As
my final year of youth came to an end in 2009, I couldn’t help but feel sad about the closing of a wonderful chapter of life. Even though I started college the last
six months of my youth career, I wasn’t sure how I would juggle both. Although I was looking forward to amateur, I was stuck with
the preconceived notion that it would not be any better than my days in youth.
Even in the
first few months of my amateur career, I couldn’t help but miss the good old days. When preparing for the Amateur
World Show, my trainer, Michael Colvin, found it amusing when I continuously referred to the Amateur World Show as the Youth World and how my heart would often skip a beat when the
announcer would make last call for the Youth classes– as I thought I was
missing my class.
Although I was
sad at the closing of my youth career, I soon found happiness in the amateur
ranks. I also asked amateur competitors Kristina Papendick, Nicole Barnes, Stefanie Pullin, Rebekah Kazakevicius, and Brittany Barker on what their transition was like from youth to amateur competition.
Papendick’s youth career was highly successful, and, when it came time to open a new door, she was ready. Kristina won the Amateur World Show in her first year of amateur competition. “I couldn’t have been more thrilled to take on the amateur pen. I felt like it was another giant obstacle that I had to surpass,” Kristina Papendick said, who is a multiple World and Congress Champion in both divisions.
Papendick attributed some of the
excitement due to her horses now being able to shown by her mother in the
Select events, her sister, Ali, in the youth events, and trainers Charlie,
Jason, and Beth in the open events. “Each year it was our goal to try and have either Harley
(Harley D Zip) or Stewie (Must Be A Detail) win in each division,” Kristina explained.
No stranger to success in the youth pen, Nicole Barnes was a World and Congress Champion and 2004 High Point All Around in the Nation during her youth career. But, Barnes admits that she dreaded
the end of her youth career. In
fact, Nicole cried through her first class as an amateur.
“The competition varies so
much from youth to amateur,” Barnes said. “I was so fearful that I would not be able to
maintain my performances as I moved into a new division.”
Nicole’s fear seems valid to me, as I
must admit I felt the same way.
Contrary to Nicole’s beliefs, she went on that year to dominate both the
Congress and the World and took home the gold in the horsemanship–her favorite
event and the class she set her sights on long before.
Another top competitor and multiple amateur World Champion, Stefanie
Pullin, was excited to become an
amateur when it was her turn to make the leap. At the conclusion of her youth career, she had great memories
of hauling for the 1990 High Point Youth Western Riding and being on the Youth
World Cup Team USA along with Quincy Cahill, Harper Connor, Laura Gilmer, and
John Lewandowski. The talented
team traveled to Australia in 1992 and won the entire competition by 83
points. Stefanie recalled her
youth career as enjoyable and fun.
“When it came to be an Amateur I was ready. Whether it be because I had grown up or
I was just ready for the quiet professionalism of the Amateur show,” Stefanie said.
When Stefanie moved to the Amateur ranks, she certainly did it in style. When Pullin teamed
up with Frosty Impulse in the amateur pen, the duo broke Stefanie’s second and third place streak in the world show pen.
“The only aspect I
love about being an amateur versus being youth is the fact that I finally won
my first World Championship in 1999 as an amateur,” she said.
The dynamic duo not only broke the streak, but eventually
added three more World Championships to their credit, making them four-time
World Champions.
Another top amateur and multiple World and Congress Champion in youth, Rebekah Kazakevicius, spent her fair share of time in the winner’s circle with her notorious hunt seat horse, Cool Assets. When she became an
amateur, Rebekah said she looked forward to the new start because she had such
a successful youth career.
Rebekah said, “I was ready to take on new challenges as an amateur and to set new goals
for myself.” This talented duo set new goals when she switched gears and started showing in the western
riding. Her new venture was very
successful. Rebekah and her “hunt
seat” horse won their first amateur World Championship in Western Riding in 2010.
2010 Congress Queen, Brittany
Barker, an Amateur World Champion, looked forward to the beginning of her Amateur career. In 2003, her last year of youth, she had
planned to haul for the Youth All Around High Point title, but when her she
encountered trailer problems she was kept off the road for almost two
months. Barker regretted waiting
until her last year to make the push for the title, but still ended up winning
the Reserve All-Around Senior and Open Horse. However, she was still hopeful about new
opportunities in the Amateur division.
“I knew it would be a lot more laid back and relaxed after a
year of hauling, and I was looking forward to the break,” she said.
Barker ended up winning the Amateur Western Riding at the 2004 World Show in her very first year of amateur–showing that she didn’t miss a beat when she transitioned from youth to amateur.
As
an amateur, many people decide to change their goals. As a youth, I spent most of my time on
the road chasing high point titles.
When I became an amateur, I decided to center my entire year around the
World Show and Congress, with hopes of peaking right around that time. With the help of my trainers, my plan
was executed perfectly when I had a successful Congress and World
Show.
Papendick attributed her change in ambitions to her becoming an adult. “I took on the mentality that if I got qualified then I would pour my
heart and soul towards the World Show,” she said. “But, if I did not get qualified, I knew there was always going to be
next year–which makes showing fun again.”
Kristina brought up a very good point and an excellent perk
to being an amateur: there is always going to be another year!
Barnes had the same goals when she was a youth exhibitor. She said, “I had competition goals that I had set for myself early on during my
youth career. Once I achieved
those as a youth–to me, it was logical to carry those goals over as an
amateur.”
Nicole did exactly that
as she won multiple World Championships, Congress Championships, and the
Amateur High Point All Around. Although Nicole recently
lost the horse that helped her achieve her goals, she is now working to create
new horse show goals.
While Kazakevicius’s goals changed completely when she switched disciplines, Stefanie’s goals did
not change. She has always
loved the all around events. “If I sold a horse and started
with a new one, then, it depended on what that particular horse was good
at,” this true all around girl
said. “The more classes you can compete in, the better.”
Pullin recognizes that a horse can be like
gambling because sometimes you never know what you’re going to get.
Barker’s ambitions changed as she realized what was realistic while juggling school and work. As a youth, she wanted to win the
Congress, World, and year end High Point All Around. She still had the desire to win the AQHA All Around,
but acknowledged it was impossible with her schedule. However, the other two–she was poised
to capture. After being named
Reserve Congress Champion, she went on to win the Amateur World Championship in
Western Riding in 2004 with Kay Cee Me Now.
“As far as winning the Congress, I
achieved that goal this year: three times in fact,” Barker proudly said. “It may not have
been purely from the show arena, but winning first in the Queens Horsemanship,
first in the Queens Written test, and third in the oral interview gave
me my ultimate Congress win–Congress Queen.”
While
some goals changed, some remained the same, or altered slightly–it all leads
us to the ultimate question. Which
division is more enjoyable? While I loved my youth career including the thousands of
miles on the road and showing in every class I could, I have found many
perks to amateur (which I’m sure my horse Travis would agree with!). The Amateur World Show atmosphere was
completely different from the Youth World Show. The show was so relaxed and everyone appeared to have a
great time. I found myself well
fed and well rested–which were two difficult tasks to accomplish at the Youth
World. In my opinion, the ultimate
perk to being an Amateur is the infinite years to enjoy the industry without a
set deadline.
When
Kristina Papendick was asked this question, she seemed to be torn
between the two. Although she
loves the relaxed atmosphere of the amateur division, she said, “I loved, and
will never regret my youth career, but I do not want to repeat it.” She saw the Youth World and Amateur
World as two separate building blocks–neither one being superior. She credits the Youth World for
building responsibility and the Amateur World for teaching patience. “Those are all key
ingredients that help make me the successful competitor I see myself as today,” Papendick concludes.
Nicole Barnes did not seem to favor
either youth or amateur competition. “The World Show is the World Show-the best of
the best in whatever age division.”
Barnes recognized the uniqueness of horse shows, and, despite all of her
World Show Championships, she is still touched by the meaning of a World
Championship regardless of the division. “To know that every single horse on the grounds is competing
for a World Championship title gives me the chills!”
Stefanie Pullin saw the two world shows as being completely
different. “The Youth World Show for me seemed more like a
team-oriented competition,” she explains. “While the
Amateur World Show feels more like a personal challenge to yourself and your
peers rather than a team effort.”
Rebekah favors the laid back
environment of the Amateur division. “I feel like I am more independent and more responsible,” she said.
However, she still believes the work
ethic and competiveness is highly present in both divisions. Rebekah disliked the Youth World being
held in August. She also said her
horse, Nemo, favors Oklahoma City as well. She said, “I feel like he was a lot more relaxed and showed
better in Oklahoma than the arena in Fort Worth.”
Brittany
Barker also believes the Amateur is much more
laid back. However, she misses all
the fun activities she did as a youth; such as movies, water balloon fights,
putt-putt and many more. “When I became an amateur, everyone went to bed early, less people showed and
those amateur that were showing–I did not know that well,” Barker recalls. “But, now I enjoy the exhibitor parties and have many friends in the Amateur division.”
Although
the reasons vary and each individual feels different about the divisions, the amateur division has its perks! Upon the conclusion of my youth career
I can recall thinking how great it was while it lasted. I feared that my amateur career may not
be as great as my youth career and that ultimately my horse show life was
over! Little did I know that some
of the best had yet to come. Each
of these talented exhibitors has proven there really is life after youth and it
is quite wonderful.
Photo credits, Dasi, K.C. Montgomery, The American Quarter Horse Journal and Jeff Kirkbride.
