Above: 2024 Youth National Champion Half-Arabian Saddle Seat Equitation JTR 15-18 Alexa Gilbert and Toi Sensation CRF (Matoi x Alpha Phi). Owned by KGB Texas Marketing/Pubnlic Relations Inc.
By Brianna York
As featured in the Fall 2024 issue of Arabian Horse World
Mid Summer Nationals is still a relatively new idea that has seemingly become an overnight success. Following the pandemic, changes were necessary to allow the Youth National Show to continue to thrive. Creating a competition that showcases not only the amazing youth riders who have chosen to own Arabian and Half-Arabian horses but also the true family-friendly nature of the Arabian breed was the obvious answer to a variety of problems.
Mid Summer Nationals offers the same slate of youth rider-focused classes that have always been a part of the Youth National Show lineup, alongside new classes for trainers and amateur riders. This combination of class options has allowed the former Youth National Show to continue despite economic pressures and location changes.
In 2024, the summer weather was unseasonably mild for Oklahoma City. The schedule was adjusted to speed up class sessions and allow for lighter evening sessions so that kids could get to bed at a reasonable hour each night. This show concept will doubtless continue to evolve and improve, and the show’s organizers and the Arabian Horse Association continue to collect data and reviews of the show each year to try and make it as fun and exciting as possible.
Showcasing Talented Youth Riders
Mid Summer Nationals is still, at its heart, the Youth National Championship horse show. Kids of all ages come to this national show each year to make memories, show off their skills, and hopefully go home with a rose garland or two or three!
Many youth riders who showed this year were veterans of the show ring. The various activities and presentations that are part and parcel of this show’s schedule are often guided by these expert youth who help to usher in and welcome new riders just learning to compete at this level. Passing the torch is a crucial aspect of what makes this show special, and the youth riders who are wrapping up their last show season as a “kid” competitor are always encouraged to help younger children feel comfortable and ready to take on their classes with style.
Kid-friendly activities haven’t been abandoned despite the added adult classes, either. The first-time exhibitor picture is still taken, the annual dog races are still held, and graduating youth are still recognized during the show. Some exhibitors still miss the annual golf cart parade, a huge hit when the show was held in Albuquerque.
The balance between the needs of the trainers and parents at this show is well-maintained, allowing the youth riders who made this show so special in the first place to continue to shine!
Arabian Horse World Summer Cover Star: 2024 Mid Summer National Champion Western Pleasure Open Arslan Aljassimya (Equator PASB x Omel Aisha Aljassimya) with Josh Quintus. Owned by MLM Arabians.
Spectacular Adult and Open Classes
For many trainers and the parents of the kids competing at the Youth National Show, this show took a lot of work to justify going to each year due to the cost and the lack of opportunities for older clients and open horses to compete. While initially proposed as a temporary solution to the post-COVID reality of canceled national horse shows, Mid Summer’s open and amateur classes are here to stay.
The show is at a time of year that allows trainers to show their open horses at a national show that doesn’t conflict with US Nationals. Parents welcome the chance to compete in their classes while supporting their children in meeting their competition goals.
The extended schedule is one of the challenges of offering these non-youth classes. Many exhibitors state that the length of the show is a stumbling block for them despite how much they enjoy the overall experience of showing at Mid Summer. This reason, along with issues related to the lack of activities to enjoy outside of the horse show in Oklahoma City, continue to be cited as the downsides of the Mid Summer National Show.
However, adults and trainers alike enjoyed the return of the classic rose blankets for non-youth classes, and the gorgeous red and yellow garlands that were used this year were a big hit. The adult and open classes have been granted various award types since the show was reformatted, from red rose blankets that matched the youth rider’s traditional national championship garlands to a year where gold, bronze, and silver awards were placed in each class. The return to rose blankets felt right this year, and offering a different color palette for adult and open classes helped ensure that youth rider awards stood out from the crowd.
2024 Mid Summer National Champion Hunter Pleasure Sunrise Kid MF (Sundance Kid V x Mi Maria) with Wendy Griffith-Potts. Owned by Anna Montpetit.
Changing Times Require Responsive Shows
While there continue to be concerns about the continued existence of this horse show, with its combination of adult, open classes, and youth classes, there are clear indicators that the Mid Summer National Show is meeting a growing need. The cost of shows isn’t decreasing, and filling classes with talented horses and riders at the top levels of competition is becoming increasingly challenging.
Offering new divisions, allowing the whole family to come and show at the same time, and helping trainers to be able to afford to show are more critical now than ever. As the times change, so do our horse shows. While the Mid Summer National Show may someday return to a youth-only horse show, for the time being, the current combination of classes for all comers seems to be the best solution.
At the end of the day, the Arabian has always been one of the best family-friendly horses on earth. What better way to showcase the breed and everything it stands for than a show that displays so clearly that the breed is perfect for riders of all ages, interests, and skill levels? Despite the growing pains, the changes to the former Youth National Show were made with the survival of this important competition in mind, and the results have been heartening.
To all the youth riders who aged out this year after gracing all of us with their excellence in the arena in Oklahoma City one last time, may you conquer the amateur arena with just as much verve, panache, and passion for the Arabian horse. To the youth riders who have just begun their journey, we welcome you with open arms and excitement as you discover just how special the Mid Summer Nationals and the Youth Nationals experience truly is.
