Essex Junction--There was no horsing around at the 2023 Chittenden County 4-H Invitational Horse Quiz Bowl, March 17, as competitors quickly and confidently buzzed in answers to questions about equine breeds, feeds, horsemanship, reproduction, anatomy and related topics.
The event, hosted by Chittenden County 4-H, took place at Essex High School in Essex Junction. Eighteen 4-H'ers, ages 8-18, from four counties participated in the contest, which also serves as preparation for the annual State 4-H Horse Quiz Bowl, April 1 in Castleton.
Placements for each age group are as follows:
- Seniors (14-18): Haileigh Demers, Westford (first); Mikayla Tobey, Fairfax (second); Addie Ploof, Westford (third); Jenna Bennett, Swanton (fourth); Izzy Pratt, Colchester (fifth); Kelsey Paradee, Swanton (sixth)
- Juniors (12-13): Madeline Langlois, Westford (first); Chloe LaMarche, Starksboro (second); Madison Trudell, Fairfax (third)
- Juniors (10-11): Josie Kascha-Hare, Milton (first); Graham Robinson, Underhill (second); Paityn Paradee, Swanton (third); Kinzi Grindle, St. Albans (fourth)
- Juniors (8-9): Nora Kidder, Cambridge (first); Micah Burdo, St. Albans (second); Saige Prisco, Milton (third); Avery Minor, Fairfax (fourth); Ian Kascha-Hare, Milton (fifth)
Mary Fay, Westford, helped organize the competition, and was assisted by Martha Blades, Jericho, and Martha Manning, 4-H educator for Franklin and Grand Isle counties, who both served as registrars and tallied the scores.
Chloe Barewicz, Beth Demas and Jolene Fontaine, all from Jericho; and Faith Ploof, Westford, were the moderators for quiz bowl. Chloe and Faith were members of past state 4-H horse quiz bowl teams that competed nationally. Beth served as the state team's coach for several years.
To learn more about the 4-H horse program in Chittenden County, contact Martha Manning at (802) 656-7621 or martha.manning@uvm.edu.