woman with a horse
Amanda Seymour, of Olathe, Colorado, won the Youth Ranch Horse Mentor Matchup at the National Western Stock Show. • Photo courtesy of National Western Stock Show.

Colorado Student Wins New Ranch Horse Event at National Western Stock Show

A 20-year-old college student from Colorado won the first-ever Youth Ranch Horse Mentor Matchup at the National Western Stock Show (NWSS).

Amanda Seymour, of Olathe, took the championship on Jan. 12 aboard Fourth And Ten under the guidance of trainer Cody Crow. The new event at the show in Denver, Colorado, was created to provide an opportunity for local youth to learn and compete through relevant hands-on educational activities with their equine partner and top equine professionals.

The 10 participating riders received one-on-one practice time with their coach, rotating through area to practice various skills. They were asked to complete a ranch trail pattern, a ranch riding pattern, a modified reining pattern then they chose to box, rope or fence a cow. Competitors vied for scholarship money provided by the National Western Scholarship Trust.

Thanks to her efforts aboard Fourth And Ten (Boonlight Dancer x Hickory Ten x Doc’s Hickory), Seymour earned a $2,000 scholarship.

The Reserve Championship went to Kaylynn Sheldon and Hickory On The Moon (PT) (Full Moon Fritz x Zena Hickory x Pep Up Hickory). Sheldon, of Fort Lupton, Colorado, is pursuing a dental hygiene degree at Laramie County Community College. She was paired with two-time NWSS Invitational Ranch Rodeo Champion Team captain Jesse Jolly from Agate, Colo. The runner-up spot earned her a $1,000 scholarship.

The competition was open to riders ages 14-21 who live in Colorado and Wyoming.  

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