From the Publisher – Teach Your Children Well
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By Tom Grabe
As I get older, the seasons seem to change more quickly…winter becomes spring…spring becomes summer…summer becomes fall, etc. Summer used to mark the true beginning of the major show season. The Paint World Show, the Appaloosa National Show, as well as the AQHA Youth World Show lead into the Congress and World Show events. Now, it seems, January marks the start of the show season and the youth show scene is at the forefront. The kids are showing year-round in their quest for major awards. The numbers at the winter shows continue to swell as the foundation of our sport comes calling at shows across the country.
I don’t know about you, but sometimes I forget just how important the youth exhibitors are to our sport. Not only do they hold the future success of our organizations in their hands, they also will determine how the sport is changed for decades to come. Many of the executives, board members and committee members at AQHA, APHA, ApHC, PHBA and NSBA have a past as youth exhibitors. Others have children who compete currently or have competed in the past in youth competition. These people all have direct ties to youth organizations, and the current crop of children coming out of the youth ranks are sure to be our next leaders.
