AHYA President's Corner

Welcoming AHYA's New President

"Hey Ya'll!" As the newly elected AHYA President, I would like to introduce myself to you. My name is Annalise Himmel, daughter of Mark and Debbie Himmel, and I am from a tiny southern town named Schriever, Louisiana! I do not know where to begin explaining my involvement with Arabian horses, so I think we will take a little trip in a time machine to catch up! Buckle up! Keep your hands, feet, heads, etc inside the vehicle at all times! Ready? OK! GO!

I began riding horses at the ripe age of two years old. My first four legged creature, excluding my dogs, was a grey and white Shetland pony named Merrilegs! My first show was on Mother's Day 1993- I was only three then. I showed leadline on a client's horse and won first place! I was hooked, and my parents knew there was no turning back! I showed my first "big girl class called walk -trot" on my very own "big horse" at seven years old! She is a Half Arabian mare, MS Basket, whom I showed through my last year in 13 & under. My first Youth Nationals was in Oklahoma City, Ok, in 1999. I was eight years old and won a Top-Ten in hunter pleasure walk-trot.

My first elected position was Louisiana's AHA president when I was about ten years old! From there, I worked up the ranks and served as a Region 9 delegate to AHYA convention for several years! My first year on the AHYA Board of Directors was 2006, my sweet sixteen. Last year I served as your AHYA Vice President. The next but not last stop in the time machine is the present. I am now a senior at Edward Douglas White Catholic High School. My extracurricular activities include: Student Council officer, Health and Wellness club president, Fellowship of Christian Athletes club treasurer, girls varsity track and field athlete, and a member of the National Honor Society. Wow! Is everyone still on board?

Before I talk about the future plans for AHYA, I will give a brief recap of the 2008 AHYA Convention in Albuquerque, New Mexico. "Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way, oh what fun is to be at Youth Nationals 2008!" That just about sums up the high level of energy across the show grounds as everyone celebrated Christmas in July. Convention was kicked off with registration at 1 p.m. where 205 delegates were credentialed. Then, kids got pumped up about convention by playing exciting icebreaker games like Birdie on a Perch or Never Have I Ever. All candidates running for an AHYA executive office presented their speeches, and voting took place. The following youth members were elected: President -Annalise Himmel, Vice President- Katie Pelphrey, Secretary- Nikki Burns, and Treasure- Maral Otabachian.

After elections, Joel Kiesner delivered a thrilling inspirational speech and eagerly gave tips on how to keep from getting nervous before you enter the show ring. Convention general assembly ended with committee reports and an open microphone session where anyone could present suggestions about various topics and concerns involving Youth Nationals and AHYA. Special thanks to all who volunteered by: setting up, signing in delegates, working the projector, taking pictures, cleaning up, counting ballots, etc! Everything looked awesome!

The last stop on the time machine is the future goals and plans for the new AHYA board. We are super psyched about the 2008-2009 term. Some ongoing projects such as promotional DVD's about convention, and better communication with the youth through MySpace and Facebook, email, the AHA website, and the AHA magazine are some goals we would like to accomplish. As president I will follow USEF's motto to promote, "All Things Equine" by representing the Arabian horse at different conventions and council events. With the help of an outstanding board of directors and your continuous youth support, this will be an amazing and unforgettable year!

~ Annalise Himmel
AHYA President

AHYA Past President's