VIENNA — Baylee Crum, a 12 year-old from Maries County, competed in her first year at the American Horseman Challenge Association Nationals in Sedalia, where she brought home a national championship title.

For Crum, the arena is both a challenge and home. What began as a simple love for horses has grown into something far greater, a partnership built on trust, patience and hours of hard work.

Her primary riding horse, Senora, a Spanish Mustang, isn’t the kind of equine most competitors choose. She’s not from a prestigious bloodline and once belonged to a herd of bucking horses near Cuba, Mo. Where others saw a question mark, she saw potential.

“The Spanish Mustang is so beautiful,” Crum mother Katie Crum said. “But Senora wasn’t wanted. She didn’t fit the mold: no papers and no fancy look. People thought she was an adult pony with problems. Turns out, she was just a baby and that’s when the doctors told us Senora was only one year old.”

Crum began halter-breaking Senora when she was 11 and put the first rider on her shortly after. By the time nationals rolled around, two years later, Senora was four years old and fully ready to compete at the national level.

Crum’s second horse, Domino, a Pony of the Americas, also played a key role in her success including nationals. Domino competed earlier this year at the POA Congress in Tulsa, placing in the top 10 three times for in-hand classes, and Crum plans to continue preparing him for his three-year-old debut next season. Both Senora and Domino helped Crum bring home two national titles, one with each horse.

At nationals, Crum competed in four divisions: Wrangler, Junior Horse, In-Hand One and Green Horse Two. The Wrangler division, for riders ages 12 and under, included eight competitors. Junior Horse featured four adult trainers with years of experience, while In-Hand One drew another eight competitors. Green Horse Two, one of the largest and most competitive adult divisions, brought six. Over three days of competition, her scores stayed tight and sometimes separated from first place by only a single point.

In her first year of competition, Crum not only held her own but thrived. She placed third in Junior Horse, competing against adults with decades of experience, and collected several high point honors for the 2025 season: Grand High Point in Wrangler, Reserve High Point in In-Hand One and Reserve High Point in In-Hand 2/4.

“There was a trainer at nationals who’s been doing this for 20 years, and Baylee was right there with her,” her mother said. “One round, their scores were 69 to 69, and Baylee had 67. For a 12-year-old to push a veteran like that, it was incredible to watch.”

For Crum, nerves were part of the process but that never held her back.

“At the start, I was nervous for every class,” Crum said. “But when I actually get in the arena, I’m not.”

Her favorite part of competition was seeing the fruits of her labor.

“Probably working hard all summer and then getting it paid off,” Crum said.

Her plans for next year are already taking shape. She intends to return to nationals with both Senora and Domino, continue traveling to qualifying shows and push herself to reach new levels with her horses. Domino will be entered in more breed-focused events, while Senora and Crum will continue refining the bond that made this year’s national title possible.