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14th Annual Youth Nationals
Friday, July 28, 2006
Half-Arabian Reining Seat Equitation
By Emily Balkins
Region 4 Youth Director
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Whoa! My head was sure spinning on Friday after watching the Half-Arabian reining seat equitation class. Well, I should say someone was sure spinning!
Of a class that started out with 12 horses in it, I watched the five top ten winners compete for champion and reserve. And boy did they compete.
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I was astounded by what these kids could do. Talk about some serious spinning! If riding one of those horses is like riding a merry-go-round on an elementary school playground,
it's definitely out of the question for me! And their slides had to be a good 35 ft. (okay maybe not that far), but I was impressed.
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Showmanship JTH 14-17 Champion Amy Balkins and Luv is Bleu+//
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The championship ended up going to Amanda Redmond from Ariz. The red roses definitely looked good on her black horse, CR Boomerang+.
The reserve ribbons went to Jessica Jasman from Washington (Go West Coast!). She is definitely a beautiful rider who stands out on her yellow spotted horse Lakota My Own+,
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Of all the riders, I'm especially proud of one of the top tens, my sister, Amy Balkins, who rode Luv is Bleu+//.
She's had an amazing show, winning her trail class first and then horsemanship unanimously. Yeah, I would say she's a bit spoiled, but she has worked really hard and I love her anyway.
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Well the show has been fun, as only Youth Nationals can be. And now it is coming to an end, and we will turn our focus to school (Ugh!) But next year will come before we know it, and I can't wait!
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Beating the Odds - Twice
Three days before Brooke Banning's third birthday, she was diagnosed with a Stage 4 neuroblastoma tumor on her adrenal gland the size of a Crenshaw melon.
She underwent chemotherapy, radiation and bone marrow transplants, which required her to be in isolation. Even though she made a miraculous recovery, and the tumor shrunk significantly in 45 days, she experienced an audiotoxic result from the chemotherapy and went completely deaf.
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Now going into the eighth grade, she had a rocky start at this year's Youth Nationals, and didn't even make her first three cuts.
Crying herself to sleep the night before her last class, she knew she had only one shot left in Arabian Show Hack JTR 13 and Under.
Not only had she not shown in this class before, she had barely ridden the horse before coming to Albuquerque. The odds were not in her favor, but she and Ames Aristocrat ended up going champion.
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"She went from despair to elation in one day," says her father.
"Don't give up," are her words of advice.
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Showmanship Champion Chelsea Johns and MLC Millennium with barn friends from left Kelsey Guardia, Brooke Banning and Brittany Banning
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Around the Show
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Keeping cool at the barn with a water slip and slide
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Arabian Reining Seat Equitation Champion Kelsey Kuhn and The Pistol V
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Queuing up for the dog race
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Calling the dogs to run facts
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Having a very good show
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Arabians Saddle Seat Equitation JTR 14-17 Champion Taylor Holmgren with trainer Carol Stohlman
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