4-Hers work on roping skills, giving back
By Sam Waller
The Shackelford County 4-H Club enjoyed a busy spring break week with a wide variety of activities.
On Thursday, March 17 the club took a field trip to the Old Zoo Nature Trail in Cisco.
“We did that just for fun,” Shackelford County extension agent Kelsey Bell said. “We wanted to get the kids who didn’t travel for spring break out and do something.”
On Saturday, March 19 the horse club conducted a clinic on working cattle at the LeMay family arena. Bell said about 25 participants from Shackelford, Callahan, and Coleman counties attended.
“Alicia Burton, one of our adult leaders, organized it,” Bell said.
Instructors Suzanne Kelton, Chris Bell, Teri Hollis, and Amberlie Tharp tutored riders in different aspects of working cattle from horseback.
“It was fun, and the kids learned a lot,” said the county agent.
On Monday, March 21, club members performed community service by cleaning up at the Albany Volunteer Fire Department.
“One of our leaders, Kelli Kreitler, along with Alison Gardenhire from the fire department, organized that get-together,” Bell said. “It was a great opportunity for our kids to go do something for all those people who are normally the ones doing things for us.”
Club members swept out the bays, cleaned bathrooms, swept and mopped floors, and performed other duties in addition to hearing a presentation on fire safety from firefighter Ryan Walser and AVFD officer Casey Kimbrough.
“It was timely with everything that’s been going on,” Bell said. “It was on the kids’ minds, and they could apply some real-life examples that they’d heard about.”
Upcoming Events
Shackelford County 4-Hers will be competing next week in District 7 contests in fashion and horse judging.
Four members will take part in the District 7 Fashion Show on Tuesday, March 29 in Llano.
“Some of them will take nonwearable items and just enter those into the contest,” Bell said. “If they make something they actually wear, they model it in a fashion show.”
On Friday, April 1, three teams of club members will compete in horse judging at San Angelo.
