4H Members Win Scholarship from B.I.G.

Allysa Word, Scurry Rosser 4-H member and Sarah Murff, of the Silver Spurs 4-H Horse Club received a $500.00 scholarship from the Blacklands Income Growth Conference in Waco, TX. 10 Scholarships were awarded to residents of Bell, Bosque, Burleson, Collin, Coryell, Dallas, Denton, Ellis, Falls, Fannin, Grayson, Hill, Hunt, Johnson, Kaufman, Lee, Limestone, McLennan, Milam, Navarro, Rockwall, Travis, Tarrant or Williamson County. The recipients needed to plan to major in an Agriculture or Family and Consumer Sciences related fields.

Alyssa plans on Majoring in Vet Science/Biomed at Texas A&M. Sarah plans on majoring in Equine Business and Management at West Texas A&M.

Pictured is Ed Smith, Director of Texas AgriLife Extension Service, Coach Stallings, retired coach of Texas A&M, Sarah Murff, Alyssa Word and B.I.G. Committee President Barney Pustejovsky.

For more information on this or other educational programs, please call the Texas AgriLife Extension Service - Kaufman County 4-H office, (972) 932-9069.

Kaufman County Fair Coming in April

The Kaufman County Fair has a new date!! This year the County Fair will be hosted on April 1-5th, 2008 at the Kaufman County Fairgrounds in Kaufman, TX.

Kaufman County 4-H and FFA members have validated their animals and completed their entries through their FFA advisors and 4-H agent, so the count down is on. Lamb and Goat exhibitors had the opportunity to visit with the 2007 Market Lamb and Market Goat judge Kris Drews from Hunt County. He helped those in attendance on weighing their animal and working on how to show them in the arena. Scurry Rosser 4-H/FFA member, Chance Smith demonstrated proper showmanship in the arena.

The Creative Talent entries for youth and adults are due March the 7th, to the Kaufman County Extension Office, 2471 N Hwy 34, Kaufman, TX 75142. Creative Talent entry forms and the rule books are available on-line at http://kaufman-tx.tamu.edu/ or rules books can be found at local businesses across the county. If you have any questions please call the Kaufman County Extension Office at (972) 932-9069 for mor information. More on the County Fair coming soon!!!

Kaufman 4-H'ers Recognized for Long Miles and Hard Work

After a year’s worth of showing that included eleven competitions scattered across the state consistency paid off for two Kaufman County 4-H Horse Club members with the Stock Horse Of Texas (SHOT) Association. The Stock Horse of Texas Association hosted their End of the Year Awards for their members on January 12, 2008 at the Stock Yards in Fort Worth, Texas. Two youth from Kaufman County, Catlyn Wold (left) and Allison Rogers (right) was recognized for their hard work and long miles traveled during the past year.

The Stock Horse of Texas (SHOT) is an association which was started by a statewide planning group in the mid 1990's and incorporated in 1998. Its purpose is education for western stock horse that can be ridden on the ranch, in the ring or down the road. SHOT's goal is to teach rider knowledge and skills to maximize horse trainability, performance and safety by offering affordable, fun and standardized western stock horse riding clinics and competitions.

Catlyn Wold, Silver Spurs 4-H Horse Club member (right), won the High Point Youth Pleasure, Reining, and Working Cowhorse divisions which helped her cinch in the Youth All Around Saddle made by Don Gonzales of Bryan, Texas.

Kaufman County 4-H Alumnus Allison Rogers, won the High Point Limited Non Pro Pleasure Division and the All Around Saddle.

For more information, please call the Texas AgriLife Extension Service - Kaufman County 4-H office (972) 932-9069.

6th Annual Working Cowhorse Clinic

The 6th Annual Multi County Working Cowhorse clinic came to a close at Athens, TX with the participants putting the elements of 2 and a half days worth of training together.

Dr. Kris Wilson from Texas Tech University was the lead instructor with Allison Rogers, Texas Tech Ranch Horse Team member, and Dr Doug Householder, Emeritus Professor for Texas A&M helping clinic participants with the basics of reining, and working with cattle for the working cowhorse competition.

40 participants from Van Zandt, Henderson, Kaufman and surrounding counties worked with their horses for 2 and a half days learning basics on sliding stops, spins, changing lead to how to box a cow, and learn to take one down the fence. Youth and adults alike had a great time and under most comments will be back for more. Pictured below is Chloe Costello of Kaufman, getting ready to "box" a cow on her horse Annie.

This program is brought to the public every year from the County Extension Agents Tommy Phillips - CEA-4-H -Van Zandt County, Carrie Sharp - CEA-4-H-Kaufman County, and Hillary Grider, CEA - 4-H - Henderson County. For more information on programs like this or others please contact your local Texas ArgiLife Extension Service office. Texas AgriLife Extension - Service - Kaufman County - (972) 932-9069 or email cl-sharp@tamu.edu.