AQHA's Youth World Cup seeks volunteers

Oklahoma City, Okla., will host the 2010 Youth World Cup July 3 to 11, and the American Quarter Horse Association is calling on volunteers--two-legged and four-legged--to make the event a success. What began as a competition between Australian and U.S. youths more than two decades ago has evolved to include kids from a number of countries--17 countries are expected for the 2010 Youth World Cup.

Each Youth World Cup team consists of five American Quarter Horse Youth Association members plus a coach. The youth take part in eight days of educational seminars, riding and showmanship clinics, leadership training and competition. Alternate members of the teams attend the educational and leadership seminars. Each team draws a pool of six volunteered horses to use throughout the two-day competition. Each horse is ridden at least once in each class.

Competing team members do not show their own horses. The host country provides each team's horses for clinics and competition, and AQHA relies on horse owners to supply this event with the best American Quarter Horses around. American Quarter Horses are needed for cutting, reining, showmanship, trail, western pleasure, horsemanship, western riding, hunter under saddle and hunt seat equitation. Visit www.aqha.com/youth/activities/pdf/YWCHorseProviderForm.pdf for the horse volunteer form, and your horse might be an international star in July.

Human volunteers are also needed to help feed the horses, assist with team meals, work the gate, set trail obstacles, work as ring stewards and assist in other areas at the event. AQHA members are the heart and soul of the event and help is needed with all the behind-the-scenes work so the AQHYA members can shine in the arena. If you would like to meet some great AQHYA members from around the world while volunteering at the 2010 Youth World Cup, visit www.aqha.com/youth/activities/pdf/Volunteerletter.pdf to learn more.

Team rosters are due to AQHA by March 31. Team USA has already announced the names of the AQHYA members that will represent the host country in 2010.

For the latest information on the 2010 Youth World Cup, visit www.aqha.com/youth/activities/ywc/youthworldcup.html. Forms for volunteers and horses can be downloaded at the site.

Date: 3/15/10