The University of Findlay won the AQHA trophy for the top western
team at the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association’s national finals held at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, Virginia. AQHA Professional Horseman Clark Bradley, Findlay’s coach, says the
win was a team effort. “The kids really worked hard this year,” he says. “We had some good
rides and some good luck, and everything worked out really well. I think
everybody was a star.”
In addition to wins in team competition for horsemanship and reining,
several Findlay riders won individual championships.
In IHSA competition, riders draw horses
and have no warm-up time before entering the ring to compete. Classes
range from beginning walk-trot horsemanship to open reining, with riders
divided according to their experience and skill levels. IHSA includes
classes for individuals and teams. The judges for the western phases of
competition were AQHA judges Charlene Carter and Bonnie Jo Clay.
Winning the title of AQHA high-point western rider was Jason Romney, a
former AQHYA halter exhibitor who now rides for Utah State University.
The western riding title, which includes a TexTan saddle, is earned
through competition in horsemanship one day and reining the next.
One day before earning the high-point title, Jason had won the open
reining title, placed well in the horsemanship phase and then botched
his reining team ride when he forgot to back up. On the second day of
the high-point competition, Jason joked later, his coach, Patricia
Evans, asked him to try to remember the reining pattern.
For Jason, though, it was the first time in the four days of
competition that he was able to relax and enjoy his ride.
“I was a little worried when I drew the horse, because I had seen him
all weekend, and they had not scored on him at all well,” he says. “I
just wanted to be really precise and consistent. I was maybe a little
more conservative than I was all week, but it ended up paying off. Today
was the first day I was relaxed in the pen and made it happen without
being nervous. It was fun. Today went really well.”
Jason hopes to return to IHSA nationals next year to defend his
title.
Click here to check out the photos from the 2010 Intercollegiate Horse Show
Association national finals provided by America’s Horse Daily. (Click on the photo to see the
captions).
