Youth cutting horse enthusiast Austria Arnold of Terrell, Texas, has been named the 2013 Outstanding Area Director for the second year with the National Youth Cutting Horse Association (NYCHA). Arnold currently serves as an Area 24 Director, which includes youth members residing in Dallas and East Texas, for the Fort Worth-based NYCHA as well as 1st vice president of the equestrian youth organization.

“This is such an exciting and huge honor. The NYCHA is an incredible organization that works to promote leadership. We have a really neat group of youth leaders working together to promote cutting," says Arnold. "We truly are the next generation of leaders for our sport.”

More than 30 Area Directors work for 1-year terms to provide leadership and guidance for the youth organization in their designated area. These Directors work to improve and promote the cutting horse industry while developing scholarships, community interest and leadership skills lead by NYCHA Coordinator Dayna Smith. 

The Outstanding Area Director, known within the organization as the O.A.D., was created by past NYCHA president Matthew Blewitt, as a way to increase motivation for NYCHA Area Directors to accomplish their official duties. Annually the O.A.D. is selected through a point system based on duties such as collecting stallion and trainer donations, selling raffle tickets, recruiting new members, attending meetings, and submitting articles to the organization's official publication The Chatter. By being named the NYCHA 2012 Outstanding Area Director, Arnold won a NYCHA vest, O.A.D. trophy and $1,000 academic scholarship.

Information and photo by Carroll Brown Arnold