46/ FEBRUARY 2023 THE RIDER


Texas State 4-H Horse Show makes rule changes Changes will support increased attendance, diverse participant demographics


Written by Paul Schatten- berg, Cell: 210-859-5752; MSTeams: 210-890-4548, paschattenberg@ag.tamu.ed u


Due to the increasing


popularity and reach of the Texas State 4-H Horse Show, significant changes are on the horizon to meet more participant needs and continue the show’s trajec- tory for growth and impact. This year’s 61st an-


nual Texas State 4-H Horse Show is open to the public from July 23-28 at the Bra- zos County Expo in Bryan. Typically, more than


350 4-H youth from throughout the state and their family members attend the show.


“The state show is the


pinnacle of the 4-H horse project and offers many op- portunities to 4-H youth in- cluding up to 40 classes of competition, educational programs, scholarships and college preparation opportu- nities,” said Chelsie Huse- man, Ph.D., Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service horse specialist. Huseman, based in Bryan-College Sta- tion, is also an assistant pro- fessor in the Department of Animal Sciences at Texas A&M’s College of Agricul- ture and Life Sciences.


Increased participation, changing demographics Huseman said the


changes are being brought about to meet the needs of the changing competitors.


Since 2019, the state horse show has seen a 10% in- crease in participation and entries, as well as an 18% increase in the number of horses competing. “We have been fortu-


nate to see continued growth over the past five years while many state 4-H shows have been declining in par- ticipation,” she said. “Texas continues to have the high- est number of horses of any state in the U.S., so it is no surprise that we have a strong 4-H horse project.” Huseman said to re-


spond to the increase in show participation and the fact that more participants are coming from urban areas, show coordinators have made a few significant changes in its guidelines to better serve the needs of youth and their families. The changes were voted on and approved by the State Show Committee.


What are the changes? Huseman said the


most significant change that will be in place starting this year is that participants will now be allowed to show horses they lease, as well as own.


“This is a big change


from our previous guide- lines that only allowed for horses owned by the ex- hibitor to be shown,” she said. “However, many 4-H youths reside in more urban areas and do not have the opportunity to keep a horse and therefore must lease


The 61st annual Texas State 4-H Horse Show will be July 23-28 at the Brazos County Expo in Bryan. (Texas A&M AgriLife photo by Courtney Sacco)


them instead. But these youth still provide their horses with care, exercise and other management needs, plus use them to de-


velop their riding skills.” Huseman said the re-


sponsibilities associated with caring for horses and learning to ride help with


the development of core life skills such as leadership, de- cision-making, communica- tion and self-confidence, which is the ultimate goal of


any 4-H project. The second change


starting this year will allow open qualification in all di- visions for the state show in- stead of


requiring


participation in the district shows to qualify. The only exception is for the futurity division, which requires dis- trict participation facilitated by their county agent to en- sure the safety and success of these young horse proj- ects.


Removing the qualifi-


cation requirement allows district administrators more freedom to develop horse opportunities that more closely fit the needs of par- ticipants at their local level. “This change also al-


leviates pressure on many active 4-H families who must choose amongst the multitude of activities that are all offered in the month of June, as the district horse shows have been,” Huse- man said. However, she said,


district 4-H horse shows will still be an option for competitors to develop their skills as they prepare for the state show. “This change will help


The Texas State 4-H Horse Show is an opportunity to exhibit horses and demonstrate horse-riding skills. (Texas A&M AgriLife photo by Courtney Sacco)


districts develop meaningful engagements with their local 4-H youth in the horse project to prepare them for the state show,” said Huse- man. “The Texas State 4-H Horse Show provides a unique opportunity for equestrians to exhibit their horses and develop mean- ingful life skills.


“These new rules will


help to ensure more 4-H’ers have an opportunity to par- ticipate, and we are looking forward to seeing how these changes expand the reach and opportunities available to 4-H youth across Texas.”


State show overview The Texas State 4-H


Horse Show is presented by Texas 4-H, a youth develop- ment organization adminis- tered by AgriLife Extension. Annually, more than 550,000 youth ages 8-18 are involved in a variety of 4-H youth development experi- ences.


Huseman and Jennifer


Zoller, Ph.D., also an AgriL- ife Extension horse special- ist, along with a team of more than 35 AgriLife Ex- tension county agents, vol- unteers and supporters, manage the seven-day event. The show is sup- ported by sponsors, donors and industry partners statewide who share their resources, including provid- ing monetary donations, services and awards. The show awards


more than $20,000 in schol- arships each year, Huseman said. As a testimony to the importance of these scholar- ships, she said that since 2018, 92% of the division scholarship winners from the state show have enrolled in college. Of those, 95% have enrolled in a Texas in- stitution of higher learning.


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Praise for Unnatural Ability “Unnatural Ability is a seminal


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caliber athletes. Stories about sys- temic rule-breaking and “doping cul- ture”—both


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In Unnatural Ability: The His-


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About the Author


Milton C. Toby is an award-winning author, journalist, and attorney with more than forty years of experience researching and writing about Thor- oughbred racing and equine law. He is the author of eight books, includ- ing Taking Shergar: Thoroughbred Racing’s Most Famous Cold Case, Dancer’s Image: The Forgotten Story of the 1968 Kentucky Derby, and Noor: A Champion Thoroughbred’s Unlikely Journey from California to Kentucky.


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