Local Youth Find Success in State Competition

Members of the Picture Perfect Horsemen 4-H Club, (left to right) Rio Phillips, Brinley Grey, Kaylee Smith, and Zoe Westgate with their awards from the State 4-H Hippology Contest held at MSU.

By  Elizabeth Letter, 4-H Leader/Coach

The Picture Perfect Showmen 4-H Club (established 2012) competed in the 4-H State Hippology Contest held at Michigan State University on Saturday, March 16, 2024.  The four members represented Newaygo County in a contest that brings teams together from around the state, including nearby counties of Muskegon and Mecosta.  The girls from the club have been working hard for the past year to prepare for the contest, through regular meetings, clinics, a mock contest, a contest at the county fair, and individual study.  They are tested on many areas of horse knowledge, such as breeds, colors, showing rules, diseases, feeding, riding disciplines, equipment, and more!  

The contest consists of four individual phases:  a written exam, a slide test (pictures with questions about them), two classes of horses to judge (one halter and one performance) plus five questions on each class to answer, and a stations/skills phase.  In addition, teams receive a specific problem in which they have ten minutes of preparation time where they discuss their strategy prior to being judged in a brief (up to five minute) presentation.

Rio Phillips, from Grant, competed for the first time, participating as an individual in the junior novice (for first years) division.  The other three girls, in their second year of competition, were in the junior regular division, and they all improved their performance from last year.  They placed second as a team and also received second on team problem.  Brinley Grey of Fremont, team leader, placed third overall, with awards in all four phases:  second place in slides, third place on the written test, third place in judging, and third place in stations.  Kaylee Smith, also of Fremont, placed sixth overall and second place in stations.  Zoe Westgate of Howard City, placed seventh overall.  Junior members are aged 8-13.
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4-H is open to all youth ages 5-19 and offers programs in many different areas of interest, including, of course, horses.  The hippology contest does not require having a horse or even being able to ride.  Any member who wants to work hard and learn about horses can take part.  They may be enrolled in any club or as an independent, but it is generally more fun to be part of a club.  If they do well in competition, they can win ribbons and other prizes, and high scoring senior individuals are eligible to compete at the national level and possibly win scholarships.  Other benefits (among others) are gaining confidence from success, learning new knowledge and skills and making friends!   Now is the best time to join and begin preparing for next year’s state competition.  In addition, Elizabeth Letter, coach and leader of the Picture Perfect Showmen, runs a beginner-friendly hippology contest at the Newaygo County Fair. To learn more about the Newaygo County 4-H Program, contact Laurie Platte Breza, 4-H Program Coordinator, at [email protected] or by calling the MSU Extension office at 231-928-1056.