2024 National Officers Candidates

Voting closes on December 1 at 10:00 p.m.

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Aubree Leyva - Running for President

My name is Aubree Leyva. I am 17 years old, and I am from Scottsdale, AZ. These past four years of serving in NRHA youth leadership has been one of my biggest blessings. I have had the opportunity to hold several leadership positions such as NRHyA delegate, Affiliate Liaison, and Historian twice. Being able to have the experience to hold these positions has taught me so many valuable life lessons that I will be forever grateful for. I have had the opportunity to spend years networking and because of it I have made friendships that will last a lifetime. I currently train with Martin Muehlstetter and show in the Non Pro aged events. Next year I will attend Texas A&M University to ride for their D1 equestrian team and I plan on studying animal science. I am so grateful for all of the opportunities that the NRHyA has offered me and I am beyond excited to see what I will accomplish next year as the NRHyA President.

Kendall Wigen - Running for Vice President

Hi my name is Kendall Wigen and I’m this year's 2023 NRHyA International Liaison. I am 17 years old and I live in Joseph Oregon with my parents Travis and Melissa, and my sister Madison. I am currently a Junior in high school and am member of the National Honors Society and FFA. I also participate in volleyball, basketball, and track.

When I'm not participating in school activities my true passion is reining. I am currently showing my horse SS Moneyman (Cash) in non-pro and youth 14-18 classes. My involvement in the NRHyA started when I was 5 years old and showed in my first short stirrups class. Since then I have taken on many leadership positions in this great association. I first started holding an officer position at a local level. These local positions included Treasurer, Vice President, and later on President. After being in these positions I then decided to run for a regional position. Later on I held a delegate position for the Northwestern region in the year 2020. Once I had been a delegate for a year I continued my role as a Northwestern delegate by rerunning in the year 2021 so that I could improve my leadership skills for when I later ran for NRHyA officer. Then I was able to serve as your 2022 Treasurer. As Treasurer I came up with multiple fundraising ideas to help raise money to support the youth. Since then I have also helped the youth association grow and I have grown as leader. Then this past year I have held the position of International Liaison. After I have held all of these positions I realized how much I loved being a part of the NRHA youth. Throughout my career as a youth rider, NRHyA has become a huge part of my life. It has brought me so many different opportunities, taught me valuable life lessons, and I have made so many good friends that have made an impact on my life and will last a lifetime.

I’m very excited to be to be running for your 2024 Vice President. I feel that I will be able to serve this position well due to my growth in leadership skills and experience. I also have knowledge in other aspects, such as fundraising, communication, and organization skills which will be beneficial in helping the NRHyA continue to grow and be successful.

Ava Welman - Running for Treasurer/Secretary

Hello! My name is Ava Welman and I am your past 2020 and 2021 NRHyA Secretary. I am 18 years old from River Falls, Wisconsin. Where I am currently a Senior, attending River Falls High School. I have been an active member of the NRHA since the age of four years old and have been involved with reining horses all my life. Aside from my true passion and love for reining horses and the reining industry, I am also heavily involved with my local FFA chapter, where I have held the roles as a Class Vice President, Secretary, and two years as our Vice President. My duties there have included but not been limited to planning meetings, fundraising, budgeting, coordinating events. I would be honored to represent the association as the 2024 NRHyA Secretary and Treasurer. With this role I will be able to use my skills that both NRHyA and FFA have given me with doing things such as fundraising, networking, and coordinating events. Aside from that I want to become more involved with what this amazing program NRHyA has to offer, while also educating others. With your vote, I will be able to make these goals achievable. Thank you and remember when choosing your 2024 Secretary and Treasurer, Slide a Vote for Ava Welman.

Emily Justice - Running for Treasurer/Secretary

Hello, my name is Emily Justice. I am 14 years old and I am from Paris, Texas. I live on my family ranch with my mom, dad, two sisters, and brother. I am homeschooled through Abeka Academy, and I am an honor roll student. Outside of reining, I enjoy spending time with my family, playing softball, riding my ranch horse Jay, drawing, and listening to country music. I have been involved with the NRHyA for the past two years and have competed in several shows in the 13 & Under division. I served as your southeast region delegate this year and I am running for the NRHyA 2024 Treasurer/Secretary. Being involved in the NRHyA has opened many doors for me and I have had an amazing experience as your delegate, and I am looking forward to learning and growing more in the organization. I am asking you to vote for me, Emily Justice, for your 2024 Treasurer/Secretary.

Emma Klug - Running for Treasurer/Secretary

Hello, my name is Emma Klug. I am seventeen years old and I live in Columbus Nebraska. I am currently attending Scotus Central Catholic High School as a Junior. At Scotus, I serve as the 2023-2024 Class Treasurer for the Junior Class.

I have been involved with horses since I was a little girl, and started riding and showing in 4-H when I was eight. I started Reining when I was ten, and the discipline easily stole my heart. I also ride in English, western pleasure, horsemanship, and ranch riding, but Reining is my passion.

I am actively involved in my local 4-H clubs. I served as the 2023 President for my club “Wranglers”, and Vice President for my club “Silverstars”. In past years I have held positions such as the Secretary, Treasurer, and Vice President for both of the Clubs. I was recently voted as the 2024 Regional Representative for the 4-H council in my County.

I became involved with NRHyA when I started showing Reiners. I would say I grew up with some of the best role models that got me started in NRHyA. I was surrounded by past NRHyA officers as a little girl, one of them being my sister Olivia Klug, she was one of my biggest inspirations growing up. I was able to tag along to youth meetings with her, and I immediately knew I wanted to be an officer one day. As I got older, I was able to learn more about NRHyA. I wanted to be someone that others looked up to like I did to the youth leaders I knew in my region. I’m 2019 I was able to run for Regional delegate, and I got it. I was able to be on calls with national officers, and I learned so much from them. In 2022 I was the North Central Region Liaison, and I was able to run meetings, activities, and fundraisers for the youth at my shows. My region’s youth has grown so much over the past years, and I wanted to see NRHyA grow the same way at the National level. In 2022 I decided to run for Secretary/ Treasurer because I believed that position would best fit my talents. In 2023 I was able to get hands on experience with this role, and I would like to use that and my skills to help NRHyA be its best because it is the future of NRHA, and I want to be a part of that in every way possible. In just the past two years, I have picked up many leadership roles that have taught me valuable skills and lessons that are essential for this position. I want to help NRHyA grow to its full potential, and to help others love it as much as I do. I believe I have the patience, experience, and the determination to fulfill this position to its greatest potential. I would be honored to serve as the 2024 NRHyA Secretary/ Treasurer. Please spin in a vote for Klug. Thank you for your time and consideration.

Graci Reeder - Running for Treasurer/Secretary

Hello! My name’s Graci Reeder and I’m running for the position of secretary/treasurer on the NRHyA Board. A few fun facts about me are; I’ve been homeschooled since fourth grade. When I was younger, I wanted to be the first female president of the United States. I’ve shown pigs and cattle at fair and was even the secretary of our 4-H club one year. If I’m not in the barn in my free time, I’m either drawing or playing the guitar or piano. I also own a small business, making western jewelry and selling it at livestock shows. Living in Michigan, I go skiing often in the wintertime, but last year I ended up with seven stitches from a fall. At least I got it on video! As expected, I love the horses the most. I have two, Cocoa (eyed be royal pep), my show horse, and Dooley (hickory’s top hit), a two-year-old I won through the AQHA Young Horse Development Program. If you haven’t heard of it before go check it out on the AQHA website, it’s a great program and a lot of fun! I’ve taught them both some tricks such as bowing and laying down, and I enjoy trail riding them through our woods especially when the leaves are pretty in the fall. I’ve also had some previous experience as President on the MRHyA board, which I helped found when I was a delegate. By running for this position, I hope to help bring my ideas to the table for fundraisers, and other activities that will help further grow our association!

Abby Eddy - Running for International

Hello! My name is Abby Eddy and I couldn’t be more excited to be campaigning for your next NRHYA International Liaison. I’m 16 years old and a Senior at Hickman High School in Columbia, Missouri. At Hickman, I am a varsity cheerleader and dancer and I am very involved in FFA, DECA, Mu Alpha Theta, Student Council, and National Honors Society. Being involved with so many different areas in my school has given me the opportunity to learn important leadership skills such as collaboration, teamwork, and most importantly communication. Next year, I plan to attend Auburn University to continue both my equestrian and academic careers.

I have been riding horses since before I could walk and began my reining career in Short Stirrup. I currently show in western all-around events (Horsemanship, Showmanship, Trail, and Pleasure) and Reining. Within AQHA, I have found a passion for leadership. I currently serve as the AQHYA 1st Vice President, MQHYA President, AQHYA Public Policy Committee Chair, and NSBYA President Elect. This past year I served as one of your NRHYA South Central Delegates. This experience has helped me discover a drive to involve more NRHYA members in our youth activities and leadership opportunities.

This year, I hope to widen the scope of this outreach beyond my region and onto a global platform. My goal this year as your NRHYA International Liaison is to increase communication, engagement, and involvement within our international youth affiliates. I want to find new ways to increase the number of international delegates we have, as I believe this is an impactful way to strengthen our international affiliates. I plan to utilize my resources within AQHYA to collaborate on international youth efforts. I plan to take advantage of key opportunities, such as the World Youth Reining Cup, to connect on a more personal level with our international youth members. I know the experiences I have had and the connections I have fostered through my leadership roles within the equine industry, will help me to excel in this position. Make sure to vote Abby Eddy for your 2024 NRHYA International Liaison!

JG Codell - Running for International

Hello, my name is JG Codell, and I am 14 years old. I am from Lexington Kentucky, and I have been showing reining horses since I was 10. I am in the 8th grade at Christ the King school, and I am involved in Student counsel.

This year I have served as the East Central delegate, and I have been very involved in the NRHyA. I have participated in every Delegate conference, I have run a youth meeting at my Affiliate Regional Qualifying show, and I competed in the Cinch Youth Speaking Contest. I have really enjoyed being a delegate, it has helped me come out of my comfort zone, meet new people, and develop teamworking skills. I am very passionate about participating and leading in the NRHyA, and I am ready for the bigger challenge of being an NRHyA officer.

I am running for International Liaison, so that I can build relationships with kids around the world, and so that I can help contribute to a part of NRHyA which I think is very important. Having good relationships with people is important in every sport, especially reining. As International Liaison my goals are to build good relationships with international members of NRHyA, make it more accessible for international youth to learn about NRHyA, and have more communication with international youth. I would also like to organize more events with international youth so that everyone can work together.

Bella Beck - Running for Historian

Hi! My name is Bella Beck, I am from Colorado and am running for your NRHYA historian. I am currently the RMRHA president as well as a regional delegate. I have only been reining for 3 years but the NRHYA family has been such a gift to me and my family. I have two horses, Buddy and Gus. They both bring so much laughter and smiles into our lives! Take the right lead and vote for me as your NRHYA historian.

Cambrey Hedges - Running for Historian

Members of the NRHYA, and those curious about the future leaders of our NRHA. My name is Cambrey Hedges. I’m a high school senior, looking to study at an undecided college after I graduate. Like many of you I share a deep passion for horses. To show them and care for them. I also share a passion for helping and representing others. Like me, plenty of other youth have done things within their clubs, and gone with little to no recognition. As a member of NRHYA you deserve that recognition. From the historian position, I promise to represent and give the exposure deserved to highlight what youth in their individual clubs are doing. As an officer I am not just asking for your vote, I’m asking for your support, and your trust in my mission. My slogan, which i’m sure you’ll hear plenty by the time my campaign is over, is “Find YOU in the NRHYA! You belong.”

Rayne Anderson - Running for Historian

My name is Rayne Anderson and I am 18 years old. I am from South Dakota but around 2 years ago I moved to Scottsdale AZ. I have been riding horses all my life. My grandparents introduced me to NRHA when I moved and I have been involved ever since. NRHA has connected me with so many people and I want to forever be apart of it.

Chase McInteer - Running for Event Coordinator

Hi! I’m Chase McInteer, I’m 17, and I am serving as your event coordinator this year. I am a Junior at Waverly High School and I play two sports, soccer and tennis. I’m also an active member of NHS and I’m an officer for my FFA chapter.

While sports and clubs are a lot of fun, there is nothing I would rather do than ride horses. I have been around horses my entire life and I’ve been riding reiners for the last 11 years. Over the last 11 years, NRHyA has always been one of my favorite parts of showing. When I first started riding, I loved to go to youth meetings to do fun activities and hang out with my friends. Then, a few years ago I decided that I wanted to be more involved with NRHyA so I ran for delegate and won. Since then I have served you in several positions within NRHyA.

For 2024, I will be running for re-election as your event coordinator. I am a good candidate for this position because I am a very confident communicator and an organized planner, and believe it or not, a lot of organization and planning goes into youth meetings and events. As I mentioned I have always loved youth meetings and the same is still true. As your event coordinator, it would be my goal to help all of you have as amazing of an NRHyA experience as I have had.

I have already talked to many youth members and I have a bunch of fun themes and activities for our shows next year.

So if you want to have the most fun in 2024 vote Chase to win the race, for event coordinator!

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For more information on the NRHyA, email youth@nrha.com