The Colorado State Champion team from Boulder County 4-H, representing the Colorado Arabian Horse Club (CAHC), earned the Reserve National Championship at the U.S. Arabian & Half-Arabian National Championship Youth Judging Contest in Tulsa, Okla. Competing against almost 100 peers, the team held strong with second places finishes in the halter division, the performance division and the reasons division in a tough, high-drop contest to earn the Reserve National Championship. There were mere points separating the top two teams before a 73-point difference to the third place team. The team won reserve champion buckles, ribbons and various other awards. Team members included Sophia Block of Erie, CO, Carly Bolin of Mead, Colo., Clara DeSouza of Erie, Colo. and Madison Guerrero of Erie, Colo.
Sophia competed in her third Arabian National Contest and was fifth individually in halter, 15th in performance, sixth in reasons to finish eighth overall. In her first national contest and first year on the team, Carly was an impressive seventh in halter, 19th in performance, 14thin reasons and 17th overall. Clara finished third in halter, 14th in performance, fifth in reasons and fifth overall in her fourth Arabian Nationals. Madison earned a 13th finish in halter, first in performance, seventh in reasons and ninth in her second year at the contest.
The contest is organized by the AHA in conjunction with the U.S. National Arabian and Half-Arabian Championship Show and was hosted on Friday, October 30, 2026. Team members competed in both team and individual categories. The junior Arabian Horse Association (AHA) division is composed of local affiliate club members under the age of 18, the senior AHA/Collegiate division is for ages 19-23 and the 4-H/FFA division welcomes 4-H and FFA members across the country. More information and results are available on the AHA website.
In addition to these hard-working youth, Colorado was well represented with a mixed Colorado 4-H team earning the National Championship in the 4-H/FFA division. Team members came together from Weld County and Larimer County to earn the championship. The Boulder County 4-H Hippology team also earned a National Championship in the Hippology Contest.
The CAHC team and the Boulder County 4-H team are coached by Kendra McConnell of Longmont, Colo. Kendra was successful as a youth and collegiate at the U.S. Arabian & Half-Arabian National Championship Youth Judging Contest many times as well as other national level competitions including the Paint World Championship, All American Quarter Horse Congress, Quarter Horse Youth World Championship and the 4-H Western National Roundup.
Contestants from 4-H, FFA, Arabian Horse Association (AHA) affiliate clubs and collegiate teams from across the U.S. and Canada competed in the day-long judging contest split into three divisions with over 20 teams and almost 100 individuals. They evaluated ten classes of Arabians and Half-Arabians then delivered four sets of memorized oral reasons defending their placings in select classes which are scored on accuracy, terminology and presentation.
Competitive horse judging offers a challenging opportunity for youth to further their knowledge of horses. Team members learn to 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. They are then asked to deliver a two minute, memorized oral defense of their placing of certain classes.
The Boulder County 4-H Horse Judging Team will host a kickoff for the spring season on Wednesday, January 27, 2027. Interested members are welcome to attend an informational and fun potluck at the Boulder County Fairgrounds to learn more about the team and competitive horse judging plus fulfill their 4-H judging requirement. Enrollment in the 4-H horse project and horse ownership are not required. For more information, find the team on Facebook @Boulder County Horse Judging or email [email protected].
The Colorado Horse Source is an independently owned and operated print and online magazine for horse owners and enthusiasts of all breeds and disciplines in Colorado and surrounding area. Our contemporary editorial columns are predominantly written by experts in the region, covering the care, training, keeping and enjoyment of horses, with an eye to the specific concerns in our region.