saw 19 countries par-
ticipate - Australia, South Africa (for
the first time), Japan, New Zealand,
Canada, USA, Paraguay, UK, France,
Norway, Belgium, Luxembourg,
Austria, Israel, Italy, Sweden, Swit-
zerland, Denmark, and Germany.
Australia has sent a team every year
since the inception of the program,
in Australia, in 1978.
This year, the team selected at the
Selection camp was Taj Carson,
Amber Denton, Matt Frieberg, Holly
Gutterson, and Adam Salt. The
reserve rider Rachel Robinson, and
Leadership comprised Chris
Holmes, Sharnte Wilson and
Michaela Wastell. The Coach was
again Pauline Stuart-Fox, for the
fourth time, with Manager Kim
Johnson and also joined by AQHA
Youth Director Craig Rath.
The Aussie team left
Sydney at lunchtime
June 23, on a direct
flight to Dallas/ Ft
Worth. Straight to
the hotel, and then
off to pick up two
cars and dinner pret-
ty well saw the day out.
An early 5.30am start
saw the crew pile into two cars
and head off for the drive to Robin
Frid’s for some intensive tuition and
the afternoon was filled with shop-
ping! This process was repeated the
next day, and the time at Robin’s was
greatly enjoyed and valued.
The next afternoon we all headed
off to a pool party, which was kindly
hosted by Melissa and Kevin Dukes.
All greatly enjoyed the pool in the
extremely hot weather, and a fabu-
lous Mexican meal. The 27th saw
everyone pile into the cars to head
off to Slate River Ranch for our two
cutters, Matt and Holly, to have some
one on one time with John Mitchell.
John, an Australian Youth World Cup
participant for Australia in 1988, is
one of the leading cutting trainers
in the US, and is fabulous at help-
ing these young people getting into
Cutting.
Some time spent at the Stockyards
in Ft Worth, the historic area where
all the cattle were sold,
and then shipped from,
was magic. We also
visited the Paint Youth
World Show to say hi
to the Aussie
team at the
Will Rog-
ers Col-
iseum,
before
heading
off on
our bus
from Ft
Worth to
College
Station
on the
27th. Three
hours later
and we ar-
rived at our hotel, along with all our
baggage, ready for the start of the
Youth World Cup activities.
The opening ceremony was followed
by teams selecting their groups of
horses. Ours consisted of one two
year old (Haterz Gonna Hate) that
it was stipulated we could only do
Showmanship; one 18.1hh Hunt
Seat Horse (That’s the Facts Jak); a
22year old Texas A & M University
Equestrian team horse (Zip n Flow);
a Reining/General riding horse
(Spark with Desire) and a 4 year
old Reining trained gelding (Gunne
Get Er Dun) that has been a walk jog
horse for a child for a period of time.
All were very kind and so we had a
nice group we felt.
Some of the activities that the team
were involved in were a bus trip to
South Texas Tack, which was greatly
enjoyed; a breakfast hosted by a local
Cowboy Church, which was inter-
September • October • 2018 • The Australian Quarter Horse Magazine • 19