ConToy arena hosts young riders for
4H Western Horse Show Aug. 22
By Ben Lassetter
Staff writer
9-3-2020
MT. PLEASANT—Several young horseback riders were selected as the best in their class at the Sanpete County 4H Western Horse Show at Contoy Arena in Mt. Pleasant on Aug. 22.
The competition kicked off with a required written test and showmanship portion. Following this, participants in ornate riding uniform walked, trotted and loped their horses around the primary hall for judges watching form. The latter portion of the day featured speed events.
Contestants performed keyhole trials to showcase quick stops and turns outside the main arena. The crowd’s favorite events were the pole and barrel events, in which riders took individual turns to show combined skills in sharp turns, weaving, redirection and acceleration in a time trial. Speakers played music ranging from AC/DC to “Old Town Road” while the trial clock ran.
Top scorers on the day in the junior division of grades three to five were Skylee Millett, Kadience Allred and Amani Hawkins. In the intermediate division, grades six to eight, Bailee Jaques, Kenley Kelso and Parisa Hawkins claimed the day’s best marks. In the senior division, grades nine to 12, it was Jade Shepherd, Sarah Everitt and Taylee Emerick, all listed in order of place.
The competition was the fourth and final at the county level of the season. Eight top Sanpete County performers from each age division will go to the 2020 statewide 4H competition in Ogden, which will take place in late September. Year-long scores derive from a competitor’s best three events of the year’s four.
From the junior division, those to advance will be Kadience Allred, Skylee Millett, Bree Richardson, Amani Hawkins, Andelyn Dewey, Hadlee Emerick, Kemree Madsen and Owen Stewart, with Porter Denton as the alternate if necessary.
Kenley Kelso, Bailee Jaques, Katie Aagard, Alana Nielsen, Parisa Hawkins, Baylee Denton, Paityn Mahedy and Hunter Phelps are set to represent the intermediate class, with Cambrie Poulsen as the alternate.
Senior state competitors will be Emma Stewart, Sarah Everitt, Jade Shepherd, Daniel Malstrom, Taylee Emerick, Demri Allred, Alex Brotherson and Gracie Phelps. Makinley Woodside is the alternate in this class.
4-H participants focus on their horses as year-long projects. They keep records about and take care of their animals and carry out service and leadership projects within the program.
4H is a youth development program standing for “Head, Heart, Hands, Health.” For more information about the program, visit https://extension.usu.edu/sanpete/4-H.
