(Langley, BC -  June 3, 2015) ---  The city of Tamworth, New South Wales, Australia will host the next biennial American Quarter Horse Association's Youth World Cup event to be held June 23 to July 3, 2016. This event, first held in Australia in 1986 as the International Youth Quarter Horse World Cup, has become one of the most prestigious equine competitions recognized world wide.  

It is a major initiative of the CQHA to field a youth team for this competition which is held every two years. The CQHA Board of Directors is very pleased to announce that Christine Little of Brandon, Manitoba and Donna Sagin of Carberry, Manitoba have been appointed as 2016 Team Canada Coach and Team Canada Manager, respectively. The CQHA is indeed fortunate to have such well-qualified candidates volunteer their time, experience and resources to serve Team Canada in these capacities.

Christine Little has been involved in AQHA her entire life - being raised on a successful AQHA breeding farm, Little Valley Quarter Horses - all the way to building her own successful training and coaching business of Christine Little Show Horses. An AQHA Specialized All Novice Judge, Christine has a thorough knowledge of AQHA event rules and judging standards and attends yearly Judges Seminars to stay up-to-date.  

She has worked alongside top trainers in the United States and Europe, including AQHA and NRHA World and Congress Champions. She has proven herself by earning national championships in Western Pleasure, Western Riding and Trail, as well as coaching students to national championships in Showmanship, Western Horsemanship, Halter, Trail, Hunter Under Saddle and Hunt Seat Equitation. She has coached clients to AQHA Regional Championships and many Affiliate year end awards.

Being a former Team Canada Youth World Cup youth member in Portogruaro, Italy in 2000, Christine has invaluable firsthand knowledge of this international event.  

Outside of horses, Christine has a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, completing her thesis on Athlete Motivation. She currently works at the Addictions Foundation of Manitoba as a Community Addictions Counsellor.  

The unique set of skills Christine has developed to date, will be an incredible asset to the coaching position, as clear communication, positive motivation and managing emotions are all part of building a successful team.  

Donna Sagin is an experienced and successful event manager with a proven background in administration, financial management, business strategy, and marketing with various organizations. An experienced executive member, she brings strong leadership skills and is recognized as a dedicated problem-solver. Her experience includes creating budgets, developing marketing and sponsorship plans, organizing special events and meeting deadlines She has spent the majority of her career, to date, with non-profit organizations in Western Canada organizing small events of 200, to large events of over 100,000 visitors.  

An avid AQHA amateur exhibitor, Donna has shown for over 20 years in the all-around events. She currently volunteers as a director with the Manitoba Quarter Horse Association and is registered as an official AQHA Show Manager.  

Christine and Donna have worked together as part of the Manitoba Quarter Horse Association and bring an impressive combination of skills to CQHA and Team Canada. They are organized, motivated and enthusiastic about this opportunity to be part of the 2016 AQHA Youth World Cup and firmly believe they can help develop a competitive Canadian team, who will also be great ambassadors for Canada.   

The CQHA will soon be seeking up to nine qualified youth participants from all across Canada, for Team Canada. Applicants must be Canadian residents and current members-in-good-standing of the American Quarter Horse Youth Association (AQHYA), the Canadian Quarter Horse Association (CQHA), and the provincial/regional Quarter Horse Affiliate where they reside. (Applicants must continue to be age-eligible to compete as youth in 2016). 

Youth exhibitors who compete solely in the disciplines of Cutting and Reining are also eligible to apply as Team Canada members, providing they meet the AQHYA membership criteria, become members of CQHA (at no extra cost to current AQHYA members - see below) and are members-in-good-standing of their provincial or regional cutting or reining affiliates. The Team Canada application form will be posted on the CQHA Forms/Resources webpage very soon.. 

Funding for travel and other expenses for Team Canada to participate in Youth World Cup events is cost-shared by AQHA/CQHA, provincial/regional Quarter Horse Associations, discipline affiliates, corporate and/or individual sponsors, and team members' families.

All current AQHA or AQHYA members-in-good-standing are eligible and invited to become members of CQHA for no additional membership fee. However, you must register with CQHA by submitting the on-line cqha membership application form available on our website   

For more information regarding the Canadian Quarter Horse Association, including Team Canada's participation at the 2016 AQHA Youth World Cup, visit the CQHA website and check out the Team Canada section.

P.S. Please "like" our CQHA Facebook page 

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