Fry picked as 4-H Ambassador
By Sam Waller
For the second year in a row, Shackelford County 4-H will have a Texas 4-H Ambassador.
Faith Fry has been selected as a statewide Equine Ambassador. Last year, Johnnie Hise served as a Fashion Ambassador.
The Ambassador program includes nine specific areas – Equine, Fashion and Interior Design, Healthy Texas Youth, Livestock, Poultry, Photography, Shooting Sports, STEM, and Water – plus the Texas 4-H Council.
The Texas 4-H Equine Ambassador program strives to provide high school aged 4-H members the opportunity to develop and practice advanced leadership skills related to mentoring other youth, and to become advocates for the equine industry in Texas.
Fry will lead the Shackelford County horse program and has already been drumming up interest among club members.
“Faith handed out flyers at our kickoff party trying to recruit kids,” Shackelford County extension agent Kelsey Bell said. “Immediately following our officer elections, she’s going to have her first Horse Club meeting. She already has the whole year laid out with programs on everything from horse feeds to horseshoing.”
Fry’s presentation and the elections will be part of the first general club meeting, scheduled for 5:00 p.m. Monday, Oct. 3 at The Feed Store.
Fry said the Ambassador program allows her to become more involved in 4-H and the equine industry.
“I’ve always had a passion for horses, and over the past year since we moved to Shackelford County, I’ve gotten involved in the horse club,” she said. “I really enjoy teaching other kids about the horse industry. I signed up for the ambassadorship to better my knowledge so I can teach others what I love.”
To prepare for her role, Fry attended a training program at Tarleton State University in Stephenville.
“We went to multiple places, everywhere from vet clinics to breeding facilities,” Fry said. “We toured the Tarleton equine department and rodeo facilities. A fun thing we were able to do was tour the Cowboy Channel studios in Fort Worth.”
Bell said Fry faces a full schedule with the role, starting with 4-H Congress in Ohio in October.
“Faith will also do things on the state level,” Bell said. “She will go to a few clinics around the state.”
Fry has been involved with 4-H since she was 9, participating in several projects. She plans to major in animal science in college with a goal of becoming an extension agent.
For the coming year, Fry plans to cover as much as possible with the horse club.
“We’ll discuss different topics about horses from breeds to Western and English riding,” she said. “I’m also hoping to be able to do some field trips to different horse shows, including the Stock Horse of Texas World Show in Abilene and the Western Heritage. I’d like to get a few more English events, but I haven’t lined those up yet.”
Fry said the horse club is open to all 4-Hers, not just those who own horses.
“I’m trying to get them exposed to the 4-H horse events that do not require a horse, like horse judging and horse quiz bowl,” she said. “I want to get those kids involved as well as those who have horses.”
