WA State 4-H Groom Squad Rules
Purpose
The purpose of this contest is to provide 4-H youth with an opportunity to demonstrate their ability to work together in a safe and humane manner to groom and prepare a horse for show.
State Contest Eligibility and Registration
The Washington State 4-H Groom Squad Contest is held during State 4-H Fair.
Each county is invited to send one team. The team will be composed of three (3) senior 4-H members selected in any manner deemed appropriate at the county level.
Each team member is required to register for the contest in Fair Entry per the instructions provided by State 4-H Fair.
Members of the county groom squad team may participate in this event at State Fair without being entered in other classes of the 4-H Horse Division at the State 4-H Fair.
All 3 members must be enrolled in 4-H Online within the current 4-H program year and be senior age 4-H members as per State 4-H age policy.
County Contest Recommendations
Procedures are outlined on the final page of this document.
Procedure
This contest includes three phases: written quiz, horse grooming, and showmanship exhibition. One member shall take the written quiz, another shall exhibit the horse in showmanship, all three members shall groom the horse.
Quiz
One team member will complete a written quiz prior to the beginning of the grooming/arena event. The WA State 4-H Equine Contest Approved Source List is available on our WA State 4-H Horse page under Contest Resources. All questions in the WA State 4-H Groom Squad Contest will be sourced from these resources.
Grooming
Thirty minutes will be allowed for grooming the horse. One team member will hold the horse. The holder may rotate. The holder may work on grooming the horse as long as it is done in a safe manner. The horse must always be under control.
Showmanship
Following grooming, team members will have 15 minutes to practice showing the horse. All members may assist but only one will be selected by the team to participate in the final showing
Horse Selection
Each county team must furnish a horse. The horse must be sound and safe to handle.
For the State contest, the team must use a horse on exhibit at State 4-H Fair (i.e., a team cannot bring a horse in for the contest). If the county has horses already at State Fair, the county groom squad team will choose one of their county’s horses. If the county does not have horses at State fair, the State Groom Squad Contest Coordinator and State Fair Horse Superintendent will assist in selecting the horse.
Selection of all horses will be under the supervision of the State 4-H Fair Equine Superintendent, 4-H Fair Manager, and/or State Groom Squad Contest Coordinator, all of which have authority to change horses if a horse is deemed unsound or unsafe.
Grooming Equipment
Each team must furnish all their own grooming equipment.
| Minimum Suggested | Additional Allowed | Not Allowed |
|---|---|---|
| 4′ x 4′ tarp or pad to lay equipment on | Show halter and lead | Electric equipment |
| 2 curry combs (rubber, plastic or metal) | Bot block | Commercial products (soap, hoof black, mane and tail whitener, show sheen, cornstarch, chalk, oil, etc.) |
| 1 soft bristle brush | Shedding Blade | Razor blades or any items containing any type of razor blades |
| 1 hard bristle brush | Scissors | |
| Mane and tail comb or brush | Bot Knife | |
| Grooming rags – dry, with no grooming aids added | Spray Bottles | |
| Hoof pick | ||
| Bucket – all water used must be contained in a bucket | ||
| Shavings |
Contest Attire
4-H members are responsible for representing the WA State 4-H Program. As with all 4-H activities, attire is governed by suitability for the activity and considerations outlined in WA State 4-H Policies and Procedures and the 4-H Member Code of Conduct. Attire should reflect the mission and values of the 4-H program as a premier youth development program.
Boots are required. All team members must wear boots.
Team uniforms are optional. Teams may (and often do) choose to dress similarly (e.g., matching pants, 4-H t-shirts, polos, long-sleeved shirts).
County-identifying attire is allowed and may be worn.
Showmanship attire is required for the Showmanship class as outlined in the WA 4-H Equine Program Rule Book. If needed, the team member showing the horse in Showmanship may change into show attire during the 15 minutes allotted for Showmanship practice.
It will be the judgment of the State Groom Squad Contest Coordinator and the respective state staff including the State Fair Manager or county 4-H staff to determine if attire is inappropriate.
Basis of Judging
Score are tabulated by combining scores achieved in the following six areas:
Grooming – 10 points possible
Points awarded on the method demonstrated to clean and “slick off’ the horse for show.
Team should use tools correctly, and in the correct order.
Refer to the Grooming Section of the 4-H Horse Project Guide for additional grooming procedure information.
Curry Combs
Use in a circular motion to lift dirt, flicking motion to remove dirt. Never use on ears, or on legs below knees or hocks, or on mane and tail.
Hard brushes and Soft brushes
Use short, brisk, flipping motion to remove dirt.
Mane and tail comb or brush
Start brushing at bottom of hair and work up toward roots; never start at the top.
Hoof pick
Always work heel to toe
Cloth
For use on head and finishing touches on coat.
Hands
Use for adding bloom to coat and removing excess hair
Teamwork – 15 points possible
Based on organization, equal participation, and completion of all grooming steps/tasks within the allotted time.
Teams should be well organized. Each team member should have their own task.
Each team member should have space to work. Never cluster around one area.
Team members should be pleasant to each other.
Teams should not talk with friends, parents, audience, or other teams. Excessive talking within a team may be marked down.
Equipment – 5 points possible
Each team should have at least the minimum equipment suggested. No limit is placed on the amount of equipment allowed but extra equipment will not necessarily receive more points.
All equipment should be clean and in good usable condition.
Teams may not borrow from or loan equipment to other teams.
Prior to the contest, a judge will check all equipment.
All equipment points (-5) will be deducted if illegal equipment is found.
Safety – 35 points possible
Points awarded for properly following the rules of safety for working around a horse.
All members of the team must wear boots.
Never stand or work in the “Danger Zone” which is directly in front and directly behind the horse (see Safety Zones diagram).
All team members will work on the same side of the horse.
Never kneel or sit near the horse. When grooming legs, squat down so you can move quickly away if the horse moves. Never have all team members squatting at the same time.
When crossing behind a horse, either cross out of range of hind legs or pass close with a hand on the horse.
Never cross under the lead rope between handler and horse.
Work quietly. Any abuse or harsh treatment of the horse will result in disqualification.
Written Quiz – 20 points possible
20 minutes are allowed for the selected team member to complete the written quiz.
Questions will be multiple choice and true/false.
The WA State 4-H Equine Contest Approved Source List is available on our WA State 4-H Horse page under Contest Resources. All questions in the WA State 4-H Groom Squad Contest will be sourced from these resources.
Showmanship – 15 points possible
One team member will exhibit the horse in a 4-H showmanship class following the rules of the Washington 4-H Equine Program Rulebook, which includes personal appearance and ability demonstrated in presenting the horse. Showmanship attire is expected.
Awards
Awards are based on the Danish system of judging which is evaluated against a standard and scoring system as outlined in these groom squad contest rules.
The recommended breakdown is as follows:
- Blue Danish: 86 to 100 points
- Red Danish: 70 to 85 points
- White Danish: 69 points and below
Refer to Description of the Group System (or Danish) System of Judging for additional information.
Awards at State Fair are determined by State Fair. For example, Champion and Reserve Champion may be given to blue ribbon teams at the discretion of the judge and/or the parameters of the State Fair contest.
It is suggested that each team member receives ribbons earned by the team.
County Contests
County contests are encouraged to observe state contest rules and procedures with the following considerations:
Members may be Juniors, Intermediates, or Seniors.
Members must be currently enrolled in 4-H Online.
It is recommended that the team be composed of three 4-H members of the same age division (junior, intermediate, or senior). However, while not encouraged, mixed age teams at the county level are allowed. A mixed team will compete as the oldest age division represented on the team. For example, if it is a mixed team of junior, intermediate, and senior, the team will compete as a senior team.
Note: Only teams of three senior members can qualify for the State Contest.
Safety and age appropriateness are paramount. For example, a junior team may not be tall enough to fully groom a 16-hand horse, yet if that is the horse available, a horse can only be groomed up to the height on its body that the members can safely reach.
Members may participate in this event without being entered in other classes of the 4-H Horse Division at their county level horse activities, per county discretion.
Horseless horse members are encouraged to participate.
Horses are selected by the process the county deems appropriate but must be sound and safe to handle.
The facility at which the event is hosted should be large enough to accommodate multiple teams with adequate space between them for safety, including ample space for grooming equipment and enough space to facilitate the showmanship portion of the contest. Horses being groomed should not be tied. One of the team members should be holding the horse.
The judge for a county groom squad contest should be knowledgeable about the Washington State 4-H Equine Program and familiar with Washington State 4-H equine publications. The judge(s) may either be an official judge, a volunteer, 4-H alumni, or 4-H supporter. The judge(s) should not be a parent or family member of any of the team members they are judging.