Iain Loder, from Aberdeenshire, has been selected to represent the UK next year as part of the American Quarterhorse Association’s UK Youth Team heading for the breed’s ‘Youth World Cup 2018’ which will be held in Texas, in the US.

This contest is held every two years and in 2016 the UK team came home from Australia with several gold medals and sixth place overall in the world.

This was the best placing a UK team had ever had, so the 2018 team have a lot of hard work ahead of them in the run up to this truly international event – with 18 countries now registered to take part.

A total of seven UK youth riders will attend the event, five competing, one as team reserve and another as a leadership place/team support. At the event itself the host country will provide horses for each team and they have five days in which to get to know their horses and work out which to use in a number of western and English disciplines.

These include horsemanship, reining, cutting, ranch riding, showmanship, hunter under saddle, hunt seat equitation and trail. The youth team will prepare the horses for showing and the adults accompanying them (including the team manager and coach) are not allowed to ride or even lunge the horses.

They have all undertaken fundraising for this challenge since February of this year and are aiming to raise more funds to help with further team training and general costs.

Get in touch at info@aqha.uk.com if you think you could help support the youth team for this challenge.