North Dakota 4-H’ers Sweep National Hippology Contest
The North Dakota 4-H hippology team was overall national champion and took home numerous individual and team placings at the National Western 4-H Roundup. Team members are (left to right): Anne Schauer, Mikaela Woodruff, Emily Fannik, Olivia Lebrun, and coach Paige Brummund. [Photo: NDSU]
North Dakota 4-H members earned top rankings during the hippology contest at the Western National 4-H Roundup in Denver, Colorado. Representing North Dakota was the hippology team from Ward County, who were the overall national champion team. Members are Emily Fannik of Max, Olivia Lebrun of Berthold, Anne Schauer of Carpio and Mikaela Woodruff of Edgeley. They also brought home individual top placings.
Hippology is the study of horses that consists of a team learning vet science, nutrition, horse care, and general horse industry knowledge. The contest has four main components: horse judging, station identification, a written test, and a team problem.
“At nationals, the dial adjusts to more challenging multiple rounds of the four components as compared to the North Dakota State 4-H contest,” said Emily Burkett, North Dakota State University Extension 4-H youth development agent in Ward County.
The team completed a written exam, a series of PowerPoint slide identifications, four horse judging classes, and four team problem scenarios. In the horse judging portion of the contest, they analyzed two performance and two halter classes of reining, hunter under saddle, performance mares, and performance geldings.
The North Dakota team came out on top, bringing home the following placings:
- National champion – Overall
- National champion – Exam and Slides
- National champion – Horse Judging
- National champion – Stations and Lab Practicum
- Reserve national champion – Team Problem
Individual placings by event were:
Overall
- Woodruff – national champion
- Schauer – reserve national champion
- Fannik – third place
- Lebrun – fourth place
Exam and slides
- Fannik – national champion
- Woodruff – reserve national champion
- Schauer – fourth place
- Lebrun – fifth place
Horse Judging
- Schauer – national champion
- Woodruff – fifth place
- Fannik – sixth place
- Lebrun – seventh place
Stations and Lab Practicum
- Woodruff – national champion (with a perfect score)
- Schauer – reserve national champion
- Lebrun – fourth place
- Fannik – fifth place
Volunteer coaches who have assisted the team throughout their 4-H career include Burkett; Paige Brummund, NDSU Extension agriculture and natural resources agent in Ward County; Christopher Rockeman, Donnybrook; and Kathy Baer, Garrison.
“The effort and dedication it takes to learn the diverse and challenging contest content is not a simple task to accomplish,” said Brummund. “Since two team members are college students while the other two are seniors in high school, seeing this incredible group of young women finish their 4-H Hippology careers is bittersweet.”
This is the second year in a row North Dakota has won the National Hippology Contest. Last year, a team from Benson County placed first.
The next North Dakota 4-H Hippology season is beginning. Practices are in Minot on Tuesdays and Berthold on Wednesdays. To learn more about hippology, contact Burkett at 701-857-6450, or find information on the NDSU Extension website at www.ndsu.edu/agriculture/extension/county-extension-offices/ward-county/4-h or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/WardCounty4HYouth.
For more information on contests like hippology through the North Dakota 4-H Youth Development program, contact your county NDSU Extension office at https://www.ndsu.edu/agriculture/extension/county-extension-offices.
