Youth Hippology Team 2014
By Meaghan Shaffer
The girls came home victorious! The “Region 2 Nerd Herd” was the overall National Champion Team in the Youth Hippology Contest in Albuquerque at the Arabian Horse Youth Nationals.
The team consisted of AHASFV club members Krista Askenas, Kate Day, and Natalie Zavala. Reserve Champion Team overall was the “Region 2 Winningest Team”, with Danielle Garcia, 
Sarah Aronovsky, and Kate Atkinson.
In addition to successful team winnings, Natalie Zavala won Individual Champion in the 10-13 age division with a score of 89 out of 110, and Krista Askenas won Individual Champion in the competitive 14-18 age division with a score of 114 out of 132 possible. This year there were 45 contestants. The largest division was the 14-18 category. The teams competed for Nationals ribbons, plaques, and Arabian Horse Youth Association prizes. The contest was sponsored by the Region 10 Arabian Horse Association.
The road trip began early in the morning. Six girls were piled in the rental van with their chaperone/driver/coach, Meaghan Shaffer. The 13 hour trip was fun and the kids enjoyed watching episode after episode of the TV series “Bones” to pass the time. 
The next two days, the kids participated in the youth convention and dinner, mechanical bull riding, and a clinic headed by Stan Morey and Bill Melendez.
The hippology exam was split into two days so they left the show without knowing the results or their placing. Learning it by text once home, Natalie ran around the house excitedly yelling that she had won. Then she quickly got on the phone to inform the others of their wonderful results as well.
The hippology program is an extraordinary opportunity for youth interested in all things horse. 
Hippology is the study of horses so it includes all things such as colors, breeds, training, tack, management, conformation, feed, etc. Beginning in January, the kids study all things on the Internet and in books. They are given weekly subjects to study and most attend the monthly trainings. In May and June, the kids are given two hippology exams.
The six top scoring kids in these exams earn the opportunity to compete at Youth Nationals. The youth helped to raise funds for the trip by scooping and serving ice cream at two horse shows. In July, the club fully sponsors and sends a hippology team of six to the Arabian Youth Nationals in Albuquerque, New Mexico to compete in the Hippology Contest. Any youth member can study and partake in the monthly activities but only the top six test takers are able to participate in the summer trip. The club has always come back with winning ribbons. It’s an adventure of a lifetime!