St. Paul, MN (Sept 15-18, 2023) – 4-H youth from Murray County participated in the Minnesota 4-H State Horse show Sept. 15-1,8 2023. This year, 608 youth from across the state participated in the annual event at the Minnesota State Fair. 4-H’ers demonstrate their skills and knowledge in hippology (showing knowledge and understanding of equine science and husbandry), horse judging (study of an animal, measuring it against an accepted ideal), horse training and achievement, speech, and demonstrations about interest in horses or the horse industry, showmanship and drill team skills.
Youth who participate in the Minnesota 4-H Horse Project learn about show, trail, and endurance riding; test their horse knowledge at quiz bowls or on judging teams, and study horse science. Youth may participate if they own or lease a horse. There are even options for youth who are interested in horses, but don’t have access to one in their community.
“Through the Minnesota 4-H State Horse Show, youth build communications skills, gain deeper learning and interest in horses, and build relationships with caring adults,” said Renee Kostick, Extension Educator who manages the 4-H horse project in Minnesota. “These experiences contribute to their success in school, community, and futures.”
State Horse Trips included: Danika Jackels, Mary McNab & Kaitlyn Schaap. Hippology/ Speech-Demo/Horse Related/ Horseless Horse Trips included: Kylee Brands Results: Brands, Kylee placed 7th overall in Senior Hippology (combination of exam score, stations score, and judging score).
Exhibitor Name Description Ribbon Placing County Club Horse / English / Hunt Seat Pleasure - Pleasure Type, Grade 12 Jackels, Danika 1st Cameron McNab, Mary 7 th Slayton Shooting Stars Horse / English / Hunt Seat Pleasure, Grade 10 Schaap, Kaitlyn 7th Chandler Hilltoppers Horse / English / Horse - Hunt Seat Equitation, Grade 12 Jackels, Danika 4 th Cameron McNab, Mary 6 th Slayton Shooting Stars Horse / English / Hunt Seat Equitation, Grade 10 Schaap, Kaitlyn 5th Chandler Hilltoppers Horse / Grand Champion / Hunt Seat Pleasure Jackels, Danika 1 st Cameron Horse / Showmanship at Halter / Showmanship - Western, Grades 12 Jackels, Danika 9 th Cameron Horse / Trail Class / Grades 12+ McNab, Mary 10 th Slayton Shooting Stars Horse / Western / Western Pleasure - Pleasure Type, Grade 12 Jackels, Danika 5 th Cameron Horse / Western / Western Horsemanship, Grade 12 Jackels, Danika 9 th Cameron McNab, Mary 10 th Slayton Shooting Stars To learn more about Minnesota 4-H Horse Project, contact local extension educator Kim Hause, at 507-836-1144 and visit the website:,https://z.umn. edu/4HHorseProject About Extension 4-H: 4-H is a youth development program of the University of Minnesota Extension. Available for youth grades k-1 year after high school, 4-H’ers participate in hands-on learning experiences in STEM, citizenship & leadership, animal science, creative arts and much more. Through this learn-by-doing process, youth obtain essential life skills such as problem solving, decision making, coping and communicating that help them succeed in their school, college, community and career. Research shows that youth who participate in 4-H have better grades and are more emotionally engaged with school, are more than twice as likely to be civically active and contribute to their communities, and are 47% less likely to have risky or problem behaviors.
