2026 NC 4-H'ers Excel at APHA & AQHYA World Contests
North Carolina 4-H members delivered exceptional performances at two major national horse judging contests this summer: the American Paint Horse Association World Show in Fort Worth, Texas (June) and the American Quarter Horse Association Youth World Championship in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma (August). In addition to horse judging, the youth had the opportunity to participate in other educational opportunities at both events.
2026 APHA World Championship Contest Results
Under the guidance of Union County volunteer coach Samantha Taylor, the Senior Horse Judging team brought home the overall APHA Reserve Champion title, placing 2nd in both Reasons and Performance.
Team members:
Kinley Johnson (Rockingham)- 4th performance, 1st reasons, 4th overall
Addison Taylor (Union)- 8th overall
Zoey (Gaston)- 9th overall
Makenah Allred (Chatham)
The girls also competed in the APHA Horse IQ Showdown. After excelling in written exams and stations, Kinley, Makenah, and Zoey made the top ten. Kinley and Makenah further advanced through the hands-on practicals to the final speech round, ultimately earning Reserve Champion ($1,500 scholarship) and 4th place ($500 scholarship), respectively, while Zoey captured 8th place overall.
NC 4-H Team APHA World Championship Show Contests
L to R: Alaina Cross (NCSU Extension), Makenah Allred, Addison Taylor, Kinley Johnson, Zoey Lovelace, Samantha Taylor (Coach)
2026 AQHYA World Show Contest Results
The momentum continued into August at the AQHYA World Show in Oklahoma City, where an eight-member NC 4-H delegation represented the state across Horse Judging, Public Speaking, and Art & Photography competitions, in both the 13 and under and 14-18 age divisions.
North Carolina 4-H Horse Judging Teams
13 and Under Division (9 teams, 38 individuals)
NC 4-H Team, Coached by Nash County Volunteer Leader Jessica Manning
We also want to extend a very special THANK YOU to The Dale Earnhardt Foundation. Your unwavering support of the NC 4-H Horse Program and our educational teams makes these life-changing experiences possible. Thank you for continually championing our 4-H’ers!
