Grace Myers Brings Home Wins in Arabian Youth National Championship Horse Show
Grace Myers, age 18 from Radford, displays some of her ribbons and Top Ten awards she won at the 2025 Arabian and Half-Arabian Youth and Mid Summer National Championship Horse Show, which she attended from July 21st to July 26th in Oklahoma City.
By DANIELLE REID
Patriot Publishing
Remember the movie, “The Black Stallion?” It was a story about a young boy and a wild Arabian bread horse shipwrecked on a deserted island. Through patience and consistency, the boy earned the trust of the horse and they developed a strong, lifelong bond. There are scenes where the rider and horse flow together as one, galloping through the surf. Because of this story, many movie-goers fell in love with Arabian horses and dreamed of owning one.
But while some only dream of riding an Arabian horse, 18-year-old Grace Myers lives her dream of training, showing and ultimately winning national championships. Myers recently displayed her skills at the 2025 Arabian and Half-Arabian Youth and Mid-Summer National Championship Horse Show where she competed from July 21 – 26th. She rode 16-year-old VTC Juztice, a 1,000 pound, full-blood Arabian gelding she helped to train.
The show was sponsored by the Arabian Horse Association (AHA) and took place in Oklahoma City.
Getting to the national championship shows wasn’t easy for the Radford resident.
First, Myers had to discover her dream and then find the determination to see the dream become a reality. Next, Myers had to find the perfect horse and support team to carry the dream through. Then, she had to obtain the finances to get to the national show.
Myers’ introduction to riding at age seven was unique. She and her mother, Shannon Baker, were visiting the Glenco Museum in Radford and saw a special horse.
“My Mom asked me if I’d want to ride horses, even though she never did,” said Myers. “She encouraged me and introduced me to her former high school friend, Kim Reid, who owns the Shadow Ranch Arabian Horse Farm in Dublin,” explained Myers.
“The horse Grace started riding on was a good, steady school horse,” explained Reid. “As Grace progressed, she rode other level horses until she found her niche with VTC Southern Lady (Scarlett) and VTC Juztice.”
VTC stands for Victory through Christ. VTC Southern Lady and VTC Juztice are Arabian horses bred and raised by Reid at their Shadow Ranch farm.
Myers was 12 when she started working with VTC Juztice. She trained him all the way up to Dressage Second Level; and will start schooling him in Dressage Third Level. Myers also trained VTC Southern Lady, a filly she took to the AHA National show two years ago. She started working with her when the filly was only four weeks old.
A big part of training a horse is to earn its trust. Myers used consistency, being calm, using positive, gentle, hands-on training with a quiet voice; and spending time to earn VTC Juztice’s trust.
“Grace put in a lot of blood, sweat and tears getting to her goal. There were days of tears and frustration. She started at the bottom and worked her way up to the top. She is not afraid of hard work and she stuck with it, no matter what the obstacles, even when it was difficult. VTC Juztice was very, very green (little experience and training) and needed a lot of training to get to where he is now,” said Reid.
Arabian horse Dressage training is precise involving a series of movements and exercises that progressively increase in difficulty, demanding balance, collection and responsiveness to the rider’s ques.
Arabian horse Dressage competition has specific requirements regarding registration, attire, appointments and performance. Dressage tests are performed in a 20- by 60-meter arena and require specific movements and paces including medium walk, working trot (sitting and rising), and working canter in both directions. Horses must be ridden in a snaffle bridle and must demonstrate specific movements and paces, with judges evaluating the horse’s impulsion, submission, and the rider’s position, seat, and use of aids.
Riders must wear appropriate attire, including jodhpurs or breeches (cream color), a fitted shirt, a properly fitted helmet with hair neatly tucked under, and boots with heels. Riding jackets and matching gloves are required at championship shows but neckties are optional.
While attending classes at Auburn Baptist Christian Academy in Riner and taking college-level courses, Myers worked two jobs in order to earn enough money to compete in the 2025 Arabian Horse National Show – one job was at Bojangles in Radford and the other at the Family Market & Corner Deli in Pulaski. She also continued to train VTC Juztice and help at the barn.
“The Cost of the Arabian National Horse Show entries was $2,500. This did not include the cost of hotel, food and gas which was an additional $1,500,” Myers stated.
In order to help pay these expenses, Myers competed and won two scholarships. One in the amount of $2,000 was through The Hollywood Toi Memorial Trophy and Scholarship for Purebred Arabian Saddle Seat Equitation Championship; and the other was Region 15 Youth Scholarship for $500.
After all her hard work, Myers almost missed riding in the competition. The goose neck truck used to pull the horse trailer was still in the auto repair shop. Reid scrambled to find a suitable truck to drive Myers to the Oklahoma horse show. With only two days before the competition, a generous donor loaned them a big red truck, enabling Grace to realize her dream of showing VTC Juztice.
Myers speaks from experience. “Don’t give up on the bad days – the good days always outnumber the bad days, so don’t give up on the bad days,” she advises.
She was able to compete in numerous classes during the 2025 Arabian Youth National Competition: First and Second Level Dressage, Sport Horse, Show Hack and Dressage Equitation classes. These included Junior classes (riders under 18) and Open classes (riders of all ages, including professional/amateur and junior riders). Top Ten in Second Level Dressage and third overall. In Dressage Seat Equitation she placed fourth overall.
She placed in Top Ten Arabian Sport Horse Show Hack Junior to Ride, Top Ten Arabian Sport Horse Show Hack Open (7th), Top Ten First Level Dressage Junior to Ride (5th), Top Ten Second Level Dressage Open (6th), Top Ten Second Level Dressage Junior to Ride (3rd) , missed reserve by .5, Top Ten Dressage Equitation Riders 15 – 18 years old (4th ).
Both of Myers’ parents, Clifford Myers and Shannon Baker are proud of their young daughter’s persistence and achievements, which don’t end with winning national horse competitions. Myers will be attending New River Community College for additional college courses, then transferring to Virginia Western Community College for a degree in Healthcare as a Radiology Technician.
Myers said she would recommend taking lessons from Reid.
“If you want to learn to ride and show, find someone who knows horses, has a good barn, and is willing to work with you. Kim teaches her students kindness and compassion toward animals as well as practical skills like learning to drive her dooley truck and how to back up a horse trailer,” she added with a smile.