HARRISBURG, Pa. — The 50th annual Pennsylvania State 4-H Horse Show was held Oct. 23-25 at the Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex and Expo Center in Harrisburg, Pa.
Youth from 64 counties qualified for this year’s show. There were 896 youth with 999 horses entered in 48 performance and 96 production classes.
Celebrate
This year’s show included several special events to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the show and recognize youth, volunteers and industry professionals. Hands-on clinics, demonstrations of horsemanship skills, drill team performances and an extensive display of show memorabilia, tack and equipment from the past 50 years were featured throughout the weekend.
Terry Etherton, head of Penn State’s Department of Dairy and Animal Science, offered congratulations to all those who participated in commemorating this milestone event.
The state show is the final competition of the year for 4-H horse club members enrolled in performance and production projects.
To be eligible for the show, members must advance through qualifying competitions at county, regional and district levels.
Show events
Events include breed conformation and futurity classes in the production division, plus showmanship, equitation, pleasure, over fences, driving, western riding, reining, trail, county team, pleasure pairs and timed events in the performance division.
A therapeutic riding division for riders with special needs is also included.
Results and photos from the show are available on the Pennsylvania 4-H Horse Program Web site.
Several sponsors donated items for the silent auction with proceeds to benefit the 4-H horse program.
Outstanding member
Katie McAndrew of Brockway in Clearfield County, was recognized as the 2009 4-H Horse Program Outstanding Member. McAndrew is a member and president of the Town and Country Horse and Pony 4-H Club of Clearfield County and 4-H Teen Council.
She participated in performance, production and leadership 4-H projects, as well as numerous other 4-H activities. She is a college freshman at California University of Pennsylvania and was a counselor at 4-H Camp.
In addition to the winner, the finalists included: Dan Zmuida, Chester County; Robyn White, Montgomery County; Justine Bush, Union County and Haley Rudacille, York County.
Level 3
Several youth received certificates and awards from their districts for passing Level 3 of the Horsemanship Skills Program.
The 4-H members recognized for passing Level 3 include: Jennifer Boggs, Maggie Brenenborg, Samantha Mancu and Vincent Steed from Allegheny County; Amanda Dillaman and Beth Larson from Butler County; Danielle Lehman and Celeste Valencik from Columbia County; Elizabeth Pope from Northumberland County and Sara Berkebile from Somerset County.
Alexis Nedurian and Taylor Nedurian of Columbia County presented a demonstration of Level 4 Horsemanship Skills set to music and executed in spotlights. The sisters planned, coordinated and choreographed their demonstration with the assistance of Equine Extension Associates, Bethany Bickel and Lew Trumble.
The Horsemanship Skills Program is a progressive, educational program to develop safety, horsemanship and life skills of 4-H members.
Clinics and demonstrations with horses and riders were conducted by faculty and staff of the Penn State Equine Science Program. Brian Egan, instructor of Equine Science, and Equine Extension Associates for the 4-H Horse Program, Bethany Bickel and Lew Trumble provided hands-on clinics for youth and adult participants.
The clinics included show ring preparation for horse and rider, and horsemanship, handling and riding techniques for use with all breeds and disciplines.
Demonstrations
Demonstrations were conducted by the Cumberland County and Dauphin County drill teams. Their presentations included a variety of maneuvers and drills performed to music.
Equine educational exhibits were on display throughout the show for 4-H youth to demonstrate acquired horsemanship knowledge. Twenty exhibits were judged on equine related facts and educational content. The overall grand champion was Bucks County with their display of “Jumping into Nutrition.”
The overall grand champion in the category of Good Housekeeping was Berks County.
The grand champion rosette for the 50th anniversary stall decoration contest was also awarded to Berks County.
The 2009 4-H Horse Program Safety Award was presented to the District VII 4-H Horse Camp Committee. The camp has been offered for the past 14 years and provides hands-on training for youth in horsemanship, safety and leadership.
The camp includes youth, volunteers and educators from Bedford, Blair, Cambria, Fulton, Huntingdon, and Somerset counties.
A plaque with the official 50th anniversary show logo was presented to Casey Brill from Chester County for designing the logo that was selected from submissions from 4-H members throughout the state.
Model Horse Show
In addition to the performance and production classes, the 11th Annual State 4-H Model Horse Show was held Saturday. The Model Horse Show provides a means for youth to learn and perfect the hobby of collecting and showing model horses, while also learning about horse breeds, history, tack, equipment and related horse information.
Results of the model show are also available on the Web site.
For additional information on 4-H horse programs in Pennsylvania, contact your county Penn State Cooperative Extension office, or visit the Pennsylvania 4-H Horse Program Web site at www.das.psu.edu and go to “4-H Programs and Horses.”
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