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Aug. 2nd, 2011 08:07 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
which_chickYesterday and today, I took Whimsy out for a spin. It's conditioning time for the fall ride, even though we don't have entry forms or anything yet. They're on the website, but usually they mail out the forms to people who entered last year, so I'm waiting to see if I get my forms in the mail.
I'd really like to see more people enter in the damn ride... if on the off chance that anyone reading this is involved with equine 4-H in Pennsylvania, get some kids entered in the competitive ride. Please. It's embarrassing that so few people attend. You still have time to condition your pony and get entered. Really, 8 weeks is plenty!
Bedford County just dominates the damn thing. Last year, for example, the Bedford County contingent took 1-4 for for juniors on ponies (division A), 1-2 for seniors on ponies (division B), nothing in division C (juniors on horses) because we didn't have any, 1 in seniors on horses (D), 1 and 3 in Lightweight Adult (E) and placings 1, 2, 3 and 4 in Hwt Adult (F). We also took high point for junior, senior, and adult riders.
Thing is, there are sixty-seven counties in PA. Bedford is just one of them. Bedford County has about 50,000 people living in it. That's not very populous compared to some of the other counties in the state. It is also not a rich county. It is not all that close to the ride location (Centre, Blair, Clearfield, Cambria, Clinton, Union, Snyder, Mifflin, Juniata, Perry and Huntington are all arguably closer). But on awards and entries, Bedford County is dominating the competitive ride. I don't get this. It's an excellent, well-run event. It's a lot of fun and every kid who enters it and makes half an effort to condition his or her critter learns buckets of stuff and shows visible growth as a rider and horseperson.
I wish I could say that were true of the more traditional show-ring horse programs that 4-H offers...
Dollar for dollar, the competitive ride is both the most educational and the most cost effective (in terms of bang for your 4-H entry fee dollars) horse project thing you can do in 4-H.
I'd really like to see more people enter in the damn ride... if on the off chance that anyone reading this is involved with equine 4-H in Pennsylvania, get some kids entered in the competitive ride. Please. It's embarrassing that so few people attend. You still have time to condition your pony and get entered. Really, 8 weeks is plenty!
Bedford County just dominates the damn thing. Last year, for example, the Bedford County contingent took 1-4 for for juniors on ponies (division A), 1-2 for seniors on ponies (division B), nothing in division C (juniors on horses) because we didn't have any, 1 in seniors on horses (D), 1 and 3 in Lightweight Adult (E) and placings 1, 2, 3 and 4 in Hwt Adult (F). We also took high point for junior, senior, and adult riders.
Thing is, there are sixty-seven counties in PA. Bedford is just one of them. Bedford County has about 50,000 people living in it. That's not very populous compared to some of the other counties in the state. It is also not a rich county. It is not all that close to the ride location (Centre, Blair, Clearfield, Cambria, Clinton, Union, Snyder, Mifflin, Juniata, Perry and Huntington are all arguably closer). But on awards and entries, Bedford County is dominating the competitive ride. I don't get this. It's an excellent, well-run event. It's a lot of fun and every kid who enters it and makes half an effort to condition his or her critter learns buckets of stuff and shows visible growth as a rider and horseperson.
I wish I could say that were true of the more traditional show-ring horse programs that 4-H offers...
Dollar for dollar, the competitive ride is both the most educational and the most cost effective (in terms of bang for your 4-H entry fee dollars) horse project thing you can do in 4-H.
