APHA is excited to announce the 2020 AjPHA Youth Team Tournament is going virtual for 2020—it will take place July 17–August 3 on E-Shows, APHA’s virtual horse show platform! By hosting a Virtual YTT, APHA is able to offer the event to Youth members worldwide who might not be able to attend the APHA World Show this fall. This is a great opportunity for those who have school restrictions and for those who have never before attend the APHA World Show.
By changing to a virtual platform, we have also made some adjustments to YTT layout. First, a team will consist of 3-6 AjPHA members and the entry fee will be $150 per team. Teams do not have to be from the same barn, state or country, but Youth can only compete on one team. YTT events include the following:
- Performance Classes (5): The YTT performance classes will consist of Youth Showmanship, Youth Hunt-Seat Equitation, Youth Western Horsemanship, Youth Ranch Riding and Youth Walk-Trot 5-10 Pleasure (Western or English). A team can submit one entry for each performance class and an exhibitor can compete in a maximum of two classes. All horses must be APHA-registered (either Regular Registry or Solid Paint-Bred), but traditional APHA ownership/lease rules are not required.
- The Greatest Showman Video: The Greatest Showman Video will take place of the Jeopardy and Knowledge Relay events that have historically been part of the tournament. The video challenges teams to work together and creatively to make a lip-sync video to the song “The Greatest Show” from the movie The Greatest Showman. Videos will be judged on their accuracy of words, creativity and entertainment value.
*NOTE: All teams must participate in at least (3) performance classes and submit The Greatest Showman Video to be considered valid YTT entries.
Entries are open July 17 at 8 a.m. through August 3 at 5 p.m., CST. Sign up your team and load your entry videos all in one location: apha.com/showing/e-shows/youth-team-tournament-e-show/.
Although some competitors will be readily able to build a team, other might need some networking help—to help, we’ve created an event page posted on APHA’s Facebook. The discussion board on this page will allow exhibitors and teams to network with one another. This page has been created by APHA and will be managed by the AjPHA Executive Committee.
For the 2020 Virtual YTT, the first-place team overall will receive belt buckles for each team member, with Top Five teams receiving other awards. Performance class winners and video winners will also receive special awards.
For more information and the full list of rules, please visit apha.com/showing/e-shows/youth-team-tournament-e-show/.
Questions? Contact Megan McMullen at [email protected].