With more than 1,550 entries in the East, plus more than 1,450 in the West, the 2013AQHA Novice Championship shows saw a variety of competitors from across the United States and Canada vying for prizes, honor and glory.
The Nutrena AQHA East Novice Championship Showkicked off October 1 and wrapped up on October 6 at the Tennessee Miller Coliseum in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. Its sister show, the SmartPak AQHA West Novice Championship Show, was October 2-6 at the South Point Arena & Equestrian Center in Las Vegas.
Qualifiers to both the 2012 and 2013 AQHA Novice Championships have the option to order qualifier jackets via Quarter Horse Outfitters, and sizing jackets were available at the shows at the AQHA Booth. Qualifier, top 10 and top five buckles are also available for order.
Aside from the coveted Novice Championship class titles, all-around awards, sponsored by Farnam, and high-point awards were presented. One such award winner was Mindy McKay, who took home to Jackson, Wyoming, the SmartPak West Novice Select Amateur High-Point Rookie award with her mare, CLG Mito Money.
“I use her on the ranch, moving cows,” Mindy told the Journal – the ranch includes 45,000 acres of permit range in the Rocky Mountains. Aside from ranch work, Mindy and “Red” compete in pole bending, barrel racing and stake race, but at the SmartPak West Novice Championship they also tried their hands at western pleasure and halter.
“The halter was fun,” Mindy said with a big smile. “I knew we couldn’t compete against those horses. But it’s just fun being with your horse. I was getting nervous (standing on the wall), so I told people as they came up, ‘Don’t laugh! I’m just here to take last place so none of these nice halter horses have to be last!’ ”
To read the rest of Mindy and Red’s story, plus view all the results and Journal coverage from the 2013 AQHA Novice Championships, go to www.aqha.com/novicechampionships.
