Potomac 4-H Club Horse members getting in the zone for their Western Montana Fair Bareback Classes July 30. Pictured (L-R): Emmett Zander on Daisy, Maggie Vann on Sadie, Bowen Olson on Cedar, Emma Richardson on Calypso and Keith Zander on Casey.
Sydney McDaniel is a Potomac Valley 4-Her. She showed her miniature horse Molly in various miniature horse project classes. Here she is leading Molly through the obstacle course at the Western Montana Fair July 31.
Potomac Valley 4-H Dog Project participants (L-R): Grace Dunn with her dog Hope, Wyatt Zander with his dog Maggie, Emmett Zander with his dog Bones and Keith Zander with his dog Fasan.
POTOMAC - More than 10 Potomac Valley 4-H club members competed in various spring and early summer competitions for their dog and horse projects.
The Western Montana Fair starts earlier than the traditional fair week. 4-H members in the dog project compete before "fair week" Aug. 8-13. 4-H horse members in the Trail Ride are judged anytime after the snow melts and before the fair while Ranch Horse projects sort cows and rope in early July.
Traditionally the 4-H horseshow and dog shows were the weekend before fair week, thus opening the week of activities. Those projects have grown into multiple day events. Reorganization occurred moving those shows earlier so there would be enough scheduled time for those events as well as the open horseshow and rodeo queen events leading into the week of fair.
The Western Montana Fair Dog Show was July 23 and had five Potomac Club members participate. Grace Dunn showed her dog Hope, Wyatt Zander showed Maggie, Emmett Zander showed Bones and Keith Zander showed Fasan. Dunn placed red in Obedience and Showmanship, Wyatt Zander placed red in Obedience and Showmanship, Keith Zander placed red in Obedience and Showmanship and Emmett Zander placed third in Showmanship with a blue and got a white ribbon in Obedience.
The Potomac horse project members rode, clipped, shampooed and cleaned tack to prepare for The Western Montana Fair Horseshow which was July 30 and 31. The 4-Hers and their horses practiced weekly beginning in March.
Riders competed in disciplines such as miniature horse jumping, western games events, bareback, colt to maturity training as well as showmanship, horsemanship and packing.
On July 30, Potomac members Emmett Zander and Keith Zander placed red in Novice Horse Showmanship with their horses Kudo and Casey. Bowen Olson placed blue in Junior Showmanship with Cedar, Maggie Vann placed red in Junior Showmanship with Sadie and Emma Richardson placed red in Junior Showmanship with Calypso. Julia Hudson placed red in Senior Showmanship and blue in Colt to Maturity showmanship with her filly Azul.
In the Horsemanship classes Keith Zander placed blue in level one, Maggie Vann and Emmett Zander placed red in level two, Emma Richardson placed red in level three and Bowen Olson placed red in level four.
In the Arena Trail Class, Emmett and Keith Zander placed white, Emma Richardson placed white, Maggie Vann placed red and Bowen Olson placed red.
For her Green Horse project, Julia Hudson placed red with her mare Eye Candy.
Emmett Zander got a blue in his packing class and won high point. The Bareback Equitation nine to 11 age group was walk/trot and Maggie Vann placed purple with Emmett Zander and Keith Zander placing with blues.
In the 12-14 age group participants had to walk, trot and lope and Bowen Olson placed blue with Emma Richardson placing red.
For the second day of the show on July 31, the schedule began with the Miniature Horse projects followed by Western Games. Sydney McDaniel placed blue with her miniature horse named Molly in Novice Showmanship, Mini Horsemanship level one, Mini Obstacle level one and Mini Jumping level one. McDaniel and Molly also won four high point awards including a duffel bag and three cash certificates.
Bowen Olson and Blaze completed a judged pattern as well as Pole Bending, Barrels, Keyhole Race and the Figure Eight Race. He placed with blues in Poles, Barrels and the Keyhole and reds in the Figure Eight Race and his pattern.
Milly France and Grace Dunn both took Horseless Horse projects.
"The Potomac Horse group worked hard on their books and with their horses," said Horse Leader Sigrid Olson. "I love to watch them love to ride."
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