Competitors from St. Clair 4-H Horse Club included, front, Brooke Benes, from left, Morganne Bowman, Taylor Stanley, Tori Stanley, Anna Claire Benes, Emma Smith and Anna Crow.
Eight members of St. Clair 4-H Horse Club competed at the 2012 Alabama 4-H State Horse Show held July 9-13 in Montgomery. The members competed in western, Huntseat, Saddle Seat, trail, reining and dressage classes and also participated in Hippology (horse trivia), Horse Judging and photography.
During their first trip to 4-H State level competition, junior riders (10-under) participated in the Walk Trot Division. Brooke Benes (Birmingham) placed second in English Walk Trot, fifth in western Walk Trot and third in Stock-Type Mares. Haize Kathryn Smith (Trussville) placed fourth in English Walk Trot and third in Western Walk Trot.
Six members of St. Clair 4-H Horse Club competed in regular division competition and all six won at least one state championship, and had multiple top-10 placings. As a result of their respective championship wins, all six regular division competitors qualified for the 2012 4-H Southern Regional Championship Show, Aug. 1-5 in Perry, Ga.
In Junior Division competition, Morganne Bowman (Trussville) was 2012 Alabama 4-H State Champion in Stock-Type Geldings (5-under); Reserve Champion in Hunter Under Saddle, fourth in Stock-Type Mares (6-up) and fourth in Huntseat Equitation. Anna Crow (Moody) was 2012 Alabama 4-H State Champion in Western Pleasure; Reserve Champion in Stock-Type Mares (6yrs and up); Reserve Champion in Stock Type Geldings (5 yrs and under); and Reserve Champion in Western Horsemanship.
Taylor Stanley (Trussville) was 2012 Alabama 4-H State Champion in Junior Western Showmanship. Stanley also placed third in Hunter Under Saddle, third in Western Pleasure, and eighth in Huntseat Equitation.
In Senior Division competition, Anna Claire Benes (Birmingham) was the 2012 Alabama 4-H State Champion in Saddle Seat Pleasure (Trotting) and Saddle Seat Equitation (Trotting). Benes also placed third in Western Trail and fourth in Western Reining.
Emma Smith (Birmingham) was the 2012 4-H State Huntseat Trail Champion and, for overall combined scores in western events, earned the 2012 Alabama 4-H State Reserve Western Highpoint Champion. Smith was also the Reserve Champion in Western Showmanship Sr Division and third in Reining.
Tori Stanley (Trussville) was 2012 Alabama 4-H State Champion in Hunter Under Saddle, Hunter-Type Geldings (6yo and older), Huntseat Showmanship, and Stock-Type Mares (6 yo and older). She was Reserve Champion in Huntseat Equitation Sr Division and Stock-Type Mares (Grand & Reserve). She was Grand Champion overall in Hunter-Type Geldings. As a team, the Senior competitors (Benes, Smith and Stanley) earned second place overall in the Horse Judging competition.
Trainers and coaches for the team were Jeffery Brown, Barry Montgomery, and Aimee Canterbury, as well as St Clair County 4-H Horse Club advisors Ceralena Gray and Laura Dunning Elliott. Volunteers Kelsey Davis, Tommy Vargo and Josh Whitlock groomed and prepped the horses and riders for their classes.
Anyone interested in becoming involved in competition-level horseback riding, contact Cera Gray, St. Clair County 4-H Advisor at cgray35173@yahoo.com.
