July News and Views Features
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Pend Oreille Union 4-H participated in the annual Newport Parade on Saturday, June 24.
POC 4-H Leaders!
Send pics to Beverly at the Extension Office of the amazing things your youth members are doing ~ beverly.sarles@wsu.edu
State Qualifying Registration Sheet for a Printable Download!
State 4-H Ambassadors Organize State-Wide Food Drive!
Berklie Sheppard
Hello! My name is Berklie Sheppard, and I am one of the new WA State Ambassadors. We are doing a state-wide food drive called “Hunger Doesn’t Take a Vacation.”
The food drive just had its first checkpoint on June 30th. These checkpoints allow us to see how the counties are doing collecting food and if they need any help along the way. Whichever county has collected the most items by the checkpoint will get a certificate and recognition on social media.
The next two checkpoints will be July 31st and August 31st.
Thank you!
Berklie Sheppard
WA 4-H State Ambassadors
wa4hsa@gmail.com
Washington State 4-H Dairy Judging Contest
Set For July 18th
Gary Fredricks
The State 4-H Dairy Judging contest determines the individuals that will represent Washington participating at the National event in 2024.
This year the contest will be held: on July 18, 2023, at the Fairgrounds in Monroe, Washington, starting at 11:00 am.
If you have an individual 4-H’er or team that wants to compete, please contact Gary Fredricks at 360-577-3014 Ext. 3 or at garyf@wsu.edu.
Gary Fredricks
WSU Extension\Cowlitz County
304 Cowlitz Way
Kelso, WA 98626
360-577-3014 Ext. 3
garyf@wsu.edu
Washington 4-H State Fair Exhibitor Guide Updated for 2023
Kirk Gresham
The State 4-H Fair Board has updated the 2023 Fair Exhibitor guide. Several sections, including the judging contest and equine portions, have undergone major changes. There is also a new Class 10 – 4-H Youth Showcase which gives our youth an opportunity to display their 4-H experiences on Labor Day Weekend!
Links to the complete guide, as well as each separate section, can be found at https://extension.wsu.edu/4h/fairs/state-4-h-fair/exhibitor-guide/
Please read the guide carefully and let us know if there are additional refinements which may be helpful at st4hfair@gmail.com.
Kirk Gresham, State 4-H Fair Board, President
Washington State 4-H Youth Showcase Coming to State Fair Labor Day Weekend
Peggy Greham, State Fair Board
Host Families Needed for Inbound International Summer Delegates
Carolyn Russo
Have you ever wanted to experience another culture through hosting?
Consider opening your home to a short-term visiting delegate. This summer we have eighteen young people visiting from Japan and Taiwan – for the first time – for about a month. We are looking for host families who have a child in the home of the same gender and within three years of age of the delegate. The 4-H International Exchange program is a learning opportunity that allows one to learn about another culture, develop friendships and learn something about oneself. Delegates are here to experience cultural immersion, not tourism, so there are no required gatherings, tours or site seeing requirements. We are looking for families who will open their hearts to a short-term international experience. Although this is a 4-H opportunity, families do not need to be in 4-H to participate.
For questions or more information, contact Carolyn Russo, carolyn.russo@wsu.edu
Hosting Dates: Sunday July 23-Wednesday August 16, 2023
Hosting Application: https://www.states4hexchange.org/apply/host/
Delegates are to be matched in a family with a child of the same gender and within three years of age. Usually we match an older Asian delegate to younger youth.
Adult chaperones and helpers do not need children in the home and are often hosted by two families during the exchange time.
Families may host two delegates providing they are from different countries.
Below are links to delegate lists in .pdf document form. These delegates are given a number and the “J” denotes Japan; “T” is for Taiwan. F is female, M is male.
Japan/Taiwan Delegate List Page 1.pdf
Japan/Taiwan Delegate List Page 2.pdf
Japan/Taiwan Delegate List Page 3.pdf
Japan/Taiwan Delegate List Page 4.pdf
Costa Rica Outbound Program Week #1 In Review!
Follow for Weekly Newsletter Updates on the Costa Rica Outbound Program
Addendums to Rule Changes For the PNW Horse Contest Guide Coming Soon
Jennifer Leach
As of this date, Washington 4-H Horse Program is waiting for the final version of the PNW 4-H Horse Contest guide from Oregon. This publication is a joint effort between Washington, Oregon, and Idaho.
In the meantime, a sub-committee of the Washington State 4-H equine committee led by Stephanie Roeter Smith, 4-H Regional Specialist, compared the 2015 edition with the soon to be published final version. However, Washington 4-H Horse Program is not sure of the date of the final publication.
There will be two addendums. Addendum Number 1 will be specific to the rule changes affecting Washington as related to current PNW 4-H Horse Contest Guide Addendum. Addendum Number 2 will be a “clarification” of selected rules in the PNW 4-H Horse Contest Guide, but are not rule changes.
These two addendums will be located on the WSU 4-H website located at the link called WA State 4-H Equine Policies and Rules-PNW 4-H Horse Contest Guide-Addendums by July 1, 2023. That link is https://extension.wsu.edu/4h/projects/animal-science/companion-performance/horse/
The current version of PNW 4-H Horse Contest Guide dated October 1, 2015 will continue to be the contest guide we will use until we (Washington) receive the final from Oregon.
The Addendum Number 1 of rule changes will be effective for the remainder of this program year to September 30, 2023. Addendum Number 2 may be updated as more questions of clarification are identified – also through to September 30, 2023.
For information or clarification on the PNW 4-H Horse Contest guide process or rules, contact Jennifer Leach, State Horse Contact at LeachJ@cowlitzwa.gov or jleach@wsu.edu.
Donations Requested For State 4-H Fair Horse Medals
Attention County 4-H Horse Program — 4-H Staff; Volunteers, Donors, and Families! Donations are needed for medals for the Equine section of the 2023 State Fair for Champion (gold); Reserve Champion (silver); and Third Place (bronze). as well as for Groom Squad teams — Champion, Reserve, and Third Place. These are awarded for all 4-H horse exhibits — performance; driving; small equine, and western games.
For Equine Presentations and Horse Judging, we are blessed to already have donors for this state fair activity. Also, we had donors for the State Horse Bowl and State Hippology contests that occurred in May 2023.
The total cost for 2023 4-H State Fair medals will be approximately $2,000. Any contribution, large or small, will help. From a funding capacity perspective — if there are not enough donations, there may be a possibility that bronze and/or silver medals may not be offered.
Please encourage folks to donate. The medals have been offered for many years through generous donations and are not provided for by the State 4-H Fair. Make checks payable to Snohomish County 4-H Horse program and mail to Pat Pehling at 7310 83rd Ave SE, Snohomish WA 98290.
If you have questions about the medals, please contact Pat, Snohomish County 4-H key volunteer, at pehling@frontier.com.
WSU 4-H Scholarships Showcase the Reward of Life-Long Skills
Denise Echelbarger, WSU Extension 4-H Youth Development Program – June 12, 2023
Washington State University (WSU) Extension 4-H Youth Development Program and the WSU College of Agricultural, Human, and Natural Resource Sciences (CAHNRS) are pleased to announce the 2023 4-H scholarship winners. We are proud to offer scholarship assistance to support Washington high school students currently enrolled as 4-H members.
Catherine Hartrim-Lowe (Clark County) and Clair See (Skagit County) each received the J. Orville and Helen Young/4-H Fund Scholarship. Hartrim-Lowe will be attending Wheaton College in the fall of 2023. 4-H has been a part of her life since 2015, and she is a proud member of two Clark County clubs: Alpaca 101 and Sow, Bud, and Blossom. Over the years, 4-H has taught her incredible skills in self-discipline, communication, and inclusion. Claire See will be attending WSU this fall to complete a degree in biology with the goal of studying equine at WSU’s College of Veterinary Medicine. This past spring See participated in the Washington State Horse Bowl Contest for the first time, and learned more than she could have imagined.
Tatum Goode (Clark County), Nicole Poussier (Pierce County), and Tryana Thompson (Clark County) were awarded the Lewis County Leaders 4-H Council Scholarship. Goode plans to attend University of Oregon in the fall to major in business with a certificate in global business. As a participant in the Royal Riders 4-H club she showed horses, volunteered, and grew her leadership skills. Poussier has been a member of 4-H for fourteen years and will be attending the University of Washington to study biology and chemistry. Public speaking is a life skill that 4-H has provided for Poussier, which has given her the ability to overcome shyness and create a perfect presentation with reliable sources. Thompson has been a 4-H member since 2016 and seeks a higher educational goal of large animal veterinary medicine specializing in animal reproduction. When she thinks about the heart in the 4-H pledge she feels the heart is where the passion is. This passion drives 4-H members to accomplish goals, and to better understand how our actions affect others.
Laura Harris (Whitman County) was the recipient of the Thomas R. Quann 4-H Scholarship and will be attending the University of Idaho this fall to study computer engineering. Implementing coded design plans has been a passion of Harris’, but it wasn’t until she joined a 4-H robotics team that she realized it is what she wanted to do for her career.
Aleah Watterson (King County) received the O.M. Plummer Scholarship of the Oregon Community Foundation and will be attending Montana State University to pursue a degree in rangeland management and wildlife ecology. Watterson has been a 4-H member for ten years and because of joining 4-H, every aspect of her life has been affected positively. She learned what it means to be a good teammate and leader, and how to give back to her community.
Jenna Cox (Walla Walla County) was awarded the Woody and Joan Bernard 4-H Higher Education Scholarship and is enrolled in the Honors College at Montana State University. She plans to major in either ranching systems or embryology. Cox says 4-H has greatly influenced her decision on where she will be attending college and her life-long plans. She wants to stay involved with agriculture, and to strive for future generations to continue to participate as well.
Taylor Alonzo (Pierce County), Amy Kovich (Snohomish County), Jared Sheehan (Yakima County), and Emma Spalding (Grays Harbor County) have all been 4-H members for over ten years and are the recipients of the WSU 4-H CAHNRS Dettman Scholarship. Alonzo participated in the 4-H dog project and has had many wins and losses that have helped shape her into who she is today. On her initial state fair qualification, she was disqualified and was devastated, however it allowed her to grow from a setback and she has participated in every state fair since. Being in 4-H has taught Alonzo how to be a leader and, most importantly, how to persevere. She will be attending WSU to major in animal science through CAHNRS pre-veterinary medicine track. Kovich’s 4-H career began with small animals and grew to include public speaking, veterinary science, gardening, foods, leadership, and large animals. The culmination of the lessons she learned in 4-H sparked her interest in wildlife ecology and conservation which is the degree she will be pursuing within WSU CAHNRS. Sheehan’s 4-H dairy and swine projects, community service, public speaking, and dairy judging competitions taught him the qualities of hard work, problem solving, patience, leadership, and to take advantage of opportunities to achieve higher goals. Sheehan will be attending WSU for a double major in mechanical engineering and agricultural technology/production management, pursuing a goal of working in the agricultural industry using heavy machinery and precision agriculture technology. Spalding’s love of animals began with her involvement in showing dairy and swine in 4-H. She appreciated how connected the 4-H members were in the show barns, and how willing everyone was to help each other. Spalding enjoyed teaching younger 4-H members and the public about her various animal projects. At the age of thirteen she started volunteering at a local veterinary clinic, and has decided to major in animal sciences at WSU CAHNRS because of her passion for animals.
Congratulations to all the 2023 award recipients that dedicated their 4-H experience to learning life-longs skills, being role models, and continuing to work towards accomplishing their next steps in higher education. For more information on the Washington State 4-H scholarship opportunities or to support 4-H visit extension.wsu.edu/4h.
Fair Board Seeks Qualified Candidates For State 4-H Fair Manager Position
The State 4-H Fair Manager Position Is Now Open! The job description for the State 4-H Fair Manager position is available for download by clicking HERE.
- The State 4-H Fair Manager is not a WSU position, but reports directly to the State 4-H Fair Board. The salary is $32,500, paid in twelve monthly installments. There are no benefits associated with this position.
- This is a part time position of about 1,000 hours annually, with extended hours during August and September, during the fair cycle in Puyallup, Washington.
The position will remain open until filled.
Please forward your cover letter and resume to:
Washington State 4-H Fair Board
PO Box 1225
Puyallup, Washington, 98371-0233
or by email to the Fair Board at st4hfair@gmail.com.
Prepare For Fair
Virtual Workshop Recording Is Now Available!
In this Zoom, we discussed and shared general 4-H fair information for volunteers (club and new superintendents) – how to get your club/project areas ready, entry times (computer/paper) and tags, using your premium/handbook, the fair and essential elements, 4-H Fairs and Competition, youth and preparing them to sell market animals, and covered many contests and activities. We tried to keep the discussion as general as possible and not give specifics for any particular fair (but used examples). There were many resources shared out during this virtual presentation.
You can find the recording for this zoom at https://bit.ly/3OVkObZ
Pam Watson, M.Ed.
WSU Lewis County Extension 4-H and Poultry
pwatson@wsu.edu
State Dog Committee Optional Assessment for 2022-23 Program Year
The state 4-H Dog leaders committee has implemented a sustainable way of funding the needs of the State Dog Project in regard to awards, equipment and other requirements in order to provide an outstanding experience for each of our 4-H members who attend state-level events.
The State 4-H Dog leaders committee asks each county dog program to contribute an assessment, a $3.00 fee for the exhibitor allotment for your county dog show days at State Fair from the previous year. This is a suggested donation amount and since this allotment is based on the county entries at State Fair from the previous year, it provides a sustainable and equitable way for each county to support the State Dog Project.
For example, if your county had a State Fair allotment of ten; your county suggested contribution would be $30.00 for the current year. You may find out your allotment for the current year from your county Extension office 4-H staff or you may send an email to the contacts listed below. Please note that this assessment is not mandatory and does not in any way affect your county dog program’s participation in 4-H state events – but provides an opportunity to support the State 4-H Dog Project.
We would like to receive your donation by August 1st. Please make your checks payable to the WA ST 4-H Dog Project and mail to:
Sarah Gunderson
P.O. Box 850
Carnation, WA 98014-0850
If you have questions regarding specifics details on how the funds are used or allocated, please contact the individuals listed below.
Sarah Gunderson, State Dog committee treasurer
sarahgcpa@gmail.com
Barb Taylor, State Dog Committee member
barb@nventure.com
Kari Smith-Schlecht, State Dog Committee member
jeskarsk9@aol.com
On behalf of the State 4-H Dog committee, thank you for your support.
Submitted by Jennifer Leach, 4-H faculty liaison to the State Dog Committee and assessment request approved by Mark Heitstuman, Interim State Program Director
4-H Military Teen Adventure Camp Volunteer Help Needed!
Ashley Hernandez-Hall
Hello 4-H Volunteers!
Is going to summer camp a memory you cherish? Would you like to help teens create summer camp memories? Your help is needed to facilitate an awesome camp experience for teens of military families this July in beautiful Darrington, Washington.
Hosting teens free of charge and providing an excellent camp experience is a tangible way we can say Thank You to our military families all across the country. To date, we have hosted teens from almost all of our fifty states. To meet appropriate camper/counselor ratios with our current camper demand, we are in need of more overnight counselors, mentors, and activity leaders and co-leaders. No military affiliation is necessary. Training is provided. Come share your passion and enthusiasm with teens for one or both sessions of camp: Session One: July 12-16, 2023 | Session Two: July 17-21, 2023
To learn more about the camp or to apply to volunteer, visit: https://extension.wsu.edu/4h/youth/camps/military-teen-adventure-camps/
You may also contact our Camp Coordinator at 4h.militarycamps@wsu.edu
Ashley Hall, Ph.D.
she/her/hers (curious why is this here?)
4-H Assistant Professor
Washington State University
Snohomish County Extension
C: 425-521-0357 (voice and text)
a.hernandez-hall@wsu.edu
Ask Dr. Universe
Who Invented the Calendar? – Audrey, 9, Oregon
What’s a postdoctoral fellow? How do rattlesnakes rattle? What’s it like searching for snakes in the field or taking blood samples from a grizzly bear? Find out on the Ask Dr. Universe podcast!
Who invented the calendar? – Audrey, 9, Oregon
Dear Audrey,
I use a calendar to keep up with my work as a science cat. I also love calendar apps that count down to big events—like my birthday. People have always tracked time for work and holidays.
I talked about this with my friend Nikolaus Overtoom. He’s a professor of ancient history at Washington State University.
He told me we use the Gregorian calendar today. That’s a revised version of the Julian calendar. The Romans invented the Julian calendar.
But there were calendars before that. Ancient people all over the world had calendars—including a detailed calendar made by the ancient Maya.
“Early people looked to the heavens to understand the movement of planets and stars,” Overtoom said. “They used that information to help structure their societies. They needed to know when to plant crops or move their herds.”
The Julian and Gregorian calendars are solar calendars. A solar calendar tracks the position of the sun as Earth orbits all the way around it. That’s called a solar year.
It takes Earth 365 days, 5 hours, 59 minutes and 16 seconds to go all the way around the sun. That’s a challenge for making calendars because it’s not a whole number.
The calendar the Romans used before the Julian calendar only had 355 days. Since it didn’t line up with the solar year, the seasons shifted a little every year. That made it hard to plan things. Like when to plant crops or have religious festivals.
So, the Romans added temporary months to the calendar to catch up. That was the high priest’s job. Sometimes they added extra months for corrupt reasons. Like so their friends could stay in power longer.
Pre-Julian calendar, rebuilt from pieces found in Rome; photo by Bauglir
“By the 1st century BCE, the Romans realized the calendar was not working,” Overtoom said. “It was almost to the point it was a disaster.”
Then Julius Caesar came to power. He told astronomers to fix the calendar to line up with the solar year. The result was the Julian calendar. It was 365.25 days long. It was close to matching the solar year—but not quite. It was still 11 minutes off. So, the calendar gained one day every 128 years.
About 1,500 years later, Pope Gregory XIII decided to fix it.
“Astronomy had come a long way,” Overtoom said. “They were able to pinpoint that the solar calendar is 365.24 days. They adjusted the calendar, so it doesn’t slip over time.”
The calendar has 365 days most years. Every four years, we have one extra day—February 29. Years with 366 days are called leap years.
Most countries use the Gregorian calendar now. That makes it easier for people to work together. But there are other calendars out there.
The Romans also gave us the months of the year. Have you noticed that some months seem out of order? The prefix “oct” means eight—like the eight arms of an octopus. But October is the 10th month. That’s because the pre-Julian calendar only had 10 months. Back then, October was the 8th month. Eventually, they added two more months at the beginning of the calendar and pushed October back.
You could say that some months were real roamin’ numerals.
Sincerely,
Dr. Universe
What diseases spread on pirate ships? – Anika, 9, Georgia
Dear Anika,
A pirate’s life was dangerous. They attacked other ships and battled other pirates as well as the law. But they were also at the mercy of another foe: sickness.
I talked about this with my friend Lawrence Hatter. He’s a history professor at Washington State University.
He told me the big era for pirates was 1710 to 1730. It was a time when lots of sailors were out of work. Some of them became pirates.
Here are four kinds of disease they might face on the job: scurvy, mosquito-borne diseases, infectious diseases and gangrene.
Scurvy
“Scurvy was probably the major killer of sailors at the time,” Hatter said. “It’s a vitamin C deficiency.”
Most people get enough vitamin C by eating fruits and vegetables. It helps heal wounds. People with scurvy get too little vitamin C for a long time.
In pirate lingo, “scurvy” as in “ye scurvy dog” means disgusting. That’s because the worst symptoms were terrible. People with untreated scurvy can’t heal their wounds. Even worse, very old wounds can open back up.
Diseases from Mosquitoes
Many pirates sailed in tropical places. They encountered diseases like yellow fever and malaria. Those sicknesses don’t pass from person to person. They spread by mosquito bites. That’s why mosquitoes are the deadliest animals on Earth.
But people wouldn’t figure that out for nearly 200 more years. Pirates probably thought they got sick after eating bad food or breathing bad air.
Infectious Diseases—like dysentery, tuberculosis and food sickness
Today, we know all about germs. We take antibiotics to fight bacteria. We take medicine to help battle some viruses. We stay home, so we don’t pass sickness to other people.
But there were no antibiotics or antivirals in the 1700s. People didn’t even know bacteria and viruses caused disease. Plus, pirates lived very close together.
“Ships were very crowded spaces,” Hatter said. “Sailors aboard a ship would have only about 12 to 18 inches of space. They would sleep in hammocks right next to each other. So, if somebody got sick, it could spread very quickly.”
Gangrene
Sometimes pirates suffered battle injuries. But they could also get hurt in accidents—like falling from the sail riggings on their boats. They didn’t have great options for medical care on the ship.
“They wouldn’t really have known how to treat a wound,” Hatter said. “Other than if there’s any evidence of gangrene, you just have to keep cutting.”
You heard that right. Badly injured pirates needed surgery. There were no antibiotics, pain killers or clean operating rooms. Sometimes the surgeon was the ship’s cook or carpenter. Infection—like gangrene—was a problem.
It’s not all bad news, though. Hatter told me pirates may have been better off than other sailors.
“Part of the reason sailors joined a pirate ship was for better working conditions,” he said. “They were more democratic and less authoritarian. The pirate captain worked largely through consensus. So, pirates might have suffered less disease than normal sailors because their conditions and food were better.”
Maybe that was the real pirate’s booty.
Sincerely,
Dr. Universe
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Washington State 4-H Teens Awarded National 4-H ‘Lead to Change’ Mini-Grant!
Somer Meade
Following a trip to Washington DC for the 4-H Teen Ignite Conference, six Youth Advocates for Health (YA4-H!) Teen Teachers are helping organize a state-wide service project called Kind Care Kits. These kits will include social-emotional activities for siblings who have a brother or sister who is sick and spending time at Ronald McDonald House (RMHC) and Children’s Hospital locations across our state.
In March, these dedicated 4-H teens helped develop the project and submit a grant proposal to National 4-H Council to help fund the project. In early April, they found out their project was selected to advance to the next stage, and in late April, they gave a presentation over zoom on the merits of their project.
Last week, they got the great news that their 4-H ‘Lead to Change’ proposal was accepted, and they will receive $2,000 to put towards supplies for the Kind Care Kits. WSU 4-H is also matching the $2,000, so they will be able to make a total of 400 kits to disperse to three RMHC sites. To help fill any gaps, they are also working with the libraries in their communities to seek donations of art supplies.
Help us congratulate these six teens on their success, as we look forward to taking the project state wide, where teens attending the state conference in June will have the opportunity to help with kit assembly.
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- Stella Marsh, Spokane County 4-H
- Taegan Flake, Spokane County 4-H
- Abby Hepting, Spokane County 4-H
- Kaelynn Schultz, Skamania County 4-H
- Ruth Rausch, King County 4-H
- Sylvia Corey, Snohomish County 4-H
Updated PNW Horse Judges List Is Now Available!
Jennifer Leach
An updated PNW Horse Judges List is now available. It can be found at https://s3.wp.wsu.edu/uploads/sites/2050/2023/05/PNW-Horse-Judges-3.14.23..pdf
Counties are encouraged to select 4-H Horse judges off the PNW 4-H horse judges list. However, in Washington our policy is not to mandate that judges come from this list. However, if a county choose to hire a judge that is not on the PNW 4-H horse judge’s list—we encourage the counties to select a judge that understands 4-H youth development, has access to the PNW 4-H Horse contest guide, understands and judges according to the Danish system of judging and understands the value of providing positive comments in judging. The philosophy in the Washington 4-H program in horses—is that the “judge is an educator”.
In regard to the PNW 4-H Horse Contest Guide—Washington is still waiting for the final version from our PNW partner, Oregon. In the meantime, we are working on an “addendum” to specifically outline the very minimal changes to the PNW 4-H Horse Contest Guide.
Questions? Please reach out to Jennifer Leach, State Contact for 4-H horses at jleach@wsu.edu
Q and A Sessions for the Washington 4-H Horse Program Continue – Now On First Wednesdays!
Have questions about the Washington 4-H horse program? Our monthly Q and A for leaders, parents, members, and staff will now be meeting on the first Wednesday of each month via Zoom from 6:30 to 7:30 pm. beginning June 7th.
Zooms are structured around the theme/parameters of horses and youth development. They are more than “what are the rules.” There is also time set aside for input on future topics for subsequent Zooms. The Zoom meeting ID is 452-082-9765 with no passcode. You must have a zoom account to participate.
The meeting will be facilitated by Jennifer Leach, WSU Extension 4-H State Fair Board Staff Liaison.
.Feel free to contact Jennifer with any questions at LeachJ@co.cowlitz.wa.us.
Save the Date: 2023 Washington State 4-H Meat Judging Contest
Paul Kuber
The inaugural Washington State 4-H Meats Judging Contest will be held Saturday August 12th, at the Meats Laboratory in Pullman, hosted by Dr Foraker and the Department of Animal Science. The date was chosen as an opportunity to qualify teams early for the 2023 National 4-H Meats Judging Contest held during the American Royal in a Kansas City in October. Please share with those interested. Information for registration and contest format will follow.
In 2024, the contest will be held earlier in the year, in late May or early June.
Announcement of Dressage Tests for the 2023 4-H State Fair
The dressage tests for English dressage at the 2023 4-H State Fair will be Test 3 for both Training Level 1 and First Level.
Western Dressage has come back for the 2023 4-H State Fair and Test 3 for both Basic Level and Level 1.
4-H horse members will only be able to ride either English Dressage or Western Dressage, but not both, due to time constraints related to arena time.
These tests are available on the respective governing organizations—United States Dressage Federation (USDF) for English (https://www.usdf.org/) and the the Western Dressage Association of America for Western dressage (https://www.westerndressageassociation.org)
The Western Dressage Association of America is the governing body for the Washington State 4-H Horse program. The information in the 2015 PNW 4-H Horse Contest guide on page 20 is outdated. In Washington, we do not use the North American Western (NAW) dressage tests.
Submitted by Jennifer Leach, WSU Extension 4-H State Fair Board Staff Liaison. E-mail Jennifer at LeachJ@co.cowlitz.wa.us.
Reining Pattern for 2023 4-H State Fair Now Available
The 4-H State Fair reining pattern is now posted on the horse page on the WSU 4-H webpage located at https://extension.wsu.edu/4h/projects/animal-science/companion-performance/horse/
Reining will once again be offered at State Fair for Seniors only. The reining pattern is the same as last year to encourage participation since this is only the second year of 4-H reining. And also includes the scoresheet as an educational and judging tool.
There will be additional reining patterns for county level use that are reflective of basic reining and/or introductory reining. More to come next week.
For those who do reining–it is a series of circles, stop, back, figure 8, flying changes, roll backs, and/or spins. And based on skill level and/or complexity of the series of movements.
Submitted by Jennifer Leach, Chair of the “Ad Hoc Reining Committee” and 4-H State Fair board 4-H Staff Liaison. E-mail Jennifer at LeachJ@co.cowlitz.wa.us.