Mackenzie Njoo/A One Nite Stand, Madeline Keyes/Classic Circle Win AQHA Youth World Working Hunter and Eq Over Fences

By: Brittany Bevis

This morning at the AQHA Youth World Show was devoted to high flyers of different specialties.

First up were the Working Hunters, blending smooth moves with big jumps. Mackenzie Njoo and A One Nite Stand won their first World Championship title in the class. “Rhett” is a 2010 gelding that she’s owned for a little over three years now, about the same amount of time she’s been with her trainers, David Miller and Scott Jones.

David was ready with some final words before Mackenzie and Rhett entered the pen to compete. “Knock em dead. Don’t knock em down!”

This is a hometown team with Mackenzie residing in Edmond and Rhett having been bred in Oklahoma as well. Rhett was bred by Susan Clune, who was Mackenzie’s former trainer and who passed away a few years ago. Several of Susan’s fellow trainers in the arena thought they could feel her presence as her former student and homebred horse won their first World title as a team.

Mackenzie was very pleased with Rhett’s performance. “Throughout the course, I thought we were doing really well and made a lot of good decisions. On the first jump, I was a bit slow to it, and our last jump was a little long. Other than that, he was perfect, and I felt like it was an overall good ride. I tried to relax, because I get very tense in Working Hunter. We’re usually better in Equitation, because I count my strides the whole time and that helps me to relax.”

The Reserve Champion was Chandler Runnells with Dance If You Wanna. Third was Madeline Vorhies with Pact With Assets. Fourth was Madeline Keyes with Classic Circle. Fifth was Caroline Bradley with Whatmadeusaythat.

 

Up next, Madeline Keyes won Equitation Over Fences with Classic Circle. This was her second World Championship of the show. Yesterday, she won Hunter Hack. Click here to read her interview. 

The Reserve Champion was Laura Rankin with Exclusively Urs. Third was Sara Eveleigh with Riding To Win. Fourth was Alexis Hart with Ima Hot Iron. Fifth was Emma Graf with One Sweet Mercedes.