Region 9 Novice Youth Winner Logan Venus
Logan Venus of Hattiesburg, Miss., recently turned 13 and has been showing successfully in the youth and novice youth divisions in 2006. An eighth grader at Presbyterian Christian School, she took time in August to show one of her family's Quarter Horses at the AQHA Regional Experience in Jackson, Miss.

Logan Venus Photo by Harold Compton

Tell us about your horse.
Sugar Bars Zip, or "Woody," is an 8-year-old, 15.3-hand sorrel gelding. He has a great attitude and is willing to do just about anything. We bought him in February of this year when my other horse had an injury. Woody was at our trainer's barn, and about to be put up for sale, so we tried him out and bought him. He's particularly good in horsemanship, but also in showmanship, trail, English equitation and hunter under saddle, so he's very versatile.

What has been your most memorable moment in the saddle?
Winning the novice youth horsemanship, English equitation and hunter under saddle at the Dixie National Quarter Horse Show in Jackson, Mississippi back in February after owning Woody only about a week.

Do you ride with a trainer?
Yes, I ride with Tom McBeath in Union, Miss., and Woody is in training with him. His facility is about two hours from my home, and I go almost every weekend. Tom is very patient, and if I do something wrong, he explains what I did and how to fix it. He works really closely with us at shows, and holds early-morning training sessions on show days. He's always calm, cool and relaxed at shows, and that helps me stay calm.

Tell us about your Regional Experience win.
I rode in many classes, all on Saturday and Sunday during the Regional Experience. On Saturday, I showed in trail, two showmanship classes and two horsemanship classes. Then Sunday, we showed in the English flat classes, equitation and hunter under saddle. We won both our showmanship classes, both our horsemanship classes and both equitation classes, and ended up as the Novice Youth All Around high point winner.

Would you recommend the Regional Experience to other show riders? To newcomers? Will you be back next year?
I would recommend it! It was so much fun. We had really long days, but it was a great time. They had great people working the show, it was very organized, and the prizes were awesome. They had contests, clinics and other activities for newcomers. The trail clinic I saw would be very useful to new show riders. I attended the first Regional Experience in 2005, and again this year, and hope to attend next year!