One thing is clear: the Quarter Horse has to be incredibly versatile. His homeland is America, where Quarter were bred for the work of the cowboys. To sit in the saddle all day, they needed a persevering, comfortable horse. Therefore, Quarter are beautiful to ride, docile, good and nerve-racking. And that’s what their owners love, whether they’re recreational or tournament riders.
Serenity – this is one of the most important characteristics of the Quarter. Here at the award ceremony in the Aachen stadium, all horses stand completely relaxed in a row.
They work their horses the way the work on the ranch requires. They wear big hats, chaps and long spurs. But most people do not like to hear the term cowboys. There are so many different shows – only the riding style reminds of the origin.
The reins are pending in most competitions. In the other hand, the Cowboys had the lasso. However, fine aids are also desirable for Western riding today, the exact control of the horse on the loose reins and very little thigh and weight aids.
With 4.6 million registered horses, the American Quarter Horse is the largest horse breed in the world. There are currently around 38,000 living in Germany, more than anywhere else outside the American continent. Young people, amateurs, professionals and even newcomers to tournament sports show in Aachen what is in their horses.
In the discipline "Trail" you can see what the horses can do
In ranch work, horses have to go obediently through gates.
In "cutting" horses and riders work with real cattle
During ranch work, a cow sometimes has to get away from the herd. But that will go to his herd. And the one who keeps it from it is the horse.
Two and a half minutes horse and rider have time. They enter the flock and separate a cow from the flock. Hence the name “Cutting”, from the English “to cut”. Horses with “Cowsense”, the innate sense of cattle, then work independently. Deep ducked and always on the jump, they keep the cattle from running back to the herd.
From Q19 to the international catwalks
Adrienne Jüliger works for the world’s major fashion brands, Prada, Valentino and Dior. Fashion and riding – in both worlds models are in demand – on two and also on four legs.
Adrienne Jüliger and her horse Lewhiz Best Denim called “Levi”.
More than 400 horses are competing in Aachen. The German Quarter Horse Association is Germany’s oldest Western Horse Association, founded in 1975. a subsidiary of the world’s largest horse breeding association American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA) based in Amarillo, Texas.
Most Quarter Horses live in the United States. All judges at the tournament in Aachen are Americans. And they take the Western riders in Europe more than seriously.
As an American, don’t you smile at the Western riders in Europe? “Oh no, not at all,” Judge Rick LeMay said. It’s a very high level here. If you look at the world rankings in Reining at the moment, four of the top ten riders are Europeans.”
The president of the DQHA, Hubertus Lüring, also has his own foal at the tournament. Because the young horses sniff tournament air early on. Only by the hand, of course. In the 1980s, an American Quarter Horse born in Germany was still an exception. They were imported directly from the United States. That is different today. Many Quarter are born in Germany.
