Local 4-H members compete at State Horse Contests

[May 12, 2017]  LINCOLN - The Logan County 4-H Junior Horse Bowl team recently competed at the State Horse Bowl Contest held in late April and finished as the third place team. To qualify to reach state competition you must win at the Regional level. “In the Horse Bowl Contest, participants must be quick-minded and fast-fingered in order to be the first to push their buzzer and give the correct answer to knowledge questions on equine management and industry,” said Debra Hagstrom, U of I Extension equine specialist.

The Logan County Junior Horse Bowl team included 4-H members Ruthie Ruhl, David Morrow, Kristy Morrow and Lily King (from Tazewell County). The 2017 Horse Bowl team coaches were Kristen Green and Gena Ruhl.

Individually, Ruthie Ruhl was the High Individual in points for the State Junior Horse Bowl competition and was honored with a plaque.

Logan County also had contestants in the State Hippology Contest. “Hippology is very comprehensive,” said Debra Hagstrom, U of I Extension equine specialist. “4-H members judged four classes of horses which tested their knowledge of breed conformation standards and requirements of performance classes.”

(left to right) David Morrow, Kristy Morrow, Ruthie Ruhl and (front) Lily King

Members then answered a series of questions based on projected pictures, Hagstrom said. The third phase of hippology was a multiple choice written exam which covered a wide range of equine information. The fourth stage involved 10 stations where youth answered 10 questions at each station.

Logan 4-H participants included Intermediate contestants Ruthie Ruhl and David Morrow; and Junior contestants Kristy Morrow and Lily King. Ruthie Ruhl received second place as an individual in the Intermediate Hippology Contest.

The final State Horse Contest was a Horse Speech Contest. Ruthie Ruhl participated in the Junior Formal Speech category and received second place.

To learn more about the 4-H Horse project or state contest, please contact the Logan County 4-H office at 732-8289.

About 4-H: Illinois 4-H strives to help youth learn skills for living. University of Illinois Extension provides 4-H programs in every county in Illinois. Illinois 4-H aims to impact the lives of 200,000 youth each year through sustained learning clubs and groups and short-term programming.

[Patty Huffer, Extension Program Coordinator/Youth Development, Logan County]