FW: Virginia State 4-H Horse Judging team at Quarter Horse Youth Worlds!!

The Virginia State 4-H Horse Judging Team is having a banner year!!  Coming off their big win at Southern Regionals – they were 2^nd High Team Overall at the American Quarter Horse Youth Worlds contest in Oklahoma City!!  This is quite an accomplishment in a tough contest with 35 teams and 135 individuals.  The 2^nd placing team (Virginia team B) consisted of Sarah Schobert (who was also the 4^th High Individual overall, 3^rd in Performance and 6^th in Reasons), Shelley Brown, Krystal Saint James and Taylor Walters.  Virginia Team A consisted of Hannah McDonald, Jules Sudol, Caroline Warns and Megan Wilson-Bost.  Team A finished a very respectable 20^th overall – quite a feat for a very young team.

Team B was 3^rd in Halter, 4^th in Performance and 5^th team overall in Reasons.  Not one single person on either team scored below a 40 on their reasons out of 4 sets!!

The teams were escorted and coached at the contest by Richard Toms (Bedford County Volunteer) and Jenny Mercer (Augusta County 4-H Agent) who sent me an email with the following quote “these two teams represented themselves and the State 4-H program as true professional horsewomen.  I was both honored and privileged to spend the past week with each one of them.”       This makes me most proud as this is what the program is truly about – not placings but developing character!!

The teams arrived in Oklahoma City on Monday evening, practiced a lot and played some on Tuesday and Wednesday, competed on Thursday and flew home on Friday.  They ate well (anything on the menu (within reason) dinner at the famous Cattleman’s Steakhouse), had fun (see attached picture??), shopped and worked hard!

Please join me in congratulating them!!

Celeste C. Crisman

Equine Extension Specialist - Youth