The 2016 AQHA World Cup team is headed to Tamworth, New South Wales, Australia for this year’s Youth World Cup competition. It is exciting to see the competition head back to Australia since I was on the 1992 AQHA Youth World Cup team (pictured left) that brought home the Gold in Australia. It was a highlight of my youth career. One of my favorite memories was standing in line as the winner and hearing them play the national anthem of the United States. There is a forever bond that you create with your teammates that will never be broken and years later there is still a special connection between all of us. It was truly a life changing experience and one that I will never forget.
Since it was such an amazing experience during my youth career, I talked to other AQHA World Cup team members about their experience and any memories that stood out during their time on the US team. Let’s find out what they had to say.
Stephanie Pullin (Austin) – 1992 US Team Tamworth, New South Wales Australia – It was the highlight of my youth career. I’ll never forget how we all rode different horses until we found a match for whatever event seemed to best fit. The Australians were so friendly and inviting to us. It was crazy to me that we were showing with people from eight other countries. Some of which didn’t even speak English. I remember how much of a challenge it was to get each horse through the classes. I also remember the feeling of accomplishment in the end. The overall experience can never be replaced.
Harper Conner – 1990 US Team Canada, 1992 US Team Australia – These trips were definitely the most memorable experiences of my youth career. The friends I made there are still involved in the horse business world wide and I interact with many of them still today. In Canada, the broodmare I showed in the cutting, I was instructed to long trot her for an hour or so before because she was super nervous and I did. Then, when I went to show her and after selecting each cow on every cut, she would turn her head and neck all the way back to the herd. As I had never cut a cow on her before, I was extremely skeptical that she was going to follow the cow when it moved. She not only moved, keeping her shoulders up and square but took her neck almost a 360 on every cut. It ended up being quite the experience. In Australia, I remember butchering, “All My Exes Live in Texas” with the Australian guys on karaoke night. Also, I won the working cow horse on the highest money earning western pleasure mare in the country at the time, Bingos Melody, or so we were told, and oh yeah, she can work a cow!
Quincy Cahill – 1992 US Team Australia, 1994 US Team Aachen, Germany, 1998 US Team Amarillo
The Youth World Cup experience, for me, started long before I started competing there. With my mom being the coach most years, I got to tag along and see what it was all about from the start. In 1988, I attended the second ever Youth World Cup in Fort Worth, Texas. When I was ten, I went with the USA team to Banff, Canada. This is the first year that I realized how special this event was, and how I wanted to be a part of it someday.
Two years later in 1992, I found myself as the youngest team member of the Team USA Youth World Cup In Tamworth, NSW, Australia. I began to meet people from all over and by the end of the week, we were great friends. I’m pretty sure I cried all the way home and that’s a long flight.
Through the rest of my youth career, I was fortunate enough to have made the team in 1994 in Aachen, Germany and in 1998 in Amarillo, Texas. The things I experienced and the people I met, will never be replaced. It has been really neat to see many of these people develop into top trainers of various disciplines over the years. The part that I found most fun and challenging was to figure out which horse fit which rider in which event. It was like a puzzle which you only had four or five days to solve before you were put to the test. My favorite was a reiner that we drew in Germany. The only part of her that may have qualified her to be a reining horse was her long mane and her slide plates.
At one point I think we even asked if you said “whoa” in a different language. Needless to say, she somehow became one of our western riding horses instead. It felt a bit more like the pole bending going down the line, but I ended up fourth and that was like winning the gold in my eyes.
Of course, I can share some of my “out of the arena” experiences too. Being teenage, American, girls, we were a little standoffish about the foreign cuisine in Germany. I can remember our team “babysitter” (for lack of a better term), Mark, taking us to McD’s at least once a day for a meal. One trip that stands out in my mind is the quick lunch trip we took one day. My guess is that we had a small window of time to get there and back before we had to ride again or maybe someone else can explain the fact that we were packed in a small BMW car, driving on the sidewalk, honking at people to get out of the way! Maybe he just thought we were really hungry? Who knows?
I could easily go on and on but to sum it up, absolutely some of the most memorable experiences from my youth career were my trips to the various countries for the Youth World Cup.
Shelby Fritsch (Cadwallader) – 1994 US Team, Aachen, Germany. I absolutely loved the Youth World Cup. It was a highlight for me. I would have to say being around the other kids was my favorite part. I loved meeting people from all over the world that loved horses too. In fact, I just ran into a guy that I met in Germany at the reining futurity in Oklahoma City. It was so fun to catch up and for my daughter (who was there showing) to hear stories from our week in Germany!
Jamie Radebaugh (Devoe) – 1994 US Team Aachen, Germany, 1996 US Team, Flagstaff, Arizona – Both experiences were amazing, but as you can imagine, going to Germany for 10 days to be one of five kids representing the US was definitely a highlight of my show career. It was amazing to meet other people from around the world who had the same passion as you and to see how they did things. We really got to know one another because we spent every waking moment together for 10 days. It’s a lot of work to have a horse you’ve never ridden, and doesn’t really know the discipline, and get it show ready in seven days. Things have changed in the more recent World Cups but back in my day some of these horses didn’t know how to do showmanship, horsemanship or had never even had an English saddle on their back. A major highlight in 1996 in Flagstaff was winning the overall Gold in the Equitation on our team’s horse that we had for the Reining. Nancy Cahill was our coach in both 94 and 96 and the knowledge I came home with after teaching these horses so much with Nancy’s help was irreplaceable. Being a part of both World Cups was and still is such an honor for me. Best of luck to Team USA this year!
Joetta Meredith (Bell) – 1998 US Team, Amarillo – I loved getting to ride with all the different people from different places and watching their different techniques. I was on a team with Quincy Cahill, Katie Green, Katie Schroeder, and Lisa from Kentucky. We had a very special group of riders. Another cool part was seeing my old youth horse, Zippos Tiger Bar, used as a horse in the World Cup. I didn’t get him for the US but I enjoyed watching him that year. Nancy Cahill was our coach, and there has never been nor will there ever be a coach as diversified as she is as well as patient and knowledgable with her horses and riders. It was truly a once in a lifetime experience that I was blessed to enjoy with great riders and great friends.
Marissa Dalton (Ledford) – 2008 US Team, Canada. I loved getting to know people from 15 other counties that I still stay in touch with today. Listening to the national anthem while holding the American flag made me feel so proud to be doing what I love for a country I love representing. I remember the USA sweeping the top of the podium in the showmanship (Katie Jo Jones, Cara Walker and me). Sharing horses and trying to figure out who was going to show what classes was probably one of my favorite memories because it brought us all so close – from critiquing patterns, giving advice on each horse, and truly wanting each rider to ride their best. It was no longer about “I” but “we”. Plus, we had the best coach and team mom! This trip wouldn’t have been the same without them. Mama Dawn Forrest and Coach Nancy Cahill, thank you for letting me be a part of this once in a life time experience!
Kyle Fuller – 2008 US Team, Canada. We took the gold home that year. It was a great experience and a highlight of my youth career. The things I remember most were how excited we were to meet all the teams and to learn about riding and showing in their countries. I also remember how we were able to pull together as a team and barely beat the German team for the win. It’s a time I will never forget, and I hope youth kids get to share my experience for many years.
Lauren Crivelli – 2010 US Team, Oklahoma City. I was given the opportunity to be a leadership member and represent Team USA. We spent one week in Oklahoma City, learning from clinicians, coaches and each other about horses and life. Youth from thirteen different countries all came together because of their passion for horses. We had world class trainers and judges who were kind enough to give their time to share knowledge with us. Our coaches were patient, allowing us to come together as a team to make decisions on horses and showing. We learned how to make the most of a horse and to focus on bringing out the positives in them. The most incredible part of participating was the people that we were introduced to. I have remained friends with several of the other participants that lived in different countries. Whenever they come to a horse show in the states, we make sure we take time to get together. I studied abroad for a few weeks in college and was able to spend time with some of them while I was in their country. I would recommend the experience to all youth riders. It is a once in a lifetime honor.
Peyton Bivins – 2010 US Team, Oklahoma City. Being able to represent Team USA in the 2010 Youth World Cup was both an honor as well as an experience I will never forget. Being able to show part of my summer with people I already knew and others I met from around the world is really what I will never forget. The competition was, of course, amazing and thrilling but meeting new people was honestly incredible. In addition, the team we had behind Team USA served as the catalyst to our victory. From the outrageous support from my parents to the expert guidance in both riding and leadership from Nancy Cahill and Dawn Forest, our victory would not have been achieved without every single one of these people. The Youth World Cup was truly an experience of a lifetime.
Katie Krshka – 2010 US Team, Oklahoma City – I loved getting to know all the competitors from the different countries. I loved getting to know their different customs and languages. I was on the team in 2010 and USA was the host, actually in OKC- so not too far from home for me. It was a tight race to the finish line for us, and we didn’t know who had won going into the awards presentation. We thought all our points were calculated and correct but we weren’t for sure. So when we got called out as the final victors, it was an amazing moment.
Nick Murphy – 2010 US Team, Oklahoma City. It’s so hard to describe how cool of an event the World Cup is. We had an awesome team, and the greatest coach (Nancy Cahill) / team manager (Dawn Forest) and I can’t thank them enough for everything they did and have done for Team USA. The coolest part of the experience, for me, were the friendships and bonds made throughout the week. Our team really came together and helped each other out in any way possible. Outside of the team bonds, It was a really cool feeling to meet and compete against people from all over the world that shared the same passion for the American Quarter Horse and the hard work involved each day to prepare. Our national anthem playing after each win was an awesome feeling. As I recently told one of my fellow Team USA members from 2010, I want to encourage all of the participants to trust in themselves and your team and all of the hard work they have put in over the years to get to the point they’re at now. I wish them the best!
Charley Thiel – 2012 US Team, Kreuth, Germany. We ended up fifth that year. The other team members, coaches, and I were unbelievably impressed with the talent and skill level that the other teams exhibited in the show pen. Italy won that year due to their extremely good horseman and woman in the reining and cutting and being in the top eight in almost all of the all around classes. I remember being so excited when I received news that I was selected to be a part of Team USA. When I got the call, I was jumping around and celebrating. I immediately began making plans for my first time traveling abroad. I got my passport the next day and bought out Wal-Mart of all of their Team USA apparel – the Olympics were held that summer, but I chose to believe that it was all there for us.
Some of my fondest memories include dressing up in crazy red, white, blue outfits and wigs. Also, cheering on my teammates whom I still keep in contact with and who have become some of my dearest friends over the years. I loved meeting people from all over the world and I continue relationships with the people that I met and even have plans to travel to Europe this summer to see them. I enjoyed experiencing another culture, eating new food, learning about the country and the day we spent sight-seeing.
There is a story that I must tell even though I am quite embarrassed about it still. In Germany, all of the signs designating restroom are marked with a “WC.” I was convinced for the majority of this trip that the “WC” was short for World Cup. I can’t tell you the look that my teammates gave me when we were touring the historic Catholic Church and I said, “Wow, they really went all out for this thing. They have World Cup signs all over the place.” I was quickly corrected when Dawn Forrest assured me; “WC” stands for water closet. Needless to say I was the butt of all jokes for the rest of the day.
I still look back on that week and half that I spent in that tiny apartment with nine of the most talented and eloquent AQHYA exhibitors and advocates in the country. I am blessed and honored to have been a part of it.
Mark Mowbray – 2012 US Team, Kreuth, Germany – I can remember flying to Germany with my teammate and best friend Britt Lynch of Monroe, GA. We flew from Baltimore to Frankfurt and then to Munich. One of the most exciting moments was actually when we got to Kreuth and met up with Nancy, Dawn and the rest of the team. We were all so excited and proud to wear our Team USA shirts and to represent such a great country. My favorite moments came from watching my teammates transform our horses into the best that they could be. It was an honor to be around some of the best youth exhibitors in the world. Also, I can remember all of the friends that we quickly made upon arrival, especially the Australians. We all had a blast together and by the end of the week it seemed like we weren’t just “Team USA” or “Team Australia” or “Team Italy”, it was like we were all one. Although we wanted to beat our competition, we left with so much respect for the other countries and their abilities. I wish that I could re-live the Youth World Cup everyday. I had the best time of my life, and I had the greatest teammates that anyone could ever ask for.
Avery Ellis – 2012 US Team, Kreuth Germany – I was on the team in 2012 when we went to Germany. It was one of the most memorable experiences of my life. Getting to travel the world and do what you love to do with great friends. I also made friends from all different countries that I still keep up and get to see every once in a while. The group of people that was on the team with me were amazing. We had so much fun even if things didn’t go as planned for us. It’s not just riding and showing horses the whole time either, you travel and get to do some pretty awesome things. It was once in a life time experience. Everything about the whole experience was great. I would do anything to do it all over again.
Carli Pitts – 2014 US Team, College Station – It was an amazing experience that I will never forget. I met people from across the world and my teammates and coaches became lifelong friends. You get to know them pretty well after living with them for a week. In fact, the first night we were there they made me try on a red, white, and blue body suit. I knew then that the week ahead of me was going to be full of fun memories. We were busy non stop so during bus rides people would fall asleep, and naturally we would take pictures that are now on Facebook somewhere. I know there are a few of me floating around. I have to say my favorite memories were when USA took the top three spots in both the horsemanship and equitation, as well as when we found out the team took the overall win. The World Cup really is a “once in a lifetime” experience. There’s nothing like representing your country and having support behind you from your team every step of the way.
Kalee McCann – 2014 US Team, College Station. It was definitely one of the biggest highlights of my youth career. My biggest memory is the first round of equitation. I remember sitting along the rail with Grayson and Ali talking about our rides and how we were satisfied with our horses. Then, they started calling out places. Of course they start with 10th and our names weren’t being called. All three of us got nervous thinking none of us had placed. Then, they started to remove the flag of the Bronze winner and it was Ali. The same for Silver, and it was Grayson. I remember thinking I would be completely satisfied walking away with nothing because of what my teammates had accomplished. Then, they slowly and I mean very slowly removed the cover for Gold, and it was the American flag. I couldn’t believe it. It was the best moment of my life. That week I also was elected AQHYA President and won another Gold in the second round of equitation, the high point buckle in equitation, two Bronze medals in reining, two top ten in cutting, and USA took home the Gold. This was by far the best week of my life. The team, coaches, and staff are people I still hold dear to my heart because of the impact they made on my life that week. To this day whenever I hear the national anthem, I go back to that week and relive the memories. Anyone who is chosen to be on this team, whether leader or rider, should feel so honored because it is definitely a once in a lifetime experience.
Jack Medows – 2014 US Team, College Station – That year the Youth World Cup was held over the Fourth of July, and it also coincided with the YES leadership convention. It was an amazing feeling having all of the youth from around the world and so many from right here in the states. My favorite memory was when we came together and watched the fireworks one night and celebrated our freedom.
The 2016 US Team is currently looking to raise $25,000 for their trip to Australia. If you would like to be a sponsor or find out more information about donating to the team, please contact Michelle Tidwell at 936-348-0277 or click on the links below for more information.
CLICK HERE to read Sponsorship Letter
CLICK HERE to read Sponsorship Details
