June 17, 2009

LINCOLN, Neb. — Young riders who earned blue and purple ribbons at 4-H District Horse Shows across the state will meet July 12-16 at Fonner Park in Grand Island for the 2009 Fonner Park State 4-H Horse Exposition.

Kathy Anderson, University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension horse specialist, said the event not only allows 4-H'ers to compete, but is a tremendous character-building event.

"There just are a lot of educational benefits and great impacts that come out of it," Anderson said.

The annual exposition, which began in 1976, helps youth gain organizational skills as well as horse skills as they prepare for and compete in the event. She said she expects 500 to 600 youth to compete. While certain events require qualification from the district horse shows, other state events can be entered into without qualification.

Anderson also said the event helps Nebraskans come together.

"It's a very special event for 4-H'ers," she said.

The schedule for the 2009 exposition begins July 12 with horse show check-in from 4-8 p.m. The junior and senior hippology contest of oral presentations, written exams and stations starts at 6 p.m. with check-in at 5:30 p.m.

July 13 events begin at 7:30 a.m. with halter classes and showmanship trials. The judging contest, judging phases of the hippology contest and showmanship finals also are scheduled July 13. Results of the judging and hippology contests are announced at 6:30 p.m. followed by the trail horse competition at 7 p.m. Interviews for the R.B. Warren and Grand Island Saddle Club Scholarship are at 9 a.m.

The first events for July 14 include English pleasure and English equitation finals at 7:30 a.m. Also scheduled are western horsemanship, hunter hack and 2-year-old western pleasure trials. Three-year-old western pleasure finals are at 10 a.m. while finals for western pleasure ponies are at 10:30 a.m. Finals for the hunter hack, western pleasure, 2-year-old snaffle bit western pleasure and western horsemanship contests are at 6:30 p.m. The day's activities end with a 4-H exhibitor party from 9-11:30 p.m.

Western riding at 7:30 a.m. will start July 15 events. The rest of the day's events include advanced western equitation, western pleasure, English pleasure and English horsemanship. Other events include pole bending, barrel racing, dressage and reining.

On July 16, the final day of the exposition, working ranch horse competitions will begin at 7 a.m. At 8 a.m., break-a-way calf roping, calf roping and dally roping contests begin.

For more information about the 2009 Fonner Park State 4-H Horse Exposition, visit the Web at 4-H Show Information

All events are free and open to the public. Fonner Park, the Grand Island Chamber of Commerce and UNL Extension in the university's Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources sponsor the event.

6/17/09-SK

Kathy Anderson - Ph.D.
Animal Science
Assistant Professor
(402) 472-6414

Sandi Alswager Karstens
IANR News and Photography
(402) 472-3030

Department: Animal Science