Post 2: Youth Contests

Almost everyone has a favorite show, the one with the best food, the one with the coolest parties, the one with the best competition. Each show has its own charm, but no person (or barn) can go to every single one. That being said, nearly every show has a youth contest, and it's completely understandable that writing a speech, studying for a test, riding a pattern, and judging a class is a lot of work just before a horse show. Especially when you add school on top of everything, it can seem like too much work even despite the opportunities for scholarships, recognition,  time with other cool horse people, and so much more. But what if you didn't need to do one at every single show? It gives you all of the above benefits while also not being too much to balance. Then it begs the question, which show(s) should you compete at? Well, that's the topic of this Next-Gen Morgan blog post! 

This post will include the shows that I have been to personally, but feel free to reach out to me (emilykatysandy@gmail.com) and share your YOTY highlights! 

The first show of the year for me is always UPHA Chapter-14 and it is a great time to meet the youth competitors. Chapter 14 

The second show of the year is usually Connecticut Morgan and this show has the best swag

The next show, and my favorite youth contest is New England. At this show, the champion and reserve champion of the youth contest open the session on Monday night after the awards are announced the day before at a catered dinner.