As other teens sought thrills on midway rides at the Bartholomew County 4-H Fair, Liz Kroger spent her Friday night preparing for the Horse & Pony Western Halter and Performance Show.
Kroger, who recently graduated from Columbus East, spent Friday night cleaning up her horse, who is named Hot Rod, in preparation for Saturday’s competition.
She also had one last practice riding session Friday night before an early morning start Saturday for the show.
On Saturday, she was up at 5 a.m. to prepare both herself and the horse for the competition that would begin three hours later, she said.
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Since this was the second consecutive weekend that she has been involved with a horse show, Kroger said it’s difficult to balance these competitions with her job responsibilities, socializing with former classmates, time with her boyfriend and other aspects of her life.
“But I wouldn’t change it for anything,” she said just moments after being named grand champion in the western gelding halter class. “I was riding before I knew how to walk.”
By the time noon rolled around, Kroger was also named grand champion of western showmanship. The reserve champion was high school senior Ellen Owens and her horse, named Maverick.
Kroger and Owens were two of 46 riders competing in 38 different classes during the western-style horse show that would stretch out to more than five hours Saturday.
Many of these same riders, who range in age from third grade to 18 years old, are putting in another day-long effort today during the English Halter and Performance horse show at the fairgrounds.
From the size of the saddle to how you hold the reins, there are distinct differences between Western and English-style horse shows that go beyond the rider’s attire.
A horse in the English competition must perform a bouncy gait in which the animal springs from one diagonal pair of legs to the other diagonal pair, with a period of suspension in between. In contrast, the horses in Western shows go at a slower gait called the jog.
And then, there is the “contesting,” which requires horses and riders to weave through a maze of patterns involving barrels, pole bending, flag and keyhole courses. Those who complete the courses the quickest are the winners.
On top of that, there is also a knowledge test each competitor must take during fair week in order to be considered for the coveted Master Horseman award.
“It’s just a whole lot of work,” Kroger said.
But many 4-H members involved in the horse shows have backgrounds and experiences quite similar to Kroger, and have a similar dedication to their horses.
Sixteen-year-old Columbus East sophomore Shelby Blake has been riding horses since she was in diapers, according to her mother, Sheila Blake.
With the exception of Shelby, every family member has been competing in horse shows for more than 20 years, the mother said.
“But we learn something new every year at every place we go,” Sheila Blake said. “Trends change in terms of styles of both horses and riding — just like clothes.”
Blue-ribbon winner Justine Hess said she’s only been working with her 5-year-old horse, Sampson, for a few years. However, the Columbus North junior said she’s been competing in the 4-H horse shows for eight consecutive years.
Although Jodie Crider has only been working with her horse, Marley, for about a month, the 13-year-old Northside Middle School student said these shows have been a part of her life for the past five years.
And when a love of all things equestrian is passed down from generation to generation, that’s when a 4-H club member begins to accumulate quite an entourage.
In an interview Thursday, Purdue Extension Cooperative director Elisabeth Smith said 4-H families often include grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins, in addition to the student participants and their parents.
Outside the 4-H Horse Barn Saturday, very few of those extended family members sat in the spectator bleachers. Instead, they kept close to the youngsters they were supporting at every possible moment.
With knowledgeable and experienced kids and family members, show judge Scott Husband said he made it a point to give each participant in each class plenty of attention and consideration.
And as in other 4-H competitions, Husband could frequently be heard giving extra words of encouragement to the youngest, less experienced horse exhibitors.
Husband, who owns a construction firm in Huntington, said he has been been judging horse show competitions for 18 years.
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Today
8 a.m. — 4-H Horse & Pony English Halter and Performance Show, Contesting Show will be after 3 p.m.
9 a.m. to noon — Swine weigh-in
12:30 p.m. — Lil’ Wrangler Rabbit Show, Pavilion
1 p.m. — 4-H Rabbit Show, Pavilion
1 p.m. — Columbus FFA Antique Tractor Pull, Grandstand
2 p.m. — Baby Personality Contest, Farm Bureau Building
2 to 10 p.m. — 4-H Community Building, Family Arts and Commercial Buildings open
5 p.m. — Vesper Services, David Boll Theatre
5 p.m. — Midway opens
5 to 10 p.m. — Lil’ Hands on the Farm open
6:30 p.m.– Bartholomew County Farm Stock Tractor Pull, Grandstand
7 p.m. — Blacksmithing Demonstration, Heritage Building
Monday
7 a.m. to 11 a.m. — 4-H sheep, beef, starter calf and dairy steer check-in. Check-ins subject to change pending weather.
9 to 11 a.m. — Open Class Flowers entries due, Family Arts Building
9 to 11 a.m. — 4-H flowers, beekeeping, crops and gardening check-in
1 p.m. — Lil’ Wrangler Swine Show, 4-H Gilt Show, as well as Open Carcass to follow
5 to10 p.m. — Lil’ Hands on the Farm, 4-H Community Building, Family Arts and Commercial Buildings open
5 p.m. — Midway opens
5:30 to 6 p.m. — Watermelon Seed Spitting Contest, Farm Bureau Building (registration at 5 p.m.)
6:30 p.m. — Horse & Pony, open arena
7 to 8 p.m. — Columbus Clogging Company – Farm Bureau Building
7 p.m. — Columbus City Band – David Boll Theatre
7 p.m. — Truck Drags – Side by Side Dirt Drags, Grandstand
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