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Texas Cutting Horse Youth Wins Outstanding Area Director

austriaarnold-thebosscat2013 NYCHA Outstanding Area Director Austria Arnold and The Boss CatYouth cutting horse enthusiast Austria Arnold, of Terrell, Texas, has been named the 2013 Outstanding Area Director for the second year with the National Youth Cutting Horse Association (NYCHA). Arnold currently serves as an Area 24 Director, which includes youth members residing in Dallas and East Texas, for the Fort Worth-based NYCHA, as well as first vice president of the equestrian youth organization.

“This is such an exciting and huge honor. The NYCHA is an incredible organization that works to promote leadership. We have a really neat group of youth leaders working together to promote cutting,” says Arnold. “We truly are the next generation of leaders for our sport.”

More than 30 area directors work for one-year terms to provide leadership and guidance for the youth organization in their designated area. These directors, lead by NYCHA Coordinator Dayna Smith, work to improve and promote the cutting horse industry while developing scholarships, community interest and leadership skills.

The Outstanding Area Director, known within the organization as the O.A.D., was created by NYCHA past president Matthew Blewitt as a way to increase motivation for NYCHA Area Directors to accomplish their official duties. Annually the O.A.D. is selected through a point system based on duties such as collecting stallion and trainer donations, selling raffle tickets, recruiting new members, attending meetings, and submitting articles to the organization’s official publication, Cutting Horse Chatter. Arnold won a NYCHA vest, O.A.D. trophy and $1,000 academic scholarship.