Trenton Youth Wins National Horse Riding Championship

TRENTON, MO — Haley Purkapile is the Palomino Horse Breeders of American 2012 National High Point 14 to 18 youth champion, besting riders from across the United States for the honor. Miss Purkapile, the daughter of Don and Melissa Purkapile, officially won the award earlier this year after competing in nearly 60 shows that took her from Colorado and Tennessee to Oklahoma and South Dakota and many states in between. To capture the title, Miss Purkapile collected points at each show in which she participated. The points are awarded based on placing in various judging categories. Among the shows in which she participates is the Tulsa Youth World Show, a 10-day event during the summer, as well as another seven-day show at Tulsa in November. Miss Purkapile has been riding since the age of 3, getting started with horses courtesy of her grandfather, Chuck Patterson.