Fort Collins, Colo. – Four team members from the Boulder County 4-H Horse Judging Team earned the privilege of representing Colorado 4-H at multiple national competitions during the next year by earning the State Champion title at the Colorado State 4-H Conference. The annual competition was held in conjunction with the three-day leadership conference at Colorado State University (CSU) in Fort Collins, Colo. The team plans to attend multiple national competitions around the U.S. throughout the fall and spring.
Teams from counties across Colorado competed in the day-long contest and the Boulder County 4-H Team won every division: halter, performance, reasons and overall. Team members include Sophia Block, Clara DeSouza and Madison Guerrero, all of Erie, and Mattea McQueen of Berthoud. Among over 30 peers, Boulder County boasted three of the top ten overall individuals with Mattea and Clara finishing as the Reserve and Third High Individuals of the entire contest. Mattea was the top contestant in both halter and reasons and was second in performance earning her Reserve High Individual honors by a mere ten points. Clara was fourth in halter, third in performance, third in reasons and third overall. Sophia was third in halter, tenth in performance, sixth in reasons and sixth overall and Madison earned a ninth in reasons to land her just out of the top ten overall. Members earned over $1,000 in scholarships, provided by CSU’s College of Animal Sciences with their impressive individual finishes.
Competitive horse judging offers an exciting and challenging opportunity for youth to further their knowledge of horses. Team members evaluate horse conformation and performance, while developing skills such as critical thinking, public speaking and team building. Contestants are scored based on how close their placings of mock classes are to the official panel. Then they deliver a two minute, memorized oral defense of their placing of certain classes called reasons.
The impact of the program has proven vast, with team members sharing the following benefits: “[Horse judging] has taught me so much about finding my own personal voice, not just literal writing, but in finding my confidence.” “I have not only grown in myself but in my decision-making abilities.” “[Horse judging] has improved my self-confidence and self-trust levels.” “Horse judging has not only taught me how to evaluate horses and defend my decisions but about how to become a better teammate and be proud of myself.”
To support travel expenses, the team will host a Team Benefit Open & 4-H Horse Show in the Indoor Arena at the Boulder County Fairgrounds in Longmont, Colo. on Saturday, July 25th. Any age and level of horses and riders are welcome. There are many ways to support these once-in-a-lifetime opportunities including showing, donating to the team, becoming a show sponsor and donating or purchasing items in the silent auction. Visit our Facebook page @Boulder County 4-H Horse Judging Team or email[email protected] to learn more.
The team is coached by Kendra McConnell of Longmont, Colo. who was successful as a Boulder County 4-H youth at the Colorado State 4-H Conference many times as well as other national level competitions including U.S. Arabian & Half-Arabian National Championship Youth Judging Contest, Paint World, Quarter Horse Congress, Quarter Horse Youth World and 4-H National Roundup. Additionally, she was honored as the Colorado 4-H State Chaperone of the Year during the State Conference and also coaches the Colorado Arabian Horse Club/Region VIII Youth Horse Judging Team.
The Boulder County 4-H Horse Judging Team will kick off the spring season in January with a fun potluck at the Boulder County Fairgrounds and has limited space for new members to join. Learn more about the team and competitive horse judging plus fulfill your 4-H judging requirement. Enrollment in the 4-H horse project is not required. For more information, find the team on Facebook or email [email protected].
L-R: Mattea McQueen, Madison Guerrero, Sophia Block & Clara DeSouza
About 4-H
4-H began a century ago as an educational program for the nation’s rural youth. Today, 4-H meets the needs of and engages young people in positive youth development experiences. These experiences are based on the idea that young people should be regarded as resources to be developed. 2010 marked the state centennial of 4-H in Colorado and a renewed commitment to helping shape youth and communities. In looking to the next century, 4-H further develops its programs and continues its motto of “Making the Best Better.” For more information: http://co4h.colostate.edu/.