The AQHA Youth World Show is an event that presents an extremely limited number of opportunities to step into the arena, while also serving as one of the largest determinants of NCEA recruitment for many riders. In that light, I’ve spoken with Texas A&M Head Coach, Tana McKay, to navigate through the tricky dos and don’ts of NCEA recruitment. 

I have heard it said that breed shows are “pricing people out.” That is somewhat true, but not for the reasons you may think. The stereotype that upper level breed shows cost more money is correct, however. Facilities, judges, show staff, ect, all cost money. The larger the event, the more money it cost to put it on.

A trainer who is willing to learn from, or allow their student to learn from someone else, is the only kind of trainer I will ever be interested in working with, because that’s someone who seeks to become a more rounded and professional equestrian trainer. You see, within certain levels of the competitive equine industry, there comes an understanding and trust between trainers. It’s not about “poaching” clients, but about sharing learning, and specifically sharing learning with clients that are seeking to learn.