Henry David Thoreau once said, “Go in the direction of your dreams, live the life you have imagined.”
Ladies and Gentleman, this is the exact life I have imagined…
Good Evening,
My name is Courtney Sturgill. I proudly stand before you today accepting the role of your 2010 Virginia Quarter Horse Association Queen. This association is one that means so very much to me and I can truly think of no great honor than to represent VQHA at this year’s All-American Quarter Horse Congress.
I was born and raised on a farm right here in the beautiful Appalachian Mountains of Virginia. My family originally raised Clydesdales, but soon acquired a great love for the Quarter Horse breed. We have since become very active within the industry. I have personally held positions on both the VQHYA and BRQHYA Boards. I have attended the YES Conference with our youth association twice in Amarillo, Texas and have competed several times on both our Youth World and Congress Teams.
I decided to devote my entire last year of youth eligibility to showing. I hauled all over the country with my new trainer, Andrew Augsburger and Pinetree Quarter Horses of Loxahatchee, Florida. I am proud to say this hard work did pay off when I won 4th at the Youth World in Performance Halter Geldings and was a semi-finalist in showmanship in Oklahoma City. After months of further preparation, it was off to my favorite show of all, the Congress, of course. It was here that my dream came true and my horse, “Bearly Zippin” and I were named 2009 All-American Quarter Horse Congress Champions in Youth Performance Halter Geldings. We were also Top Five in the largest class at the Congress, Youth Showmanship, as well as a semi-finalist in horsemanship.
These accomplishments instilled in me the values of hard work and dedication. I set a goal last year and that goal was met after proudly wearing around that coveted “Congress Champion” jacket.
This year, I again have set a goal for myself and it too, involves a Congress win. I promise to again embrace those values of hard work and dedication, to ensure that the 2010 Quarter Horse Congress Queen crown comes home to Virginia.
Outside of VQHA, I am a Dean’s List student at Florida Southern College, where I attend on a Communications Scholarship provided by the AQHA Foundation. I am a double major in communications and psychology, with the hopes of one day working in the corporate field of Public Relations. I remain very active on campus and serve as an ambassador to the College, giving daily tours to incoming students. I am also a member of Alpha Delta Pi Sorority, in which I am Recruitment Vice President, Scholarship Chair, and Public Relations Chair. I also just began my campaign for Vice President of the student body at FSC.
As a former Miss Virginia Teen, the title of “queen” is a role I understand well. I will strive to serve as a role model to others within our industry and represent our association proudly. As our previous queens have done, I will continue to promote the theme of “Going Green with the Queen” at all VQHA events. I also plan on devoting much of my time volunteering at therapeutic riding clinics both here in Virginia and Florida while I am in school. I will use my knowledge and experience within the Quarter Horse Industry to help further promote this breed and our association in a positive manner.
Thank you for allowing me to take part in such a wonderful experience. I sincerely thank each of you for all of your support. It is such an honor to represent my home association. I look forward to all the memories I will make this year and I will truly embrace every moment of being your VQHA Queen.
Your 2010 VQHA Queen,
Courtney Sturgill
Virginia Quarter Horse Futurity
