The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
More from the fair: Meet some 4-H’ers.
Participants say they get the most out of caring for their animals, bonding with others
The passion to care for animals, the relationships built along the way and the smell of a barn were all on display this week at the Lake County Fair as members of 4-H clubs showed off their hard work.
“It’s an interesting sport and a sport that you really can’t do alone,” said Jody Calhoun, vice president of the 4-H Lake County Saddle Horse organization. “We have our regular families, but we have our barn families we can’t live without.”
Calhoun explained that the strong relationships and the bonds that 4-H’ers build during their time in the organization are lovingly referred to as their 4-H and barn families, to go with the support of their own family.
Since 4-H began more than 100 years ago, it has become the nation’s largest youth development organization. In the programs 4-H offers, kids and teens complete hands-on projects in areas like health, science, agriculture and civic engagement. Cloverbud programs are available for kids ages 5 though 7, and 4-H programs are available for kids and teens ages 8 through 18.
Building community clubs to help solve agricultural challenges was a first step toward youth learning more about industries in their community. Today, 4-H serves youth in rural, urban and suburban communities in every state.
There are currently eight clubs in the Lake County Saddle Horse organization. This year at the Lake County Fair, 80 to 92 members were able to showcase everything they’ve learned throughout the year and their projects, which ranged from mini to saddle to draft horses.
“What we try to do is provide a hands-on curriculum for our youth. They develop true life skills and that’s important to our saddle horse community because what they learn here translates to later in life,” said Calhoun, who has been a part of the organization for 12 years and who is now seeing the older generation of 4-H’ers come through.
“They stay in the horse world. It stays in their blood and they can help our younger members, so it’s been a blessing,” Calhoun said.
Horseless members of the organization partake in a lot of educational public speaking. At the fair, members were participating in the 4-H Saddle Horse Groom & Clean, where they get a horse dirty on purpose to learn how to clean it.
“They’re judged on that and that’s something that our horseless horse members enjoy,” Calhoun said.
Among the members in the saddle horse organization is 4-H’er Macie Wrachford of Mentor. The teenager started riding horses when she was 6 years old when her aunt took her to her first riding lessons.
A family friend eventually got Macie involved in 4-H.
“I’ve been in 4-H for nine years now,” she said. “My favorite part is coming together with my horse family. We’re all one.”
For those interested in 4-H, Macie encourages talking to an advisor.
Stefanie Beselko of Leroy Township has been doing 4-H for eight years and always had an interest in horses.
“I loved coming to the fair and watching that, and then one year for Christmas, my nana got me riding lessons,” Stefanie said. “I was really excited and then luckily enough for me, my trainer talked to my mom and I about 4-H. I’ve loved it ever since.”
She said being a part of 4-H has allowed her to build connections and relationships that she might not have gotten anywhere else. In addition, she’s learned a lot of life lessons and how to have a strong work ethic.
“Next year is my last year, but my sister has a little bit more time left in 4-H,” Stefanie said. “I’m going to college, but I’m going close by so I’ll be able to come back and help out. It’s a great thing.”
Amid the pandemic, 4-H participants’ animals, whether livestock or horses, were their “saviors,” Calhoun said.
“It’s great to get the ribbons and trophies, but those horses come first to those kids,” she said. “That going to the barn was their salvation. Our horses and livestock kids have a desire to take care of an animal and they carry that on with them.”
Preparations for the Lake County Fair’s 4-H Beef Cattle and Dairy Beef Judging & Showmanship started in November of last year, said Dick Ingalls, assistant advisor for the 4-H club Giddy Up Whoa.
“There’s approximately 12 kids in the show. Some will have two animals,” Ingalls said. “They’ve had to feed and care for the animal since November, so this is the longest project that they do. It’s all through winter and it’s trudging out to the barn. The caring of something is what they get out of it the most, but they also have a lot of pride in what they’ve created.”
Kids from the ages of 8 to 18 who participated showed their steers for showmanship first, which was followed by market class, which is the judging of the animal.
“Everyone is a little bit different. With some of them, their parents did it or their grandfathers have done it,” Ingalls said.
Among the 12 who participated in the show was Emma Taylor of Perry. Emma has been showing cows for five years, but this year is her third year as a 4-H’er.
“My dad has done cows since he was young and he introduced me to it, and I fell in love,” she said. “The best part is bonding with your animal and learning their behaviors. Being with them makes me feel happy.”
Seamus Bly of Leroy Township has been a 4-H’er for eight years, but has been showing steers for four years. Seamus enjoys working with the steers and going to shows, as well as watching them grow and improve their skills, he said.
“You have to be patient with it because it takes a little while, a year or two, to really build your skills,” he said.