The American Quarter Horse Youth World Cup is an educational, leadership and competition-based event for AQHA youth members from around the world, with the 2023 event held from June 28 to July 8 in Bryan-College Station, Texas.

This year’s event hosts 17 teams from 22 nations around the world. The competing teams and team members are as follows:

Team Australia

• Coach: Holly Skopp
• Manager: Liz Keating
• Charley Lalor, 19, Rockhampton, Queensland
• Clare Neylon, 17, Stanmore, Queensland
• Cora Potter, 18, Comet, Queensland
• Maddison Allen, 16, Koorlong, Victoria
• Olivia MacCallum, 15, Walcha, New South Wales
• Lacey Lalor, 16, Rockhampton, Queensland
• Faith Green, 17, Parkes, New South Wales
• Macey Hulston, 18, Haigslea, Victoria
• Sebastian Mundy, 17, Carleton River, Tasmania
• Tirra Ewers, 16, Cornubia, Queensland

Team Canada

• Coach: Jodi Mallette
• Manager: Jessica Mosley Cairncross
• Emily Yates is 16 years old from North Bay, Ontario
• Taylor Carney is 18 years old from Kincardine, Ontario
• Hailey Olson, 16, Mary Field, Saskatchewan
• Aliera (Alie) Chernoff, 18, Strathmore, Alberta
• Brooklyn Shannon, 17,  Oro-Medonte, Ontario
• Abigail Dunlevy, 16, Oro-Medonte, Ontario
• Kaidyn Goodwin, 17, Tusket, Nova Scotia
• Lauren Irwin, 18, Oro-Medonte, Ontario
• Emily Firth, 16, Langley, British Columbia
• Tylar Randall, 15, Lake George, Nova Scotia

Team China

• Trainer: Tao An
• Manager: David Snodgrass
• Tongjiang Xiao, 13, Loaning
• Zizhoa Feng, 17, Beijing
• Ruohan Wang, 16, Beijing
• Linghan An, 13, Beijing
• Juoji Sun, 12, Beijing

Team Denmark

• Coach: Emilie Bendix-Christensen
• Manager: Julie Elisa Soby
• Oskar Krog, 14, Silkeborg
• Melanie Toft Gerdes-Hansen, 14, Tuse
• Lotte Volund Hennings, 13, Northern Seeland
• Fie Lindegaard Fokdal, 16, Svendborg

Team France

• Coach: Durand Ludovic
• Manager: Simon Manceau
• Louenn Morice, 18, Goven
• Klara Jeanningros, 17, Acron
• Julie Champiel, 19, Darazac
• Cannelle Turmiau-Geslot, 18, Thouset
• Lou Covarel, 17, Savoie

Team Germany

• Coach: Alexander Eck
• Manager: Naemi Kuenkler
• Manager: Maike Kruetzmann
• Luca Kempfer, 15, Diekholzen
• Julia Gillessen, 19, Neustadt
• Thea Marie Friedrich, 19, Philippsburg
• Stella Pfeffer, 18, Osterhofen
• Jette Juergensen, 18, Ehningen
• Michele Lueders, 17, Schonwald
• Evamaria Lautner, 18, Rosstal

Team Ireland

• Coach: Marlene Rutten
• Manager: Ella Thomas
• Charlotte Doyle, 16, Longford, County Longford
• Naimh Fitzpatrick, 16, Lisburn
• Kristin Kilfeather, 19, Ballinamore
• Rhianna Thompson, 19, Clogher, County Tyrone, United Kingdom
• Mia Green, 16, County Cavan
• Hazel Dardis, 13,  Miltownpass
• Hannah McGovern, 13, Vickerstown

Team Italy

• Coach: Linda Long
• Manager: Marina Bettarini
• Co-Manager: Marco Cali
• Martina Guiggia, 18, Cherasco
• Filippo Antonutti, 19, Udine
• Francesca Ferrarol, 19, Nave S. Racco
• Lorenza Tedeschi, 17, Udine
• Ginevra Bertini, 16, Fucecchio
• Ilaria Taboga, 18, Majano
• Camilla Falzari, 15, Gorizia
• Martina Zeni, 14, Tesero

Team Japan

• Coach: Toa An
• Manager: David Snodgrass
• Yui Tanabe, 15, Odawara, Kanagawa
• Aya Tanabe, 15, Odawara, Kanagawa

Team Luxembourg

• Coach: Judy Bonham
• Manager: Jim Stors
• Lisa Neumaier, 16, Grevenmacher
• Cleo Barsotti, 14, Walferdange
• Luna Simons, 13, Bigonville
• Famke Verheyen, 17, Nijlen
• Wendla Wilhelmi, 18, Trier
• Katrina Fiteni, 12, Mompach

Team Netherlands

• Coach: Jamie Verkerk
• Manager: Natascha Holtrop
• Kevin Holthuijsen, 18, Venlo
• Esmee Vermeeren, 17, Amsterdam
• Anne Luitjens, 17, Venlo
• Saartje Witters, 12, Pellenberg, Belgium
• Julie Vancraeynest, 17, Herselt, Belgium

Team New Zealand

• Coach: Dan Carlisle
• Manager: Casey Brodie
• Adam Carlisle, 19, Greytown
• Alyssa McDowell, 18, Whakatane
• Lani Eccles, 19, Hamilton
• Reece Mahuika, 18, Nelson
• Sharee Bon, 17, Mercer

Team Nordic

• Coach: Sharon Wellmann
• Manager: Anneli Holvberg
• Stener Pedersen, 14, Finstadbru, Norway
• Martine Hole, 19, Lommedalen, Norway
• Minja Tikkanen, 18, Hyvinkaa, Finland
• Emma Holmberg, 15, Kirkkonummi, Finland
• Natalie Fagerlund, 14, Inkoo, Finland

Team South Africa

• Coach: Nikki Riddle
• Manager: Tamryn Thorp
• Burlyn Breedt, 19, Gauteng
• Wynand Bezuidenhout, 16, Northern Cape
• Minki Venter, 13, Gauteng
• Dylan Busschau, 14, Mpumalanga
• Carli Roux, 18, Gauteng

Team Switzerland

• Coach and Manager: Elif Schleiniger
• Coach and Manager: Yolanda Facchi
• Lea Tanner, 19, Aeugst Am Albis
• Sarah Holtschi, 18, Mullheim-Wigoltingen
• Nicola Scholly, 14, Bern
• Enie Bungen, 16, Zurich
• Lea Imgruth, 14, Luzern
• Muriel Rotzer, 14, Schweiz

Team USA

• Coach: Nancy Cahill
• Manager: Michelle Tidwell
• Blakely Abbott, 19, Sparta, Georgia
• Brooke Jolstad, 18, Lakewood, Colorado
• Jaymee Carruth, 16, Enterprise, Mississippi
• Lauren Pursley, 19, College Station, Texas
• Lily Corbin, 19, Edmond, Oklahoma
• Liz Marmor, 17, Devine, Texas
• Rosemary Harman, 17, Muenster, Texas
• Sydney Sargent, 18, Paris, Kentucky
• Taylor Allen, 14, Philadelphia, Mississippi
• Violet Shetler, 17, Sagertown, Pennsylvania

Team United

• Trainer: Rikke Benjaminsen
• Coach: Leana Brasseler
• Manager: Cedric Leroux
• Kyle Magdaleno, 15, Nottingham, United Kingdom
• Disiree Leiner, 17, Bruckneudorf, Austria
• Ella Ohlen, 18, Linkoping, Sweden
• Lenthel- Louise Desmedt, 12, Baarle-Hertog, Belgium
• Adrien Delporte, 18, Ath, Belgium
• Eva Vantoortelboom, 15, Bratislava, Slovakia

About the Youth World Cup 

The international event is hosted every two years by a different country. This year’s event hosts 17 teams from 22 nations around the world! Throughout this competition, each country will ride for gold medals in cutting, reining, horsemanship, ranch riding, trail, western riding, hunt seat equitation, hunter under saddle and showmanship. The host country provides each team’s horses for clinics and competition. Event planners rely on professional horsemen and owners to supply this event with the best American Quarter Horses to suit the different disciplines.

AQHA is a proud sponsor of the American Quarter Horse Youth World Cup. For more information about the Youth World Cup, please email aqhaywc2023@gmail.com or visit aqha-youthworldcup.com. 

AQHA news and information is a service of the American Quarter Horse Association. For more news and information, follow @AQHA on Twitter, watch the AQHA Newscast and visit www.aqha.com/news.