Wyoming, Nebraska horse enthusiasts amonth AQHA Young Horse Development Scholarship winners

The AQHA Young Horse Development Scholarship was the brainchild of Jim hunt about a dozen years ago, says his wife Joni.

Jim’s goal was to connect with youth that would benefit from learning from, and about well-bred American Quarter Horses. He was particularly focused on kids that showed initiative, and an interest in learning and continuing this western way of life. He wanted to match registered horses with these kids. About that same time, Don Treadway, Executive Vice President/CEO, (Amarillo, Texas) of the AQHA at the time, showed up in Rapid City, South Dakota and invited a bunch of ranchers to a meeting. Don was reaching out to horse breeders in the High Plains/North Western part of the United States, asking what their needs were, and for ideas how the AQHA could help add more value to their horses, and to bring more awareness and involvement of the association to their area. Don liked Jim’s idea, and the AQHA Young Horse Development Program was born, with the aim of getting well bred registered Quarter horses into these motivated kids’ hands. 

Jim and Joni Hunt are 5th generation ranchers and Quarter horse breeders. They have been breeding quality registered horses on their Open Box Rafter Ranch in Faith, South Dakota, and since 2010, (along with many other breeders and ranches in the AQHA Heritage Program across the nation) have been donating weanlings, to the young trainers awarded, giving them the best opportunity to be set up with sound, good minded horses, for the best outcomes and experiences, building confidence, lifelong skills, and raising awareness to the Western lifestyle. The youth (ages 13-18) participants are selected through a scholarship style application on the AQHA website. Having to explain how they’ll be able to care for the horse, and having they parents permission and support, they are chosen to go through the course of the year, through a junior master horseman program, working with a professional horseman, learning great skills of responsibility, how to be accountable, properly care for their horse, and create documentation of visits to veterinarians, exercise and feed programs. “Kids learn so many life lessons that extend far beyond the horse itself,” Jim said.

Jim and Joni were privileged to share six foals out of their program that first year. Since then about 450 foals have been donated by ranchers across the United States to the Young Horse Development program, and AQHA’s job, through the youth department, is to comb through and designate which foals go to which kids, and place those foals with the kids that are selected. This year 30 foals were donated by breeders; over 75 kids applied. It’s an honor for those kids to be awarded a foal, but also an honor for the breeders to see the success the kids have with their horses and seeing the difference the program is making in the lives of young people. More and more ranchers and breeders have become involved through the years and donate weanlings to the program. As the program has developed and expanded, there are about 40 Ranching heritage breeders involved with the program across the country. Some bloodlines of the horses have included, Sugar Bars, Leo, Flit Bar, Driftwood, Colonel Freckles, Freckles Playboy, Frenchman’s Guy, and others. They are all around bred horses suited for ranch and competition/rodeo horses, with many of them placing in showing events as well. The goal is to help develop young horsemen and horsewomen, and help develop good character for the youth. The AQHA requires the recipient to check in with the breeder, to communicate step by step, as they go through the different phases and progress of training the horse, good or bad, they appreciate and use the feedback for their program and build lifelong relationships with the kids and their families. Many of the first youth in the program are now adults and it’s been rewarding to see them become successful as equine chiropractors, trainers, farriers, veterinarians, and even go on to create breeding programs of their own (many even starting from their own donated foals.) Jim is now president of the AQHA, and one of his goals is to reach out and rejuvenate or re-energize the needs of the ranch breeders, and the Young Horse Development program has been one way to do that.

Lindsey Thomas, a 16 year old homeschooled Junior from Henry, Nebraska grew up with horses, with both her parents as trainers.  She grew up knowing about the AQHA’s Young Horse Development program through social media, but had to wait till she was 13 to apply. The third year she applied, she was accepted into the program. Lindsey, along with the other participants submitted assignments throughout the year, and multiple videos of their horses progress and they would receive scores back. She was the first place runner up, receiving a $1,500 scholarship, she says she plans to save for college, and a Justin Boots certificate. Her horse, Rafters Golden Cisco, AKA, “Walter,” a 2023 Palomino gelding, was bred and donated by the Open Box Rafter Ranch in Faith, South Dakota. Walter has already won a trophy at Rapid City’s, Black Hills Summer Circuit and was Grand Champion Youth Gelding as a yearling. Lindsey says she has learned record keeping and time management, and says her writing has grown so much through her essays. She also says she’s learned have more patience working with a younger horse, where she only has a small window to work with him every day before he stops paying attention, rather than what she’s used to working with, older horses with longer attention spans. Lindsey says there’s such reward in having a finished horse, and knowing that you were able to teach him what he knows. Lindsey worked with her gelding from January 1st through August 31st through the AQHA youth program and looks forward to his continued progress, and training him under saddle.

Eighteen year old freshman at Sheridan College (studying Animal Science and Biology, and Farrier Science in the spring) in Sheridan, Wyoming, Megan Sagner, (originally from Chugwater, Wyoming) came in third with her filly, Frenchman Lady Drift, AKA, “Ginger.” The 2023 buckskin roan filly was donated by Open Box Rafter Ranch, and she received a $1,000 scholarship and a $100 Wrangler product gift certificate. Megan learned of the opportunity through a friend who had been through the program in earlier years. Ginger has quite the personality and Megan taught her to lay down. Megan said she is very athletic, she has been easy to train, and will ultimately be a working cow horse. Megan has learned all aspects of owning a horse through this course, from the physical demands to the management and the financial and everything in between.    

Fourth place went to 16 year old Junior, Madeline Spreeman of Ithaca, Nebraska. She learned about the program from one of her neighbor’s, who’s brother, (Lance Most) is a horse trainer and breeder at, Most Quarter Horses, in Ogallala, Nebraska, and also donates horses through the Heritage Program. Maddie went through the application process, sending in videos explaining why she would be a good candidate for the program, filling out forms asking about knowledge and previous experience, where their property is and what kind of facility they had to keep a horse. Maddie says the program has greatly expanded her horizons, she not only learned about horses, but video editing and different websites to help her create and submit her work. She was awarded a $500 scholarship and a $100 Wrangler product gift certificate. Her foal, Driftininthelimelite, AKA, “Maverick,” is a 2023 sorrel gelding, also bred and donated by the Hunt’s at the Open Bar Rafter Ranch.