Colorado Youth Compete at National Horse Judging Competition

Almost 100 youth from across the country competed at the U.S. Arabian & Half-Arabian National Championship Youth Judging Contest in Tulsa, Okla. with 20 representing Colorado organizations. The Colorado Arabian Horse Club (CAHC)/Region VIII Arabian Horse Association junior team were first in the halter division, third in performance and first in reasons to earn the Reserve National Championship. Team members from three counties came together to form an all-Colorado 4-H team who were named Reserve National Champions in their division, close behind the Colorado 4-H team from El Paso County.

The contest was hosted during the national championship horse show on Friday, October 25, 2024. Team members competed in both team and individual categories. The Junior Arabian Horse Association (AHA) division is composed of local affiliate club members under the age of 18, the Senior AHA/Collegiate division is for ages 19-23 and the 4-H/FFA division is for 4-H and FFA members across the country.

The junior CAHC/Region VIII team won champion buckles, ribbons and various other awards. Team members included Sophia Block of Erie, CO, Clara DeSouza of Erie, Colo., Rhiannon McDermid of Berthoud, Colo. and Audrey Wright of Erie, Colo. In her first national contest, Sophia finished 20^th in halter, 16^th in performance, 19^th in reasons and 20^th overall.

Clara was second in halter, seventh in performance, second in reasons and fourth overall. Rhiannon finished fourth in halter, third in performance, third in reasons and third overall. Audrey was fifth in halter, fifteenth in performance, fifth in reasons and eighth overall. All junior members are also 4-H members who compete on the Boulder County 4-H Horse Judging Team.

Katelynne Good of Elbert County (Parker), Jadalynn Frazier of Weld County (Fort Lupton) and Mattea McQueen of Boulder County (Berthoud) combined for a Colorado 4-H team. In her first year judging, Katelynne finished an impressive ninth in halter, eighth in performance, tenth in reasons and ninth overall. Jadalynn was second in halter, fifth in performance, third in reasons and was named the reserve high individual overall, earning a scholarship from the Arabian Horse Foundation. Mattea earned a sixth place finish in halter, first in performance, fourth in reasons and third overall.

Jessica Jacobucci of Brighton competed as an individual for CAHC and was ninth in halter, first in performance, fifth in reasons and the reserve high individual overall, earning a scholarship from the Arabian Horse Foundation. She and Mattea were the only two individuals in the entire contest to earn a perfect “50” in a set of reasons, tying them for the prestigious Jodi Zeier perpetual trophy for the highest reasons score. The tie was broken on the highest combined reasons total and the special trophy was awarded to Jessica. Jodi’s legacy as the Colorado Arabian Horse Club and Boulder County 4-H Horse Judging Coach spans decades. She was an influential mentor and leader to youth across the state and began earning national champions at this Arabian National Contest in 1994, with 17 total national championships during her tenure as coach.

The contest is organized by the AHA in conjunction with the U.S. National Arabian and Half-Arabian Championship Show. More information and results: https://www.arabianhorses.org/youth

In addition to these three hard-working teams, Colorado was well represented with El Paso County 4-H earning the National Championship in the 4-H/FFA division, the Boulder County 4-H Hippology Team earning the national championship in the hippology contest and the Park County 4-H Hippology Team finishing as the reserve national champion team.

The CAHC/Region VIII team and the Boulder County 4-H team are coached by Kendra McConnell of Longmont, Colo. Kendra was successful as a youth and collegiate at the U.S. Arabian & Half-Arabian National Championship Youth Judging Contest many times as well as other national level competitions such as the Paint World Show, All American Quarter Horse Congress, Quarter Horse Youth World Show and the 4-H National Roundup.

Contestants from 4-H, FFA, Arabian Horse Association (AHA) affiliate clubs and collegiate teams from across the U.S. and Canada competed in the day-long judging contest split into three divisions totaling 17 teams and almost 100 individuals. They evaluated ten classes of Arabians and Half-Arabians then delivered four sets of memorized oral reasons defending their placings in select classes which are scored on accuracy, terminology and presentation.

Competitive horse judging offers a challenging opportunity for youth to further their knowledge of horses. Team members learn to evaluate horse conformation and performance while developing skills such as critical thinking, public speaking and team building. Contestants are scored based on how close their placings of mock classes are to the official panel. They are then asked to deliver a two minute, memorized oral defense of their placing of certain classes.

The Boulder County 4-H Horse Judging Team will host a kickoff for the spring season on Wednesday, January 29, 2025. Interested members are welcome to attend a fun potluck at the Boulder County Fairgrounds to learn more about the team and competitive horse judging plus fulfill their 4-H judging requirement. Enrollment in the 4-H horse project and horse ownership are not required. For more information, find the team on Facebook @Boulder County Horse Judging or email bouldercountyhorsejudging@gmail.com.