APRIL 2026 NEWSLETTER

2026 NC State 4-H Horse Bowl, Hippology and Horse Judging Contests

Horse Bowl Contest

Huge congratulations to all of our competitors who joined us at NC State on March 14 for the State 4-H Horsebowl Contest! We saw an incredible turnout with 30 teams across the Junior, Mixed, and Senior Divisions bringing their A-game to Riddick Hall.

The competition was fierce—we had several matches decided by tiebreakers, and a few nail-biting rounds that came down to "sudden death" questions!

A massive thank you to our incredible coaches, volunteers, and officials who made this day possible. And a special shoutout to our generous sponsors, The Dale Earnhardt Foundation and Stacy Adams, for their continued support of our youth.

The Champion Junior team hailed from Nash County. Team members were Aubrie Batten, Kenzie Updyke, Leah Grove, Annie Grace Manning, and Abigail Hanson. The team was coached by Sarah Davis. Tenley Jones from Union County was the high scoring Junior Individual. In the Mixed division, Burke County took home the top spot. Crosby Norris coached the team made up of Ruby Desrosiers, Lola Desrosiers, Juliette Sawyer, Sadie Sauberan, and Scarlett Brown. Cumberland County 4-H'er Audrey Taylor won the high scoring individual award in the Mixed division. In the Senior division, Rockingham county prevailed as team champions. Abigail Woodward, Abbie Lowdermilk, Reagan Shelton, and McKennon Yanez made up the team coached by Jessica Hicks. The top scoring senior contestant was Haley Matthis from Sampson county.

For full results, visit this link on the website.

Hippology Contest

On March 14, Riddick Hall at NC State University was buzzing with equine excellence. We are so proud of the 224 4-H’ers who joined us to put their horse knowledge to the ultimate test!

From identifying breeds and tack to evaluating feed and judging classes, these youth showcased incredible dedication. A huge thank you to our 16 Junior teams and 13 Senior teams for a fantastic day of competition.

A Special Thank You: This event wouldn’t be possible without the generous support of The Dale Earnhardt Foundation. Thank you for investing in the next generation of equine leaders!

For detailed results:
Check out the full individual and team placings on JudgingCard

Horse Judging Contest

The 2026 NC State 4-H Horse Judging Contest brought 116 of North Carolina’s brightest young equine enthusiasts to Martin Community College Equestrian Center on April 11, 2026, for the annual NC State 4-H Horse Judging Contest. Representing 24 counties, these 4-H’ers spent the day evaluating eight high-quality classes of horses provided by Martin Community College and local hunt seat riders.

Events like this are a true team effort. A huge thank you to the MCC Equine Program (Tami Thurston and Mary Dalcourt), our incredible volunteers, and The Dale Earnhardt Foundation, for investing in the future of the NC horse industry!

Contest Results
Full contest results available on JudgingCard.com

2026 NC State 4-H Horse Artistic Expression and Creative Writing Contests

Registration for all Artistic Expression and Creative Writing contests is open until June 10. The deadline for entry fees to be received by NC State Extension Equine Husbandry is June 15.

For additional details and information about the contests, please visit this page.

The Artistic Expression contests provide an educational opportunity for participants to exhibit their artistic skills, in a variety of different events, pertaining to horses and the 4-H horse project. Exhibits must be submitted in the dining room of the James B. Hunt Horse Complex in Raleigh at the NC 4-H State Horse Show on Thursday, July 9 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Entries will be judged beginning at 5 p.m. Exhibits will be on display on July 11 from 10 a.m.–4 p.m. and projects and awards can be picked up from 3-5 p.m. on Friday afternoon.

The goals of the Horse Creative Writing Events are to provide an outlet for written expression for the 4-H member on horse-related topics while encouraging youth to express their experiences and ideas in a creative manner. Furthermore, the Creative Writing Contests will recognize youth who have creative writing talent by expressing their ideas through writing. Each participant must be a current 4-H club member. Participants do not need to own their own horses.

2026 NC State 4-H Horse Show

Youth that attend qualifying shows, please be sure to pay close attention to the due dates for your entries to be submitted:

• West Postmarked Deadline: May 11, 2026
• North Central Postmarked Deadline: May 25, 2026
• Northeast Postmarked Deadline: June 1, 2026
• South Central Postmarked Deadline: June 1, 2026
• Southeast Postmarked Deadline: June 15, 2026

4-H’ers who submit completed and paid sponsorships with their State Show Entry form will receive 20% of the sponsorship fees collected off their total show bill. For example, if a 4-H’er turns in $1000 in sponsorships with their entry form, they can deduct $200 off their show fees owed.

NC State 4-H Horse Show Sponsorships 2026

For all the information and details for the 2026 NC State 4-H Horse Show, visit this page on the website.

2026 Candace Norman Service Award Application/Nomination Form

Nominate a deserving youth and/or adult volunteer for the 2026 Candace Norman Service Award! Applications are due June 10.  Winners will be announced during the Friday night Opening Ceremonies at the State 4-H Horse Show.  These awards are sponsored by the North Central District in memory of longtime NC 4-H Horse Program and Orange County volunteer, Candace Norman. They are given annually to a 4-H youth member and adult volunteer who exhibit true dedication to and embody all the characteristics and morals of 4-H – a well-rounded person who strives to make the community a better place through example and leadership.  

2026 Southern Regional 4-H Horse Championships

North Carolina can send 70 horses and exhibitors to the Southern Regional 4-H Horse Championships in Perry, Georgia July 29-August 2. Entry forms for the show will be included in the exhibitor packets at the State 4-H Horse Show and will be due Sunday, July at noon (in the state show office). 

One qualifying position is reserved for a 4-H member exhibiting in Roping classes and one position is reserved for the highest Dressage Division ride score from the Training Level Dressage classes at the State Show. The State 4-H Horse Advisory Committee executive committee shall select a 4-H member based upon participation in 4-H Horse Program activities and performance in roping events.

Exhibitors wishing to be considered as a Roping representative must submit a letter requesting consideration to the NC State 4-H Horse Program office before the State 4-H Horse Show. Individuals can submit their letter via email to llstroud@ncsu.edu.

2026 North Carolina 4-H Horse Program Ambassadors

Our 2026 NC 4-H Horse Program Ambassadors recently returned from an action-packed week at the American Youth Horse Council (AYHC) Symposium in Salt Lake City, and they certainly made the most of every moment! From academic deep-dives to historic traditions, the trip was a whirlwind of education and hands-on experience.

Based on submitted applications and essays, Abigail Poirrier (Currituck), Kinley Johnson (Rockingham), Zoey Lovelace (Gaston) and Eva Taylor (Perquimans) were selected to participate.

The ambassadors went behind the scenes to explore the diverse facets of the equine world in the West:

• Academic Excellence: The group toured Utah State University’s Equine Science and Veterinary programs, getting a firsthand look at collegiate-level research and clinical facilities.

• Wild West Heritage: A visit to a Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Mustang Holding Facility provided a sobering and impressive look at hundreds of wild horses being prepared for future adoption.

• History in Motion: At Young Living Farms, the girls were treated to a thrilling jousting demonstration and met the farm’s majestic Percheron team.

It wasn’t all tours and sightseeing—our ambassadors were there to work! On the final day of the symposium, the North Carolina team took center stage to lead a professional workshop. Their presentation focused on making club meetings and practices interactive and engaging, sharing creative strategies to keep youth involved and excited back home. The trip ended on a high note during the Parade of Breeds, where some of our youth even had the rare opportunity to drive a pair of Fjord horses!

This life-changing experience would not be possible without the incredible support of the Dale Earnhardt Foundation. Their generous sponsorship ensures that our youth have access to premier leadership opportunities on a national stage. We are profoundly grateful for their continued commitment to youth development and the future of the horse industry.

We are so proud of Abigail, Kinley, Eva, and Zoey for their hard work and for being such phenomenal representatives of the NC 4-H Horse Program!

2026 West District 4-H Horsemanship Clinic

The West District is hosting a 4-H Horsemanship Clinic June 16-18 at the WNC Ag Center in Fletcher, NC. 

Pre-registration is required and will open on April 28. 

Questions about the clinic can be directed to Cherokee County 4-H agent, Shannon Coleman: shannon_coleman@ncsu.edu, 828-837-2210 ext. 4.

We are looking for dedicated adult 4-H volunteers to join our team of Horse Program Stewards! If you have a passion for fair play and helping our youth navigate the arena, this is the role for you.

What does a Steward do?

As a program steward, you are the "go-to" person for clarity and fairness.

You will:

*Work alongside show/contest management to interpret and clarify rules.

*Ensure a positive, consistent experience for all exhibitors.

*Receive specialized training on measuring ponies and miniatures.

Training Details:

We are offering two virtual training sessions via Zoom. You only need to attend one to be certified!

Option 1: Sunday, April 19th @ 7:00 PM

Option 2: Friday, May 1st @ 12:00 PM

Duration: 1 Hour

Requirements:

Must be a current enrolled 4-H volunteer.

If interested, please complete this sign up form: https://go.ncsu.edu/steward_training

2026 NC 4-H Horse Program Calendar of Events

Click the hyperlink above for a full list of all events, including contact information and links to pages with more information. An abbreviated list of upcoming events is below.

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NCSU EXTENSION EQUINE HUSBANDRY EMAIL LIST

NC State University and N.C. A&T State University work in tandem, along with federal, state and local governments, to form a strategic partnership called N.C. Cooperative Extension.

This institution is an equal opportunity provider.

NCSU Extension Equine Husbandry, Box 7621 NCSU, 220 Polk Hall, 120 W. Broughton Drive, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695, United States