4-H Fun Show

Equine version of Mutt & Jeff. Dale is a very good boy for even his smallest rider.

 

Went to the “Fun Show” sponsored by the local 4-H Club at Willow Tree yesterday. I was looking for the opportunity to practice photography, but I also ended up having a great time. There was absolutely nothing serious about this show; in fact, it reminded me of birthday games we used to play at picnics and birthday parties a very long time ago. Adding horses to the mix only made it more entertaining!

 

Is that my pie? I can dispatch the carrots in one bite, but I need some dessert!

Pie and Carrot Contest! Horse and human had to consume their respective carrots and pie as quickly as possible. First pair to finish won. Dale had his eye on the pie. He finished his carrots before anyone, but his partner had trouble with the pie–she finished last!

 

Jimmy's handler wolfed her pie but Jimmy was really slow on the carrots. He'd already knocked the first pie out of his partner's hand. She got a clean pie replacement.

 

Egg on a Spoon Contest! Riders had to balance the egg on a spoon, and then execute whatever moves the ringmaster called out–walk, halt, trot, turn. Last person still in possession of their egg won. I would have lasted about 1 1/2 trot steps… (by the way, that’s my Billy in the background next to the left-most egg. He wasn’t very interested in any of the goings-on).

Horseback version of the old egg-on-the-spoon race.

 

Water in the Cup Contest! Same rules as for egg and spoon, and if I had been doing it I probably would have lasted those same 1 1/2 trot steps.

Whoever has the most water left in their cup at the end wins.

 

Catalog Contest! This one was fun to watch, especially because by this time the wind had picked up a bit. Riders had to get from one end of the ring down to the barrel as quickly as possible, pick up the catalog (which of course was flapping in the wind), find a page number that had been assigned to them, rip out that page, then return to the start line as quickly as possible. Best time won. Some of the horses were really unhappy about this one!

This is the one most of the horses gave the "hairy eyeball" to.

 

There was also a flag race, boot race, obstacle course and costume competition. It all filled up the day nicely, and the 4-Her’s even made a tidy little profit.