Bainbridge Island’s 13-year-old Josiah Jones and 16-year-old Meghan Lawson leave Aug. 1 for the American Quarter Horse Youth Association World Championship Show in Fort Worth, Texas.
Both youths are active in AQHYA and Washington State Quarter Horse Youth Association clubs.
Lawson serves on several WSQHYA committees and was one of three girls chosen to represent Washington at a youth convention in Amarillo, Texas, in June. She will show her horses Aroyaltease (Dallas) in Aged Mares Halter and Zippers Amblin Rose (Rosie) in trail.
Jones will show his horse Noble Disco (Harley) in the Aged Geldings Halter competition.
Halter judges a horse on its looks and overall conformance to the breed ideal based on balance, structural correctness, breed and sex characteristics and muscling.
In a trail class, the pair perform a pattern through an obstacle course, with judging on the horse’s willingness to obey direction, its attentiveness to obstacles and its ability to pick its way through obstacles on the course.
Jones has been riding since he was 4 years old on his first horse, Windee Disco. Last year he won WSQHA year-end high-point 13 and under trail with Windee. This is Jones’ first year showing halter with Harley, and he is second in the state with him in Aged Geldings. Jones and Harley will represent Washington state in Aged Geldings at their first AQHYA World Show.
Lawson began riding at 5 years old and was jumping at 7 years old.
When she turned 11 she got her first quarter horse, Rosie, who had been badly abused. During the course of a four-year rehabilitation, Lawson helped Rosie learn to trust people again.
She has shown Rosie for three years. Last year they won WSHQA year-end high-point Novice Youth trail horse and were reserve high point in 14-18 trail.
This marks Lawson and Rosie’s first year at the Youth Worlds.
Lawson showed Dallas at three shows last year and won year-end reserve high point in Aged Mares Halter with her.
A high school senior, Lawson plans to attend Texas A&M University, where she wants to compete on the equestrian team and study to become a veterinarian.
