Arizona Youth Team Does It Again - at the 2001 World Championship Paint Horse Show

Arizona Junior Paint Horse Club Proved Again that Practice Makes Perfect

by Samantha Samuels

The Arizona Team won the Team Parade, were second in the talent competition doing their Stable Stomp routine, Lacey Kuhlwein won the Horsemanship portion and Margaret Hernandez was ninth in the Showmanship Class. The Arizona Team ended up 5th overall in the AJPHA World Show Team Tournament Competition. (Left to right): Stacy Padhye/Youth Advisor, Melody Hendricks, Mackenzie Trueba, Lauren Olson, Lacey Kuhlwein, Shannon Sartain, Hannah Brannon, Samantha Samuels, Olivia Leon, Margaret Henandez, Lauren Rollings, Laurel Ellzey, and Marjorie Samuels/Assistant Advisor and Choreographer

Having won the Parade of Teams and the Team Talent Contest at the 2000 World Championship Paint Horse Show, the 2001 Arizona Youth Team was willing to work hard for another summer of victory; and like in 2000, the hard work paid off.

This year's Team members were Lacey Kuhlwein, Hannah Brannon, Shannon Sartin, Olivia Leon, Samantha Samuels, Margaret Hernandez, Lauren Olson, Mackenzie Score, Lauren Rollings, Melody Hendricks, and Laurel Ellzey; all of which are members of the Arizona Junior Paint Horse Club.

With multiple dance and routine practices under their belts and buckles, the young cowgirls were ready to take on the 2001 World Championship Paint Horse Show Team Tournament Contest held in Ft. Worth, Texas, June 24th though July 7th.

For the Team Talent Contest of the Team Tournament, Arizona performed a routine they call "Stable Stomp". (Stable Stomp is like the Broadway show, "Stomp", in which percussionists bang on trash cans, sweep brooms, etc. to make really cool music.) In Arizona Youth Team's Stable Stomp, the girls used horse grain buckets, hoofpicks, pushbrooms, and large water buckets for their percussion. Sweeping and banging in sync to the 70's hit, Word Up, Arizona was the only team that proved practice makes perfect. The Team was awarded a Reserve World Championship in the event.

The following night the Team was set to perform in the Parade of Teams, the last event of the Team Tournament. Wearing matching bandanna outfits, the girls represented their state with ease and perfection. Entering the main arena under a giant rattlesnake, slithering around giant saguaro cacti, coyote, and roadrunner cutouts, the girls then line-danced to the western theme Bonanza, which put the icing on the cake of their practiced parade routine. Practicing the routine in advance, which many other teams failed to accomplish, is what helped Arizona capture World Championship honors in the Parade of Teams that evening.

The experiences at this year's World Show will be ones that the Arizona Youth Team will never forget. Making new friends, building self-esteem, and just having fun are important factors in childhood, and thanks to the Team Tournament, these kids were able to experience them all.