USEF President and 2000 Olympic Gold Medalist David O’Connor was well received as the guest of honor at the annual Arabian Horse Youth Association Convention in Albuquerque, July 22 and 23. As keynote speaker, O’Connor both educated and inspired in his usual style, telling young equestrians, “If you are really good at what you do, the winning will follow.” The pursuit of a true equestrian, he said, is one of excellence—not just a pursuit of awards.

He also reminded youth delegates to “make your own luck,” and to “keep your eyes way out on the goal that you want, don’t get lost in the details.”

When one of the attendees asked O’Connor to share how he deals with stress at his level of competition, he answered with sound advice, fit for equestrians on every level. “You will definitely have a lot of butterflies in your stomach. The trick is to make them fly in formation,” he said.

The Arabian Horse Youth Association Convention takes place annually in conjunction with the Youth National Arabian and Half-Arabian Championship Horse Show. Various committee meetings took place, as well an open forum of committee reports and discussions. Executive committee elections were also conducted during the convention’s general session, with the newly elected 2005-06 Board including Kristen McKee, President; Nikki Capps, Vice President; Shawna Strickland, Secretary; and Monica Christian, Treasurer.

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