Kane County 4-H Team Takes Top Spots in State Equine Contests
DuPage, Kane and Kendall County 4-H members’ excelled in several divisions of the Illinois Hippology and Horse Bowl Competition, as well as the Public Speaking contest, at the University of Illinois.
On April 16 and 17, hundreds of youth from around the state competed in individual Hippology and team Horse Bowl competitions at various levels. The event also included a public speaking contest. The senior divisions of the contest also determine the individuals that will represent Illinois at national competitions.
“(Local 4-H students) demonstrated their knowledge and expertise on a wide range of equine topics,” said Deanna Roby, 4-H youth development educator. “These 4-H youth study for months, or even all year long, to answer questions about equine anatomy and care including: diseases, genetics, parasites, feed, nutrition, behavior, breeds, equipment and the digestive, respiratory, skeletal, endocrine, and circulatory systems.”
Kane County 4-H members made up the Illinois State Champion Senior Horse Bowl team. Pictured are (from left) Shianne Votava, Miranda Scheel, Gwen Klinkey, Bailey Ricketts, and Madde Klinkey. Many also won individual honors. CREDIT: 4-H
Horse Bowl
Horse Bowl requires that the participants be quick minded and “fast fingered” in order to be the first to push their buzzer and answer the question correctly. In Hippology, youth compete as individuals taking tests.
In the senior competition, Kane County 4-H took first place with members Madde Klinkey, Bailey Ricketts, and Gwen Klinkey, all of St. Charles; Miranda Scheel of Batavia; and Shianne Votava of Campton Hills. Ricketts is a member of Y-Not 4-H Club, and the other members are members of A Bit More 4-H Club.
Other senior teams placing at state were (in place order): Mercer County, Union County, Edwards-Randolph, Shelby County and Logan County.
In the senior high-point competition, Ricketts and Madde Klinkey took second and third, respectively, and teammates Gwen Klinkey and Scheel added fifth and sixth honors to the list.
Kane County also swept the Horse Bowl portion of the event with a winning junior team, as well. Members of the first-place Kane County team included Grace Feuerborn of Batavia, Samantha Lind and Nora Thompson, of Maple Park, and Andrew Haviland of Elgin. Lind is a member of Lucky Maples 4-H Club. Other team members are with A Bit More 4-H Club.
In the junior division, there were 10 teams that qualified and competed in a round-robin style quiz bowl event. The other top five teams were (in order): DeKalb County, DuPage County, Logan-Tazwell Counties, and Kendall County.
Members of the third-place DuPage County team included Just Say Nay 4-H Club members: Josie Schwab of Naperville, Kate Hardy of Glen Ellyn, Madigan Marusiak and Anne Gulbransen of West Chicago, and Bridget Weyer of Warrenville
Members of the fifth-place Kendall County team included members of the Manes and Reins 4-H Club: Molly Breen of Newark, Olivia Woods of Yorkville, Audrey Breen of Newark and Maddie Wietting of Joliet.
Molly Breen also earned second place in the individual junior high point competition for Horse Bowl participants, followed by Feuerborn, Hardy, and Lind, who rounded out the top five. Gulbransen placed eighth.
Hippology
In the Hippology contest, individual youth judged multiple classes of horses, testing their knowledge of breed conformation standards and requirements of performance classes. They also answered questions pertaining to a series of pictures, completed a multiple choice written exam, and executed a selection of stations, while timed.
Among all the state-wide participants, DuPage, Kane and Kendall 4-H members placed in the top 10 of the senior, intermediate and junior divisions. They include:
- Seniors: Kane County’s Ricketts earned the top honors, and local 4-H members Aubrey Sieve of Lisle and Madde Klinkey rounded out the top three. Sieve is a member of Just Say Nay 4-H Club.
- Intermediate: Barn and Beyond 4-H member Macy Krempski of Yorkville placed fourth in the intermediate division, and fellow club member Augie Staudacher placed 10th. Kane County’s Shianne Votava took fifth and Gwen Klinkey earned the seventh place spot.
- Juniors: Rockin’ KCs members Jenna Buss and Emily Wacker, both of Yorkville, took first and second in the junior division. Fellow 4-H member Lucy Anderson, of Yorkville, placed fifth, and Manes and Reins 4-H member Olivia Woods took seventh. A Bit More 4-H Club’s Nora Thompson of Maple Park placed ninth.
Speech
Another portion of the state competition is presentation, which includes formal speech, individual presentation, demonstration and extemporaneous categories.
- Senior Formal Speech: Kane’s Gwen Klinkey placed second with “Head to Hoof: the Care and Keeping of a Horse.” Madde Klinkey took fourth with “A Race of my Own” and Shianne Votava earned sixth place with “Freedom on Four Legs.”
- Senior Individual Speech: Kane’s Miranda Scheel placed fifth with “The Legend of Seattle Slew 1977.”
- Junior Individual Speech: Kane’s Grace Feuerborn took top honors with “I’m Not Kit-ting, You Need a First Aid Kit” and teammate Nora Thompson placed second with “A Dozen Different Disciplines.”
Horse Judging
In a separate event on April 30, two Kane County youth also earned honors at the 2016 4-H State Horse Judging Contest at Blackhawk College in Galva, L. Y-Not 4-H Club member Elena Chapa of Maple Park placed third in the reasons division of the state contest, and Samantha Lind placed 18th in non-reasons division.
“We are proud of all of the teams and individuals who represented our counties, and of their continued successes at the state level,” said Roby. “Without the time and efforts of our 4-H volunteer coaches, these dedicated young people would not have these amazing chances to learn and grow through this program.”
Coaches for DuPage, Kane and Kendall teams include Bonnie Breen, Rita Feuerborn Laura James, Sandy Klinkey, Toby Staudacher, Amber Wesner and Laura Younglove.
About 4-H
4-H is part of University of Illinois Extension. It is a community of young people across America learning leadership, citizenship, and life skills. For more information on the 4-H program in your county, contact Roby at 630-584-6166 or visit http://web.extension.illinois.edu/dkk/. University of Illinois Extension provides equal opportunities in programs and employment.
- Feature Photo Caption: Kane County 4-H members made up the Illinois State Champion Junior Horse Bowl team. Pictured are (from left) Nora Thompson, Samantha Lind, Grace Feuerborn, and Andrew Haviland. Many also won individual honors. CREDIT: 4-H
