Grab the red, grab the green, and dust off those reindeer antlers and stocking caps. The 2008 AHYA Convention is just two weeks away! The entire Board is so excited for this year's theme of Christmas in July. We have an entire afternoon filled with voting for next year's Youth Executive Board, Committee feedback sessions, keynote address by Joel Keisner, icebreakers and tons of games. Make sure to dress for the occasion! There is an awesome gift for the youth member that dresses the part of Christmas in July the best!

Convention is open to all youth. Come to the Youth Hall at 1:00 pm to start the fun!

We are letting the cat out of the bag! We have some really great new fundraisers planned for Youth Nationals this year. So practice your musical talents, clean out those closets and warm up your throwing arm. For more information on any of the fundraisers below, email us!

Are You Ready To Rock? Mark your calendars and plan on stopping by the Little Whinny Café on Wednesday, July 30th from 4:30-7:30 pm for the new Guitar Hero Tournament Fundraiser. Guitar Hero is a rock guitar simulation game that gives you the opportunity to become music legends! $10 entry, single elimination tournament style, no experience necessary. Winners will receive CASH prizes and all proceeds benefit AHYA and Youth Programs.

Britches getting too small? Old show clothes collecting dust in the trailer? Work with AHYA to sell those old show clothes and maybe find some new digs while you're at it. Stop by the Youth Office during Youth Nationals to place your items for sale. AHYA will work a 60/40 split to help sell those old clothes for you! It's not limited to youth clothes so feel free to have your trainers clean out their dressing rooms as well!

Items can be dropped off at the Youth Office in Lujan C Saturday, July 26th after 10 a.m. All items must be picked up between 12:00 noon and 5 p.m. Saturday, August 2nd before the start of Finals Night.

"Here Little Piggy! Here Little Piggy! Sue-eeee!" They're Back! Purchase your little piggies for a chance to throw them at a target in center ring during Youth Nationals. If you hit the target, you win the jackpot! Pigs are $2 each or three for $5. Pigs will fly on Tuesday, July 29 and Thursday, July 31. You can purchase your sounder of pigs from the AHA Booth or in the Youth Office at the show.

This year the 2007-08 AHYA Youth Board will be preparing Regional Gift Baskets to be auctioned off in a silent auction to benefit AHYA. The baskets will be on display all week near the Show and Youth Office. They are sure to contain some very unique items from each region. Come take a peek, pick your favorite, get a bid number from the Youth Office and bid for your basket!

The Arabian Professional and Amateur Horseman's Association will host their 5th Annual Youth Nationals Clinics on July 25th, 2008 in the Horseman's Arena at the New Mexico State Fair Grounds from 2:00 -5:00 pm. This year the clinicians will feature Liz Bentley with Western from 2:00- 3:30 followed by Virginia Godwin with English from 3:30-5:00. Both clinicians are recipients of the prestigious APAHA Horseman's Awards for 2007. Six youth may participate on horseback in each clinic and there is an unlimited availability for auditors. You can sign up as a participant at the Youth Nationals Show Office in Lujan B or by contacting Kathie Hart at vallejoiii@aol.com.

Don't miss this opportunity to grow your love of the breed! Sponsor a subscription for any non-member friend, family member or business establishment to Modern Arabian Horse. For every new non-member subscription sponsored, your name will be entered in a drawing for awesome prizes! You could win:

• A Lifetime Membership to the Arabian Horse Association
• A VIP package to the 2009 U.S. Nationals in Tulsa, Okla.
• A $1000 VISA gift card

The Sponsor a Subscription card can be found between pages 32-33 of the June/July issue of Modern Arabian Horse or can be downloaded from the following Link.

Are you a stall-bound horse? Want to amuse yourself and your human? Well, here are some fun activities for you!

Hay Dunking
In this game, you'll try to grab a bite of hay, carry it to your water container, and dump it in. Dropping hay in your water is fun for both you and your human! Although it's just hay, they will probably come in your stall and remove it from your water (then you can dump more in).

Who Can Be the Loudest
If you're stalled with other horses, try a little friendly competition with this game. When it's feeding time, see who can neigh, bang, scream, and kick the loudest in their stalls. Humans will instinctively throw food to the noisiest, most demanding horse, so try to be it. The winner is the horse that the human feeds first.