Youth Members 2005 Youth Nationals Experiences
Entries from: Chelsea Lloyd | Whitney Lloyd | Taylor Hurd
My Youth National Diary
By Chelsea Lloyd
July 16, 2005
Dear Diary,
Only two more days until we leave for Youth Nationals! I am so excited.
It’s going to be like a party/horseshow (my favorite combo).
We’re all loading up the semi today. I feel like I’m
in the computer game ‘Oregon trail’! I hope I at least
make a cut and do a good job with Chicago- my horse. I can’t
wait to see what the show is like!
July 19, 2005
Dear Diary,
We have made it through twenty hours in the semi. (When I say “we” I
mean my friend Chelsey, my sister Whitney, Anna my friend and the
assistant trainer at Conway Arabians, Heather my friend who is grooming
for Conway Arabians along with her sister Taylor and Lori the boss
and our trainer.) Every four hours we stop to get gas, walk the puppies
and stretch our legs. It’s also a good time to check the horses
and go the bathroom. Lori doesn’t let us have any pop because
she says that we’ll have to pee more than every four hours
if we do. The semi has made it all the way from Minnesota to Texas
with out a problem. Speak of the devil! Oh my gosh, the semi has
just blown a tire and started a whole bunch of dead grass on the
side of the road blazing. Got to go!
July 24, 2005
Dear Diary,
It’s Tuesday- day two of the horse show! Everyone made it out
of the fire A-okay. The fair grounds reminds me of a little horse
show town. The stalls remind me of adobe houses. All the “citizens” of
the town are totally devoted to horses. Every thing about Youth Nationals
is so cool! There is a big building of contenders which I like to
call the horse-mall because it has everything you need for a horse
show. But the main part of Youth Nationals is the Tingly coliseum.
The announcer is like no other and if you win they play a song that
goes along with your horse’s name. When I trot into that arena
I always feel like a super star.
Today Chicago and I got Top Ten in HA/AA Mare breeding stock hunter type JTH 17and under. I am so psyched. I think that was the best halter class Chicago and I ever had!
We just got back from dinner at Taco Bell. Our hotel is awesome! It has a sort of Ramada in the center of the rooms where the pool and tables are located. The cool thing about it is that the top of the “Ramada” is a huge window where you can see the sun in the day and the stars at night. I bet that’s where the hotel got its name the Ramada.
July 26, 2005
Dear Diary,
I am really nervous my little sister just entered the ring on Chicago.
It’s a pleasure class thank heavens I don’t have to
run and tell her she’s on the wrong diagonal. Chelsey has
a class on Beamer one of her horse’s right after Whitney’s.
Suddenly Lori says “Chelsea take the coat you’re going
to be Whitney’s header.” The announcer calls “Header’s
in please.” I strut my stuff down to Chicago and Whitney.
I tell Whitney to stop pulling on Chicago’s mouth. Whitney
retorts “Stop coaching me, you’re not Lori you know.” We
start to argue, but when we here and rounding out our Top Ten,
number 934 Chicago Chicago and Whitney Lloyd from Spring Valley,
MN all hard feelings were forgotten.
Next thing I know, “And you’re Youth National Champion
it will go down in the record books as being…” The music
started. It was Frank Sinatra singing Chicago Chicago That heck of
a town. Everybody started crying and we all joined in for a picture. Just
think my ten year old sister winning Chicago’s first National
Championship and I was the header!
Dear Diary,
Last night I had the time of my life at the street dance we all threw
on our nicest clothes, piled in the golf cart, and started shaking’!
We all participated in the dance competition. We danced our hearts
out. I didn’t win, but that was ok, I had a ball.
Today I had a superior ride on Chicago. We went Top Ten again. She is so fun to ride. Whenever I’m on her it feels like gravity has left her pounding hooves and we are a perfect team.
Dear Diary,
Yesterday was our final day at Youth Nationals. The gang and I rode
our bikes through the stalls, by all the buildings, and round our
final lap around the tingly for this year. It seemed so barren
and deserted. Like all the life had been taken from this horse
show-town. I didn’t like seeing the place like this.
We all loaded the semi. It was scorching outside. One of the barns had left a pack of water balloons by the wash-rack secretly Taylor and I filled the balloons and started attacking Heather and Lori from all angles and they quickly fought back with the hose. Soon all seven of us were drenched. Unlike MN we were dry in about ten min. due to the climate.
Soon we were off. We pulled through the gate and I said, “Good Bye Youth Nationals thank you for everything.”
My Time at Youth Nationals 2005
By Whitney Lloyd
When we were on our way to Albuquerque and Youth National we watched TV, pigged out, and slept. When we were 21 hours through the trip, and in Tucumcari our tire popped so we pulled over and surprise we started a grass fire! We were calling every body we could think of as if we were burning right then and there. Finally the fire department came, and people came to help Lori (our trainer) fix our tire, and we were on the road again.
Finally we were there every body pitched in to get ready for the show. The show was awesome! My sister (Chelsea) was the first one to have a final it was in halter. My family and I were so nervous and excited that we almost bit our lips off! Finally it was down to the Top Tens. The announcer was almost to her number, she might make it or not. All of a sudden they called her number!
Everybody was so excited. When she got out of the ring everybody was practically tackling her. She also got two other Top Tens. Chelsey, a girl who rides with us, had eight people in her class and all very experienced riders and horses. She had a great ride and was excited to see how she did. She came over and was very anxious. The announcer stared calling Top Tens, and called out her name! Everybody was very happy.
Taylor (another girl who rides with us) was in the ring while I was getting ready for the class right after her so my trainer couldn’t watch her final, but we were in separate rings. All of a sudden we saw everybody rushing over to us, at first my trainer and I were worried but than my mom said,”Taylor just went reserve!” My trainer and I almost cried before my class. Another time I was practicing in the ring when she was showing. Anna (the assistant trainer) had to stay behind to watch me. We thought she would do well so we asked someone to hold my horse and ran to the gate and heard that she got reserve! We ran out to see her. Everybody was very happy.
Next I went in. My sister was my header because nobody else was available. We started fighting, because Chicago wouldn’t get her head up. So we went back and forth back and forth. Finally they called Top Tens I got in we were so happy that we forgot about fighting. I thought that I had about a 50, 50 chance to get reserve. When another horse got it I new I was done and I said good job to Chicago.
The announcer said, “And your Youth National Champion is ….” He didn’t say anything he just let the music play the song, “Chicago, Chicago.” My grandma was the first to get up and yell. Everything happened so fast—I was in shock. I trotted over to get my trophy feeling like a rag doll (I am lucky I didn’t fall off of Chicago). Everybody in Conway Arabians’ barn came running out excited. I was smiling so hard my face hurt. Going to the trophy room was so cool—I got a huge trophy and a Top Ten plaque—and my National Champion Coat! I wore it all over (after all it was only 100 degrees). Thanks to Chicago my horse, Lori and Anna my trainers and my family for supporting me (especially by paying the bills!) I had an awesome time at my very first Youth Nationals. Canadian Nationals here we come… but that is another story!
My First Youth Nationals
By Taylor Hurd
My first Youth Nationals, where do I begin?
The trip, complete with tire blowout and grassfire, the dry 105 degree heat, tons of cuts, the level of competition and Oh, two National Reserve Championships.
The experience of showing a wonderful horse like Assault N Battery at the national level was winning in itself. To get two Reserve National Championships at my first Nationals was a dream come true.
My tears came rushing when they announced me Top Ten and when they called me Reserve, I was out of control, wiping and fanning my eyes so I could see to get my horse around the ring. I had the whole barn crying by the end of the photos. I cannot imagine having another experience like that. It was AWESOME!!
The whole Conway crew was so supportive of me and I appreciate their cheers and devotion to the Dream Team youth. The Dream team had a great show. Everyone came home with at least a Top Ten and we had so much fun together. I am very thankful to Pete, Lori and Anna Conway for passing "Salty" onto to the hands of another youth and teaching me to ride him. He is an amazing horse that is responsible for an experience I will always cherish.