ENGAGING YOUTHS BY helping them set goals, follow the steps and do the work necessary to reach those goals is a sample of how 4-H helps its members develop good life skills and become confident adults.
Through good leaders, youths can also learn how to work well with others and enjoy the benefits of good sportsmanship.
Clallam County 4-H leader Nancy Hodgin is one of several on the Peninsula who’ve spent untold hours volunteering their time to coach youths.
Competed recently
Recently, she accompanied Clallam County’s 4-H senior games division riders for four days of competition at the Washington State Fair in Puyallup.
There, she said, all the riders had fun working, playing and competing.
One of the group’s more memorable moments was when Abby Hjelmeseth’s horse, Gambler, threw a little attitude by knocking down four of six poles during their pole bending run.
For those who don’t know, the object is not to knock down any poles in the fastest time.
In other words, Hjelmeseth lost the race in a big way.
Good sportsmanship
While some might have been upset or embarrassed to knock down so many poles at the finals, Hjelmeseth showed good sportsmanship by laughing it off.
While this was the second year Hjelmeseth and Ebony Billing qualified to compete at state finals, it was Sophie Marchant’s first trip.
Hodgin said Marchant and her horse, Echo, gave solid, consistently good, clean runs.
Seventh year
This was Cassidy Hodgin’s seventh year there, having competed in both performance and games over the years with her four horses, Whisper and Chance (in performance), Missy (who at 28 years old passed away a month after she ran games at state) and Mikki, 23, who helped Hodgin place eighth in showmanship at state.
All four riders are hoping to compete again next year.
Here are some of the state results:
Senior Games
• Showmanship: Marchant, blue; Hodgin, eighth; Hjelmeseth, red; Billings, red.
• Key Race: Hodgin, white; Hjelmeseth, white; Marchant, white.
• Flags: Marchant, white; Billings, white.
• International flags: Hodgin, white; Hjelmeseth, white; Billings, red.
• Figure eight: Marchant, white; Hodgin, red; Hjelmeseth, red; Billings, white.
• Poles: Marchant, red; Hodgin, red; Hjelmeseth, white; Billings, red.
• Barrels: Marchant, white; Hodgin, red; Hjelmeseth, red; Billings, red.
Senior Dressage
• Emily Gear: showmanship, return blue; dressage equitation and hunt seat, blue; dressage test, third in state
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Karen Griffiths’ column, Peninsula Horseplay, appears the second and fourth Sunday of each month.
If you have a horse event, clinic or seminar you would like listed, please email Griffiths at kbg@olympus.net at least two weeks in advance. You can also write Griffiths at PDN, P.O. Box 1330, Port Angeles, WA 98362.
