The Youth National Arabian and Half-Arabian Championship Horse Show (Youth Nationals) is celebrating its 13th anniversary in Albuquerque, NM, at Expo New Mexico on July 23-30, 2005. The Arabian Horse Association (AHA) of Aurora, CO, produces the weeklong event that features top-level competition, a shopping expo, the annual youth convention and daily activities.

This year's show features more than 1,000 horses from across the United States, competing in 124 classes in a wide variety of disciplines. Gladys Brown Edwards horse trophies, tri-colored ribbons, rose neck garlands and blankets, plaques, saddles and bridles are some of the prizes awarded to top ten, reserve and champion winners. New classes this year are separate walk/trot equitation classes for Arabians and Half-Arabians, age splits for trail classes and changes to all halter classes from “junior owner” to “junior to handle.”

Competition during Finals Night, Saturday, July 30, will feature competitors going head to head in mounted native costume, hunter pleasure, English pleasure, park and the fifth annual freestyle reining jackpot class, which has proven to be one of the most popular spectator classes at Youth Nationals. This class combines fast-paced reining moves, grandstanding and outrageous costumes as exhibitors compete for the loudest applause and a trophy saddle donated by Western Tradition for the high-scoring rider.

The Arabian Horse Youth Association (AHYA), which makes up 10% of AHA, has more than 4,000 members in the U.S. and Canada. AHYA held its annual convention July 22-23, at Expo New Mexico, and USEF President David O’Connor was the featured speaker.

In addition to the convention and horse show, the event features a shopping expo with more than 50 booths offering tack, equestrian gifts, clothing and jewelry. The show also provides activities for the whole family, such as a stick horse workshop and contest, the fourth annual dog costume contest, a dog race, a hippology contest, a novice horse judging contest and a Crawfish and Shrimp Boil sponsored by Evangeline Downs for exhibitors and families, which included a Zydeco band imported from Louisiana.

The Arabian Horsepower program will make its second Youth Nationals appearance on Saturday, July 30, after a successful debut in 2004. The Arabian Horsepower program gives Albuquerque area children the chance to meet Arabian horses and exhibitors up close as they complete a fun “fact” scavenger hunt. Children will be given a booklet with a list of questions about Arabian horses and a map showing where they can find the answers to questions about horse care and tack. This program is free to all local children ages 4 to 12. Those that complete their booklet questions will receive an Arabian horse cinch sack backpack.

AHA’s corporate partners include Dealer Direct Automotive Sales and Leasing, Inc.; Equisure, Inc.; MBNA; MD Barns, Inc.; Sundowner Trailers; and Turtle Neck by Paint Rock Designs.

The Albuquerque Convention and Visitors Bureau, Albuquerque Marriott, Show Season and Zia Graphics are this year’s event sponsors. Youth Nationals activity sponsors include Arabian Saddle Company; Ariat International; Creamland Dairies, Inc.; Equine Pro Auctions; Equine Sports Medicine; Hesten Park and the Hoffman Family; Jim & Christy Egan & Arabian Results; Ann and Bob Knoop; Turtle Rock Partners and AHA Regions 1, 8 and 10.

Last year’s event drew 6,000 spectators, and the economic impact to Albuquerque is estimated at $7.4 million.


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