|













| |
|
2008 South Dakota
Quarter Horse Youth Association Executive Committee
Left to Right: President Amanda Dikoff, Hermosa; Vice- President Riley
Nussbaum, Garretson; Secretary Laura McConaghy, Madison; Treasurer
Stephanie Johnson, Belle Fourche; and Reporter Jana Basler, Wentworth.
Also assisting the association this year will be Advisor Tiffany Lesmeister,
Redwood Falls, Minnesota and Financial Advisor and Co-Advisor Linda Johnson from Belle
Fourche. |
 |
|
MEET YOUR VICE-PRESIDENT
RILEY NUSSBAUM

My name is
Riley Nussbaum and I am from Garretson, South Dakota. My parents are Kent
and Rhonda Nussbaum, and I have one 13-year-old brother, Kade.
First off, I’d like to tell you a little bit about myself. Quarter Horses
have been a large part of my life since the day I was born. My family is
involved in the Quarter Horse industry from many avenues. My dad is a full
time farrier for his own business Nussbaum Horseshoeing. We also operate
Nussbaum Quarter Horses which is our family breeding operation where we all
work together and have a major role in it’s success. I also have two
Quarter horses that I enjoy showing in multiple events from showmanship and
western pleasure to roping.
I attend
Garretson High School where I am a senior. I participate in sports and also
volunteer as a teachers aide for first grade students. For the past three
years I have also worked for a chiropractic office as a secretary and
receptionist.
Being an
officer for the South Dakota Quarter Horse Youth Association has always been
a dream of mine. I have been a delegate for two years to the Yes
Convention for SDQHYA. I attended the YES Convention two years ago and
decided at that point that I wanted to be representing our region for you
today. The convention was a turning point for me with AQHYA and led me to
the realization of just how much AQHYA has to offer to youth and how much I
wanted to be a part of that opportunity. I am currently one of two AQHYA
Region II Directors. You can read REGIONAL NEWS on this site.
I welcome
all of you and if you have any questions contact me in regard to the YES
convention or State Associations.
SDQHYA
Vice-President, Riley Nussbaum
Contact Riley Here!
|
MEET YOUR PRESIDENT
2008
AMANDA DIKOFF
My name
is Amanda Dikoff and I will be serving you as your SDQHYA President for
2008. I am the 18 yr. old daughter of Roger and Elizabeth Dikoff. I live in
Hermosa, South Dakota on my parent’s ranch where all of my horses reside. I
have been active with the SDQHYA for about four years, before that I was in
4-H. While I was in 4-H I had many achievements with my cattle, goats,
sheep, and we can’t forget, the horses. I participated in the State 4-H
Horse Show for many years and was very successful with Grands and a Reserve
Grand Championship to add to the experience.
When I
was 16 my parents and I decided to home school so that I could have a
schedule that could fit both my education and horses in. I have since then
graduated from Lighthouse Christian Academy. This is my last year as a youth
in AQHYA and plan on starting college next fall. I am grateful to my parents
for supporting and encouraging me, I couldn’t have done it without them.
I competed at the 2005 Quarter Horse
Congress in Columbus, OH. Was a Finalist in Novice Youth Reining and
Semi-Finalist in Novice Youth Equitation.
I have
participated in the Region 2
Experience since it was started. In 2006 I was the Reg. 2 Novice Youth
All-Around and in 2007 was the Youth Runner-Up All-Around with my amazing
mare Cowgirl Echo Cat a.k.a. “Cowgirl”. “Cowgirl” is 7 years old and born
and raised on our ranch. I participated in the past two Ford AQHYA
World Shows and am looking forward to this next year in Oklahoma City.
When I came into the SDQHYA I had big
dreams and I may not reach some of them but I have gotten to know everyone
as friends and that will last a lifetime. I couldn’t have been more welcomed
into an association and would like to thank everyone for that.
Now that I’m done telling you who I am,
I would love to welcome you to join the SDQHYA. We have many fundraisers and
activities we do throughout the year and would like to see all of our members
actively participating. I’m ecstatic about this next season and hope we
make it all that we can!
SDQHYA
President, Amanda Dikoff
Contact Amanda Here! |
|

MEET STEPHANIE JOHNSON
SDQHYA TREASURER
Hi !
I am Stephanie Johnson. I am the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Johnny
Johnson of Belle Fourche. I am 12 and a 7th grader and have been a
member of the SDQHYA for five years. I have come up through the ranks and
started showing in lead line at age 3 and have been showing ever since. I
really enjoy all the youth at the shows and would like to go to the world
show in the future and Congress..
2007
was the first year I competed in the 13 & Under classes. I was the SDQHYA
High Point Junior Girl, Rookie of the Year and Reserve All-Around Youth with
my new horse Bernie. Bernie and I also finished in the top ten in the nation
for the Justin Youth Rookie Division 11 & Under and earned our AQHA Youth
Performance ROM. Showing is a lot of work but has big rewards. I have
been very active in 4-H as well and in 2005 was the State Beginner Champion
Showmanship winner. I participate on the Lawrence County teams for Horse
Judging, Hippology and quiz bowls.
I go
to Black Hills Christian Academy and I am a 7th grader. I take dance at Miss
Tina's Dance Studio and love to play the piano.
I
look forward to serving you as the treasurer and if you need any membership
information, please fill free to contact me. Membership forms are located on
this site as well as the bylaws and show requirements be sure to read them.
SDQHYA
Treasurer, Stephanie Johnson
Contact Stephanie Here! |

MEET LAURA MCCONAGHY
SDQHYA SECRETARY
Hi, my name is Laura McConaghy.
I am 17 years old and a senior at Chester Area High School in Chester, South
Dakota. I am blessed enough to have a wonderful and supporting family,
my mom Angie, dad Darrell, and younger brother Landon.
I have been a member of the
South Dakota Quarter Horse Youth Association for five years and it has
become a huge part of my life. My parents have made it possible for me
to be able to show the Quarter Horse circuit all summer, which fills my
weekends with some amazing times and amazing friends. I show western
pleasure and showmanship with my mare KC Unzipped A Lady, AKA "Helen".
During the school year I also tend to stay pretty busy. I am the
student body president, our FFA Chapter Secretary and National Honor Society
Historian. Wrestling stats, band, choir and 4-H also take up a lot of
my year. I feel very blessed to be apart of SDQHA and the people
involved in it!
SDQHYA Secretary Laura McConaghy
Contact Laura Here!
|
|
|

MEET JANA BASLER
SDQHYA REPORTER
My name is Jana Basler and I am the SDQHYA Chester High School. My parents are Craig and
Lisa Basler, and I have one older brother, Kyle, who is a student at SDSU.
We live on an acreage in Wentworth, South Dakota, which is also the
home of three Pembroke Welsh corgis and a multitude of cats to go along
with our collection of equines.
I have been showing horses since I was eight years old, starting
out small with 4-H and local open shows. I have been a member of the
SDQHYA for three years and I have loved every minute of the time I've spent
riding and showing with the wonderful people involved in this Association.
I still make time out of my busy schedule to show my older gelding, Direct
Potential aka Tex, in 4-H, where I am President of our local club as well as
being the Lake County Friends of 4-H Youth Representative. I am
looking forward to being a positive influence to younger club members as the
year goes on. I hope I can be as supportive and altruistic to them as
the senior leaders of the club were to me when I first started riding and
showing horses.
As many of you may know, I show two horses on the SDQHA circuit.
Envied aka Bear, a 6 year old brown gelding and Chocolate Scotch aka Patty,
a 6 year old palomino mare, who I also show on the MPHE Circuit and enjoy
competing with at the PHBA Youth World Show. I have been very blessed
to be so warmly welcomed into this Association and to have received the help
and experience of many respected and highly commendable trainers along my
way.
You may not know that I run cross country and track for Chester High as
well as being a Wrestling Statistician in the winter months. I am a
member of the NHS, the Spanish Club and I play the flute/piccolo for the
Chester Band. I stay quite busy during the school year, but I still find
enough time for the hanging out with the friends, supporting my school at
sporting events and of course, mastering Guitar Heron on Xbox.
As the show season rolls around once again, I would like to wish the
Youth the very best of luck in all of their equine endeavors this year, and
thank you for always filling my summers with laughter and good times that I
will definitely never forget.
SDQHYA Reporter - Jana Basler
Send her your news items to publish in the Wrangler.
CONTACT JANA HERE!
|
|