Don't forget to start rounding up your friends before your first big show this year and get your RYTT team together. Start by grabbing an entry form off the website, filling it out and sending your $10 team entry fee. Contact your Regional Youth Team Tournament Secretaries or AHA for more questions!

2008 Creative Contest theme is 'My Gift- The Arabian Horse.' Enter unlimited categories for just $10. Compete in Creative Writing, Art, Photography, Computer-Generated, and Audio-Visual. Entries are due by June 1st. You can download your form and read all about the Creative Contest rules on ArabianHorses.org/youth. It's never too soon to get started on all of those awesome projects we receive each year!

The entire Youth Board had a wonderful time in Colorado over the weekend! For many of the Board members, this was their first visit to Denver. The early arrivals toured Colorado on Friday including a visit to Colorado State University's Equine Center and Equine Reproduction Lab. We stopped for some breathtaking photos at Horse Tooth Reservoir and really soaked up the whole Rocky Mountain experience.
Saturday, the Youth Board knocked out a lot of big topics in their meeting pertaining to the AHYA Convention and Youth Nationals! At lunch, the Board was able to meet with the AHA Board of Directors and the Executive Committee. This gave our Youth Board an outstanding opportunity to compare their region's youth involvement with other regions from across the country.

To find out more details from the meeting check out the Presidents Corner on the Youth section of the website later this month.

The USEF just announced in February that a fourth discipline, Reining, has been added to the North American Junior/Young Rider Champions (NAJYRC). Competitors from seven geographical regions and five associations will compete on teams of four in a CRI-Y competition held under FEI rules in Parker, CO July 30- August 3, 2008. The Arabian Horse Association is one of the associations eligible to send a qualified team to the championship competition. Selection for the Reining portion of the NAJYRC will be held at the NRHA Derby on June 28th in Oklahoma City, OK. If you are between the ages of 16-21 and interested in representing the Arabian Horse Association in Reining at the NAJYRC competition please contact Angela Mannick or click here for more information.

Are you looking for scholarship opportunities? Check out a few of the websites we found offering scholarship programs to youth interested in the Equine Industry. It's never too late!

• Arabian Horse Foundation Scholarship deadline April 1, 2008
• The Race for Education Scholarship program supported by the racing industry.
• Pony Club Sponsored Scholarships Scholarship deadline is March 31st. Hurry this one is almost up!

If you think that you might be interested in running for AHYA office, please submit your AHYA officer candidate application today! Technically, candidate applications aren't due until June 15, but if you would like to start your campaign now you can submit your application and be posted on the website so that delegates all over can get to know you before Convention in July!
For election procedures and more information on AHYA, refer to the AHYA Constitution, Chapter 25 of your AHA Handbook, before submitting your application.

Youth Programs is so excited that there will be a place where exhibitors competing at a National Show this year can donate money to AHYA and Youth Programs! There is not a set dollar amount for the donation, but EVERY dollar helps! So don't forget to remind your parents and trainers to check the box and donate some bucks back to YOUth!

We got your piggies, your stick horses, hippology and more planned for the 2008 Youth National Arabian and Half-Arabian Championship Horse Show. Your AHYA Board is looking for activity and t-shirt sponsors. Think it would be cool to have your barn listed on all of those qualifier t-shirts? Or maybe your family would like to sponsor a Stick Horse Workshop? Download a Youth Activity Sponsorship form today from the AHYA website by clicking here.

So we have already made a lot of new friends on MySpace since the January launch! If you haven't checked us out, do so today! We have lots of blogs posted, great info on AHYA activities, and you can even watch the AHA commercial if you haven't already seen it! We would love to be your friend! Check us out at myspace.com/arabianyouth.

There is no such thing as a sterile barn cat.
No one ever notices how you ride until you fall off.
The least useful horse in your barn will eat the most, require shoes every four weeks and needs the vet at least once a month.
A horse's misbehavior will be in direct proportion to the number of people who are watching.
Your favorite tack always gets chewed on, and your new blanket gets torn.
Tack you hate will never wear out and blankets you hate cannot be destroyed.
Horses you hate cannot be sold and will out-live you.
Clipper blades will become dull when your horse is half clipped.
If you approach within 50 feet of your barn in clean clothes, you will get dirty.
The number of horses you own will increase to the number of stalls in your barn.
Your barn will fall down without baling twine.
Hoof picks always run away from home.
If you fall off, you will land on the site of your most recent injury.

NUZZLING: Always take a BIG drink from your water trough immediately before nuzzling your human. Humans prefer clean muzzles. Be ready to rub your head on the area of your human that you just nuzzled to dry it off, too.
PLAYING: If you lose your footing while frolicking in the paddock, use one of the other horses to absorb your fall so you don't injure yourself. Then the other horse will get a visit from the mean ol' vet, not you!
RAIN: Humans are generally little busy bodies, like beavers, who need to constantly build and modify. During the rain, stick either your head or butt beyond the reach of your roof. Your human will instinctively (being the stimulus/response creatures that they are) move you to a new stall, and make a new roof for you later.
SHOEING: Humans are creatures driven by instant gratification. After a good foot trimming or shoeing, trot smartly around afterwards to show your human how nice the shoes fit. The next day, drag one foot when you walk, to provide your little busy body with yet another project to work on.
Now you know why your horse acts like he does...