A Year of Firsts for the 2025 AQHYA World
AQHYA members from across the globe competed at this year’s AQHYA World Championship Show.
Undressed N Radical and Kylie Davis were awarded a beautiful commemorative box as the first world champions crowned in the new OG&E Coliseum, donated and presented by AQHA Executive Committee member Lori Bucholz and her husband, Rick. Photo by Shane Rux Photography, courtesy of AQHA.
The first AQHYA World Champion title was awarded in the NEW OG&E Coliseum during the 2025 AQHYA World Championship Show! This year’s AQHYA World was held August 1-10 at the OKC Fairgrounds in Oklahoma City. There were more than 5,050 show entries and over 350 contest entries, up 50%, at the 53rd anniversary of the show, where the new Kimes Ranch Competition award funds contributed to a total prize package of over $1 million.
New Facility
To commemorate the first AQHYA world champion crowned in the new OG&E Coliseum, a special gift was presented August 1 to the world champion in Level 3 youth working hunter. Undressed N Radical and Kylie Davis were awarded a beautiful commemorative box donated and presented by AQHA Executive Committee member Lori Bucholz and her husband, Rick. The box is from Regard Jewelry of Austin, Texas, and it features a custom silver design made by Holly Spagnola.
AQHYA All-Arounds Crowned
Ady Kallay was named the AQHYA 14-18 All-Around winner and Lilly Jones won the AQHYA 13-&-Under All-Around.
On a horse she bought in January, Ady Kallay of Drayton Valley, Alberta, racked up a pile of points toward the AQHYA 14-18 All-Around title. Kallay, who will be riding for Texas A&M University this fall, and The Batchelor were the world champions in western riding, hunt seat equitation and horsemanship; reserve world champions in performance halter geldings and showmanship; and bronze world champions in trail. No other exhibitor in the four-year history of the AQHYA All-Around Award has earned all of their all-around points by placing in the top three in all of their Level 3 classes. Kallay and The Batchelor earned 100 points in the all-around competition, taking home $21,500 in Kimes Ranch Competition Award Fund money and $3,350.50 in jackpot money, in addition to $2,500 in prize money for the all-around title.
At only their second show since the 2024 National Snaffle Bit Association World Show, Chilln Ona Dirt Road took his young owner, Lilly Ann Jones of Reelsville, Indiana, to their second consecutive AQHYA 13-&-Under All-Around title. With a tiny blue unicorn lucky charm tucked safely in Jones’ pocket, she and Chilln Ona Dirt Road were the world champions in trail, reserve world champions in horsemanship, bronze world champions in hunt seat equitation, top-five in hunter under saddle and top-10 in showmanship. The duo earned 48.5 points in 13-&-Under all-around competition, $2,500 in all-around prize money, $9,000 in Kimes Ranch Competition money and $934 in jackpot money.
NEW Kimes Ranch Competition Award Fund Big Winners
New this year, AQHYA members competing in Level 3 classes and who place in the top three, in addition to high, reserve and third high 14-18 individual and 14-18 team judging contest placings, as well as champion, reserve and third place in the impromptu and prepared speaking contests will all be awarded cash prizes in addition to the class or contest prize package.
Several exhibitors went home big winners securing large purses in Kimes Ranch Competition awards including Justin Ochs who won first and third in the Level 3 heading and first, second and third in the Level 3 heeling securing $15,500. It’s the fourth consecutive year that he has won the Level 3 heeling. Ady Kallay secured the all-around title at the show in addition to $21,500 in Kimes Ranch Competition Award Fund money.
The Kimes Ranch Competition Award Fund earnings will be available to the winning competitors when they turn 18, regardless of the age at which they won the award.
AQHYA Contests
Action at the OKC Fairgrounds continued outside of the arena, too. This year, contest entries were up in each category with overall contest entries increasing 50%. The AQHYA Horse Judging Contest, Justin boots and Wrangler jeans decorating, speech, scrapbook, stall decorating, and art and photo contests were just some of the contests offered. Throughout the show, AQHYA World teams also competed for points in a team spirit contest.
Kimes Ranch Competition Fund money was also presented to the top three placings in the 14-18 judging individual, 14-18 judging team, impromptu and prepared speaking, with payouts for these contests totaling $36,000.
View the contest results.
2025 Parade of Teams
The 2025 youth teams were recognized during the Parade of Teams in the new OG&E Coliseum. To kick off this night in style, Farnam proudly provided The Castellows, a country music trio, for an exclusive acoustic performance at the event.
Also recognized in the arena were the American Quarter Horse Foundation Scholarship recipients, AQHYA World contest winners and the 2025-26 AQHYA Executive Committee and directors.
Top Ranching Heritage Bred Horse Award
The 2017 red roan mare CR Better Off Tuff, bred by Center Ranch of College Station, Texas, was named the top AQHA Ranching Heritage-bred horse at the 2025 AQHYA World. CR Better Off Tuff, who is by Woody Be Tuff and out of the High Brow Cat mare High Class Peptolena, is owned by Michael Keller and shown by Piper Keller of El Reno, Oklahoma. Keller and her mare won three world championships at the show.
The AQHA Ranching Heritage program highlights the versatility, soundness and willing attitude of American Quarter Horses that are ranch-born and -raised. Ranching Heritage Breeders are those operations that have steadfastly continued to maintain the ranching tradition by raising American Quarter Horses for use in working cattle.
High-Point Halter Exhibitor
Colton Smith of Bellefontaine, Ohio, was this year’s high-point halter exhibitor. The award is based on the halter horses shown by an exhibitor at the AQHYA World and is courtesy of J.L. Robinson and Dewey Smith Quarter Horses.
About the AQHYA World
The AQHYA World Championship Show is the world’s largest single-breed world championship horse show open exclusively to youth exhibitors age 18 and under. This is the pinnacle event for youth competitors around the world who must qualify for the event by earning a predetermined number of points to secure a spot in each of the classes, representing English, western and halter disciplines, or earn an invitation through their state or provincial affiliate. The show includes Level 3, Adequan® Level 2 and Level 1 Champion of Champions classes.
AQHA news and information is a service of the American Quarter Horse Association. For more information visit www.aqha.com/news or subscribe to our news text “AQHA In the Know” for the latest Association updates.
