School may be out for the summer, but Dickens County 4-H members are still very active in camps and competitions. Paisley Smith competed with her horse Rogue Catalyst, a.k.a. “Boomer,” at the American Quarter Horse Versatility Ranch Horse World Show and the American Quarter Horse Associations Level 1 Championships in Amarillo on June 16-21.
To be able to compete at these prestigious shows, a member must compete at shows all around the nation throughout the last year and accumulate enough points. Paisley earned the right to compete in ranch riding, reining, cutting, cow boxing, trail and conformation. Boomer and Paisley won World Champion in Trail, and Reserve World Champion in Ranch Riding. Along with those awards she had several top 5 and top 10 finishes.
Paisley and Boomer were also the High Point Rookie Youth All Around for the Nations and will travel to Oklahoma in August to the American Quarter Horse Youth World Show.
Paisley then packed up and headed to Fort Worth for the American Paint Horse World Show and competed in the Horse Judging contest. She was the 3rd High Point Individual and was part of the Reserve World Champion Team.
Locally, members were able to learn about horses in Dickens County’s second summer camp. The campers learned external anatomy and about an equine digestive system. Hands-on activities included how to properly put together a bridle and how to apply protective leg gear. Amanda Spiva CEA, Judge Kevin Brendle and Mackenzie Gardner were instructors for the camp.
CalvinHays and Henry Chapman attended the Texas Tech Meat Judging three-day camp in Lubbock last week. While there they learned quality and yield grading of beef carcasses, and how to adjust yield grade measures such as PYG (preliminary yield grade), HCWT (hot carcass weight) and KPH (kidney, pelvic, heart) and how to grid ribeyes. The campers worked on increasing their skills on evaluating lamb carcasses and market cuts of pork. A reasons session was also offered with members increasing their knowledge of meat judging terminology.
Respectfully submitted by Henry Chapman, Junior Reporter, with courtesy photos.
