2022 Rising Stars

The Rising Star program brought to you by the American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA) recognizes exceptional young AQHA members for their hard work, dedication and passion for the equine industry.  

This year’s winners are Adrianna Totten, Justin Eddy and Sydney Sargent. 

Thank you to the American Quarter Horse Association for celebrating and empowering young riders.  

Adriana Totten is currently serving as the president of the American Quarter Horse Youth Association (AQHYA). She is from Chester, New Jersey, and shows her 2009 Quarter Horse gelding, One Lazy Time, in the Western and English all-around events. Totten feels blessed to have the opportunity to represent the voice of the AQHA youth industry and cannot wait to see what the AQHYA leadership team accomplishes this year.
Justin Eddy is currently a sophomore at the University of Missouri studying agribusiness management. Eddy started showing horses when he was just two, when his parents took him to weekend open horse shows to compete in leadline on his first horse “Lacy”. He has since had the opportunity to grow as a leader and horseman through the AQHA industry, competing and leading from the highest levels as the 2020-21 AQHYA president and the 2022 AQHYA reining world champion with his horse Xtra Wimpy Voodoo.
Sydney Sargent of Paris, Kentucky currently serves as an AQHYA executive committee member and the president of her local affiliate. Sydney shows American Quarter Horses in all-around events and has had the opportunity to earn AQHYA world championships and the first all-around youth 13-&-under title. She is committed to growing and sustaining AQHYA membership and has submitted and lobbied for rule-change proposals that improves activities for AQHA youth, including the addition of all-around titles to the 2022 Ford AQHYA World Championship Show–the first-time all-around titles were awarded in the event’s 50-year history.