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Terri
05-01-2006, 01:46 AM
Just got back from the State Horse Round up for 4H. Each county is represented by a team of Juniors and a team of seniors to compete in 3 events. 1) hippology - this is a written test about all things horse 2) horse bowl - teams compete in game show type format with a buzzer to be the 1st to buzz in to answer questions about horses 3) horse judging.- the kids are the judges and have to place various classes and give oral reasons for their placements. The top kids on the Senior teams go on to compete for the state a Nationals in KY. My daughter is was on the junior team. My friend Sue's daughter was on the senior team. It was a great weekend! The Plymouth County's (that is us) junior team got 3rds in both horsebowl and Hippology and a 5th place in judging. Sue's daughter made the state team going to nationals. We felt Plymouth County was well represented.

The Competion was held at the University of Massachusetts and I gotta tell you, I was very impressed with their equine facility!!! The barns were beautiful with big box stalls. All was very clean and the horses were clearly well cared for and beautiful. They seemed mainly to have Morgans and warmbloods. All of them were well fed and had shiney coats, and were just plain beautiful. There were 2 foals, one a week old and one 2 days. The kids were able to pet and play with the week old foal. My daughter almost melted when she petted him. His name was Bay State Boston and he was a bay Morgan.

They also had a livestock barn full of baby sheep and goats and pigs and llamas.

So if anyone knows a college bound kid looking into equine sciences or animal sciences or pre vet, I would definitely take a peek at UMASS.

It was a good day.

Moniece Dickerson
05-01-2006, 02:07 AM
So glad you had such a FANTASTIC time!!!!!!!Wish I coulda been there with ya!Maybe one day i'll beable to do a road trip :D .Your friend,Moniece

Minouri
05-01-2006, 10:45 AM
Terri,

Sounds like an interesting weekend. I'm sure you daughter will remember that weekend for a long time. What a great way to get the kids excited about equine sciences.

Laura S
05-01-2006, 11:28 AM
Congrats :D Maybe your daughter will end up being a PFHA judge someday! 8-)

JennLM
05-01-2006, 03:24 PM
That really sounds so neat. I think it's great kids have something to do besides hang out on street corners or get into trouble. We have a pretty good 4H where we live now with all kinds of things for the kids. Well besides bowling there is nothing in this town to do, no movie theaters no nothing so 4H is their only option LOL I htink kids learn so much from it. Respect ofn ot only others but animals. How to care for animals. Learning you don't always get to win in life, but it's what you make of the situation that counts. I don't have kids but I can bet the parents of 4Hers are very glad it exists.

I wish I would have done 4H growing up and gone to an ag high school like my friends did. But I did go on to end up at an equine science college.

El Indio Elegante
05-01-2006, 03:37 PM
u're involved with 4-h? last year i went to eastern nationals with my team for hippology. This year we go again for horsebowl. Last year my team got 1st place in team problem, 5th place in judging, 9th place in the exam, and 10th place overall.(we sorta sucked really bad at stations so it brought our scores down. It didn't help that the alternate had a better score in stations then the 2 top members and me.lol. last year i was the youngest senior to go to nationals. I was only 14 when i qualified. I had only been 15 for like a month when i went. i tell u i love 4-h so much. We now have our judging contest at the garrison arena in clemson. sometimes that's where we have the public speaking and demonstrations at. That is also where we hold the state show at. :)

Terri
05-01-2006, 05:19 PM
Cassie, that is super! these are not easy competions. The questions often involve a lot of science and biology and I can tell you right now that I wouldn't do that well if I had to compete. We have 3 kids going to nationals in KY from our county, 2 judging, 1 horsebowl. My daughter is only a junior so can't compete at that level yet. But it is loads of fun and you learn alot. 4H is a great organization.

DebbieS
05-01-2006, 05:24 PM
Terri, sounds like you had a fun weekend. Did you take any pics??

Cassie, you sound like a smart young lady! Glad you like 4-H so much! I really need to get my kids involved in it.