LOCAL 4-H’ERS SHINE AT SOUTHEAST REGIONAL 4-H DAY

REGION— Several Windham and Windsor 4-H club members were in the spotlight, March 24 in Springfield.

Southeast Regional 4-H Day, an annual showcase of local 4-H talent, was held at Springfield High School and featured kids from eight 4-H clubs who performed songs, musical numbers and baton routines for the public. They also demonstrated what they’ve learned in 4-H projects through public speaking, tabletop displays, posters, photos and crafts.

Participating clubs were Bling it On! 4-H Club, Dover; Green Mountain Teamsters, Pomfret; Hoof Beats in my Heart, Chester; River Riders II, Brookline; Solids, Stripes and Spots 4-H Club, Vernon; Stone Blossoms 4-H Club, South Woodstock; Top of the World, Reading; and Windsor Wonders, Springfield. Emcees for this event, organized by University of Vermont (UVM) Extension 4-H in these two counties, were 4-H’ers Makayla LaFlam, Vernon, and Rylie Zager, Gill, Massachusetts, both members of the Solids, Stripes and Spots 4-H club.

In addition to earning ribbons, several participants were chosen to represent the region at 4-H State Day, May 12, in Barre, which features talented 4-H’ers from throughout the state.

They are:

WINDHAM COUNTY:

DEMONSTRATION (individual): Tanya Wheeler, Wilmington (Not Only One, But Two: Harnessing a Pair of Horses)

NON-CLOTHING SEWING: Megan Carson, Windham (pillow); Kyrah Cutts, Brookline (doll quilt); Tekla Goodband, West Townshend (small animal figurine); Kassidy Wyman, Cambridgeport (pillows)

PHOTOGRAPHY (photo-based design): Whitney Dunklee, Vernon (Alfalfa Thief); Kelsey Kissell, Vernon (Raining Radishes)

PHOTOGRAPHY (traditional): Whitney Dunklee, Vernon (Nap Happy); Kelsey Kissell, Vernon (Cowboy); Lilia Kocsis, Vernon (What Happens Here, Stays Here); Ashley LaFlam, Vernon (Barn and Sunset); Makayla LaFlam, Vernon (Vermont Gold); Jenny Perkins, Vernon (My Pretty Penny); Kassidy Wyman, Cambridgeport (Pig Pile)

POSTER: Annabel Carson, Windham (Know your Horse); Megan Carson, Windham (Dressage); Whitney Dunklee, Vernon (The Friesen Post). Whitney’s poster won “Best in Show” so also will be on exhibit at Eastern States Exposition in West Springfield, Massachusetts, in September.

PUBLIC SPEAKING: Elizabeth Brown, Vernon (Where did the Western Saddle Come From?); Viola Brown, Vernon (How to Groom Your Horse); Megan Carson, Windham (Natural Hoof Care); Ella Dubin, Northfield, Massachusetts (The Anthropocene: Fact or Fiction?)

STAGE PRESENTATION: Elizabeth and Viola Brown, Vernon (baton routine); Annabel Carson, Windham (violin medley); Gabriel, Keith and Yachne Nilges, Townshend (singing)

TABLETOP EXHIBIT: Whitney Dunklee, Vernon (Striving for Gold); Makayla LaFlam, Vernon (Is this your First Rodeo?); Kylee Taylor, Athens (Hippity Hop Holland Lop); Brittany Zager, Gill, Massachusetts (DA Tucker Light)

WINDSOR COUNTY:

PHOTOGRAPHY (photo-based design): Emeillia Gomo, Chester (A Daydream in Color)

PHOTOGRAPHY (traditional): Mackenzie Bushey, Springfield (Brighton State Park); Jenna Dolloph, Chester (Summertime Butterfly); Emeillia Gomo, Chester (Snow Top Farm)

POSTER: Landon Campbell, Randolph (Rare Breeds of Oxen; Landon is a member of a Windsor County club); Josephina Palazzo, Pomfret (Is Your Calf Sick?)

TABLETOP EXHIBITS: Emeillia Gomo, Chester (The Road to Interscholastic Equestrian Association); Lillie Tuckerman, South Woodstock (Conformation of a Champion)

To learn more about the 4-H program in southeastern Vermont, contact Lisa Muzzey, UVM Extension 4-H educator, at (802) 885-8386.