The American Paint Horse Association’s HorseIQ World Championship Judging Contest brought Collegiate and Youth teams to Fort Worth, Texas, on September 22. Twelve youth teams and 25 collegiate teams converged on the APHA World Championship Show to vie for the top place. Ryleigh Semanchik, a member of the first-place collegiate team, also placed first overall.
“I don’t even know how to explain it, it’s actually a great feeling,” Ryleigh said. “I didn’t have a good day yesterday so to come in today and to have this is kind of awesome. We are heading out to [the All American Quarter Horse] Congress and [AQHA] World Show next so this was a great opportunity for all of us to see where our strength lie.”
An awards ceremony recognized the Top Five teams and Top 10 individuals in both the collegiate and youth divisions. Contestants were evaluated on their ability to judge halter and performance classes, and present reasons. Prizes were awarded for overall winners as well as for top scores for halter, performance and reasons.
Black Hawk College team A took first place. The B team at Black Hawk College was also in the top 5. Black Hawk coach Aaron Callahan says he was happy with the outcome of the placings.
“I think that one of the weaknesses of this group is that they weren’t sure if they were good enough,” Aaron said. “I think this shows them that all the hard work and dedication they put into it really pays off. It’s just a great learning experience for these kids and we can’t thank the people at the paint horse association enough for putting this together and giving these kids this opportunity.”
Congratulations to the following contestants:
Overall Youth Individuals:
- Saryn Paulsen
- Ashley Fuqua
- Bailey McDaniel
- Hannah Tweed
- Bryn Stryk
Youth Teams:
- Williamson County 1
- Comal 1
- Chouteau Horse Team 1
- Texas POA Youth Team
- Fayette County 4-H
Overall Collegiate Individuals:
- Ryleigh Semanchik
- Kyle Vanderleest
- Cameron Hayden
- Kinsey Ayres
- Brooke Catterton
Overall Collegiate Teams:
- Black Hawk College A
- Oklahoma State Pokes
- West Texas A&M – Maroon
- Oklahoma State Petes
- Black Hawk College B
Award photos are available at painthorsejournal.smugmug.com.
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About APHA
The American Paint Horse Association is the world’s second-largest equine breed association, registering more than a million horses in 59 nations and territories since it was founded. Its mission is to inspire, nurture, promote and provide meaningful experiences to generations interested in preserving the versatile Paint Horse.