4-H Spotlight: Avery Pruett earns 3 Master Titles

By ROBERTA PRINCE, Coweta County 4-H Program Assistant & BILL HAMMOND, Coweta County 4-H Extension Agent

Coweta County 4-H is honored to shine the spotlight on Avery Pruett, 10th grade 4-H member who has been actively participating in the 4-H Horse & Pony club and several competition teams since the 3rd grade in 2015.

She also attended a special project club led by a senior 4-H’er for members that did not own horses to expand knowledge of horse ownership. Eager to learn all things horse, Avery joined the competitive teams Horse Quiz Bowl, Hippology and Horse Judging the following year as a junior 4-H’er. She has helped lead several Junior teams to success many times over the years.

Avery has continued to expand her horse experience and community service through riding lessons, serving on the Horse & Pony club student board, assisting with a project horse club, and competing in the Horse Project at the district project achievement contest. 

Many hours of dedication to the 4-H horse program paid off this year when Avery attained Master Status as Senior High Individual at the State Horse Judging Contest, helped her team to a 1st place finish, and completed her 4-H Master Horseman qualification. A 4-H Master Horseman must complete and submit the state Novice, Intermediate, and Master Record Books to the State Office for review and then complete a riding test. All three masters were awarded on April 15 in Athens, GA at the State 4-H Horse Judging Contest. The Coweta County Horse Judging Team included Avery Pruett, Gabriela Luna, Sylvia O’Neal, and Amanda Chrzanowski.

Avery’s dedication allowed her to lease a horse with little formal training and work with the horse under the supervision of her instructor, Shannon Betts, at Paradise Lost Farms. Avery will be able to show her horse at the State 4-H Horse show this summer in Perry, GA. 

Avery is also a member of the Coweta 4-H Poultry Judging team who recently placed 1st at the district competition and will represent Coweta County at the State Poultry Judging Competition. She attends 4-H Ag Discovery club, volunteers many hours in the Animal Barn during the County Fair, and competes at 4-H Project Achievement in the Horse Project. 

Coweta County 4-H will represent Georgia at the Southern Regional Horse Championship in Perry, Georgia in August and Western Roundup in Denver, Colorado in January.

Horse Judging calls for contestants to compare their opinion of a horse against the ideal, as specified by industry experts, in conformation and performance classes. Conformation classes analyze the anatomical build of a horse, and performance classes analyze the execution of riding patterns. The Hippology contest incorporates the concepts of Horse Judging as a four-part competition that includes a written test, skill station, judging class, and team problem solving set. Decision making, critical thinking, and public speaking are key elements of both horse judging and hippology.

The equine industry has a $2.5 billion impact on Georgia’s economy in an average year. UGA Faculty and industry experts contribute to the curriculum used to train Horse Judging and Hippology contestants and help connect youth with pertinent applications of the skills they learn.

Georgia 4-H empowers youth to become true leaders by developing necessary life skills, positive relationships, and community awareness. As the premier youth leadership organization in the state, 4-H reaches hundreds of thousands of people annually through UGA Extension offices and 4-H facilities.

For more information about how to get involved with Hippology, Horse Judging, and Georgia 4-H, contact the Coweta County University of Georgia County Extension Office or visit www.georgia4h.org. 

The Coweta County Horse Judging Team included Avery Pruett, Gabriela Luna, Sylvia O’Neal, and Amanda Chrzanowski.