Link to video of Amanda Harris at the competition
SYRACUSE -- At 16, Amanda Harris, of Syracuse, is becoming a household name in the horse world.
Earlier this month, Harris won the world championship title in youth reining at the Oklahoma City 2010 Built Ford Tough American Quarter Horse Youth Association World Championship Show.
While she says there was a little luck involved, she and her trainer also admit she's worked hard enough to earn the title.
"She's experienced both the upside as well as the downside of competition," said her trainer, Mack Weaver, of Morgan. "But she's been on the upside more than 50 percent of the time."
Amanda's mother, Wendy Harris, said she's been told her daughter is the first from the Beehive state to win the title.
She said Utah youth advisers also don't remember another youth reiner qualifying for the contest in the last decade.
Amanda has been riding horses for half her life and has sought the advice of a number of trainers.
Her latest success was on her 7-year-old registered quarter horse, Chexouthisreminic, whom she calls Joe.
He's a 2003 bay gelding by Von Reminic and out of Miss Celebrity Chex by Peewee Chex, bred by Denise Schmitz, of Sutter Creek, Calif..
Amanda said her horse always gives her his best effort.
"He kind of fools you," she said. "When he's in the warm-up arena he doesn't seem to be a serious horse. But when he goes into the show, he's all about performing."
Amanda and Joe bested 104 top riders who had to compete hard just to qualify to be at the competition.
"It was amazing," Amanda kept saying over and over again when asked about her win. Her eyes welled up with tears of emotion well after she got home from the contest.
It was the third year Amanda qualified to compete in the world championship show.
But it was the first time she scored high enough to compete in the finals. "I think that anyone even coming (to the world championship show) can understand the fact that the working hard and getting into it and making it back to the finals is worth everything," Amanda said.
And she says she didn't change anything from the previous years. Her advice to other competitors: "Just keep trying -- that's all you can really do. Just keep trying and doing your best."
Her prizes included a custom-designed gold-tone trophy, Montana Silversmiths buckle, neck wreath, gold medallion, Cripple Creek-logo jacket, world champion patch, Professional's Choice products, and a WeatherBeeta embroidered blanket.
Besides showing with the American Quarter Horse Association, Amanda also shows with two reining associations and is preparing to show with the American Paint Horse Association.
She also dedicates herself to riding her three top horses with Weaver two or three times a week for several hours.
But she said she doesn't mind, because she's always learning something new.
"No matter how much you know about horses, there's always something more to learn," she said. "It never stops."
Besides her accomplishments, Amanda said, she's been excited to have made so many true friends in her sport.
"You know you are friends when you cheer on your competitor and are happy when they do well," she said. "That's how it is in the horse industry."
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