December and January are the two largest months for membership renewals! We really enjoy having you as a member of AHYA and we would hate for you to miss a single monthly Broadcast Email, issue of Modern Arabian Horse magazine, or chance to participate in any of our totally awesome activities! So poke, prod and bug the "rents" to remember to send in your membership renewal this year!

2009 Creative Contest theme is 'Arabian - A Different Kind of Animal.' Think: Arabians disguised as lions, tigers and leopards, or Arabians traveling thought the jungle with monkeys and wildlife all around! 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!

Your 2008-09 AHYA Youth Board will be meeting early in March in Denver, Colo. The agenda is packed with regional discussions, committee work, planning for Youth National's activities and planning for the 2009 AHYA Convention in Albuquerque. If you have a topic you would like considered for discussion by the Youth Board feel free to email us at Youth@arabianhorses.org.

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.

The 2008 results are in. We had a total of 59 teams that competed from 10 Regions this year! Way to go Region 11 who had the most youth teams competing again this year! They had a total of 20 teams signed up! A special congratulation goes out to team AAHABC Team 3 from Region 17. Mitchell's Marauders racked up the most points this year earning a whopping total of 295 points. To check out all of the final results log on to the website by clicking HERE. Awards are on their way! And we hear they were super nice duffle bags this year!

Does this look like fun? You too can put together a team by gathering your friends, 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!

The second annual USEF Youth Convention held in Cincinnati, Ohio, attracted kids of every age, representing different breeds, disciplines and states. The one thing everybody shared was their passion for horses. Through many different accents, the attendees heard thrilling stories and told of their magnificent horses. To read more about the USEF Youth Convention click here.

Have you checked out how many friends and fans AHYA has on MySpace and Facebook these days? Come check it out!

Celebrity horse teacher, Craig Cameron selected AHA member Joyce Lewis for his Extreme Cowboy Race All Girl Challenge. The race was scheduled for October 22 and 23, 2008 in Bluffdale, TX. The Extreme Cowboy Race spans 15, 30-minute episodes with each episode featuring horse-and-rider teams as they complete the course. The new season will begin Monday, March 4, 2009 on RFD-TV with new episodes premiering each week. Episodes will also be available on HorseCity.com to view by those who do not get RFD-TV. You can read more about Joyce, Khamaal AB and the Extreme Cowboy Race on the AHYA website!

What if every time you rode through the gate you were helping someone in need?

This UPHA program is designed to encourage, challenge, and reward saddleseat equitation riders who participate in horse show competitions, commit to helping others through community service, and help to fundraise for wonderful charities like St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. Not only are you helping to raise money for a great charity like St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, but those outstanding individuals who participate in the program could be awarded for their efforts with scholarship money!

To learn more about how you can ride for this cause and possibly win scholarship money got to UPHA's website by clicking here!

We know that our emotional connection isn't why the heart is important (to put it simply it pumps blood). However, we wanted to take this opportunity to share with you a few facts that demonstrate why the heart is amazing. Hope everyone has a wonderful Valentine's Day.
ADVISORY: The following facts make great date conversation.

1. The heart of a blue whale is as big as a car.
2. Frogs and lizards have three chambers whereas birds and mammals have four.
3. The human heart beats roughly 35 million times a year.
4. Octopuses have three hearts.
5. Dogs have a larger heart to body mass ratio than all other mammals.
6. Scientists have re-created the heart of a rat and it even started beating!
7. Pythons grow bigger hearts at mealtimes.
8. A blue whale's heart beats six times a minute (next to a human's 70 times)
9. A manatee's heart rate slows down by half during a long dive.
10. A giraffe depends on its powerful heart that weighs up to 12kg so that it can fight the force of gravity up that long neck to the head.