The Wright County Fair is coming up quickly, and the Clearwater/Clear Lake 4H club, Kicking Clovers, is gearing up to compete.

 

Kicking Clovers is led by Key Leader Kristine Sylvester, and includes members Kallee Fisher, Jordan Gohman, Alison Hulbert, Kaylie Hulbert, Jade O’Riley, Devon Riley and Kallie Sylvester. 

 

Kallee Fisher and Devon Riley had an early start to the fair, showing their dogs last weekend at the fairgrounds and bringing home numerous ribbons.

 

Fisher has been a member of 4H for five years, showing rabbits for three years and dogs for five. Saturday she and her seven-month-old Miniature American Shepherd, Jazzy, competed in Rally, Four Dog Team and Obedience, receiving Grand Champion in the first two and reserve in the third. 

 

Riley has been a member of 4H for eight years, showing rabbits for three years and dogs for six. He competed with his Miniature American Shepherds this past Saturday, seven-month-old Faith and three-year-old Zeus. 

 

He and Faith received Grand Champion in Four Dog Team, third in Obedience, and reserve in Rally. He and Zeus received Grand Champion in all four of their events, Agility, Jumpers, Obedience and Rally. 

Fisher and Riley will be competing again during the fair.

 

“I like all the people I meet and friendships I’ve made through 4H,” said Fisher. “I also have a better bond with my dog, spending so much time with her.”

 

“I like to train,” said Riley. “I find it fun to see how they [his dogs] do, the end product.”

 

Kallie Sylvester has been in 4H for eight years, and has competed in numerous events, including dogs, rabbits, photography, flower gardening and crafts. She’s shown horses for the past five years.

 

At the Wright County Fair, she and her eight-year-old appaloosa mare, Ella, will be competing in Showmanship, Hunter Under Saddle, English Equestrian, Western Pleasure, Horsemanship, Trail and Egg and Spoon. 

 

Sylvester will also be competing in Training with her two-year-old quarter horse, Bentley. Bentley, who has world champion bloodlines, was rescued from the Kill Pen at Cannon Falls, MN after Sylvester saw him on Facebook. 

Throughout the year Sylvester also participates in a number of other 4H events, including Horse Bowl, which is similar to Knowledge Bowl only with horses, and horse judging, where 4H members themselves judge horse events. Their scores are then compared against the actual judges’ scores, and they need to be able to explain how and why they scored as they did. 

 

At the state horse judging competition this year Sylvester’s team placed in the top three, which earned them a trip to the national competition at Fort Worth, TX, which Sylvester just recently returned from.

Sylvester also recently found out she was one of six winners of the Minnesota Youth Leadership Award, another 4H event in which she wrote an eight-page essay on achievement, leadership and service. The award won her an automatic trip to the State Fair horse show in September. 

 

“I really like the people I’ve met through 4H, I’ve made a lot of friendships,” said Sylvester. “The show atmosphere and competition is the fun part of it.”

 

The rest of the Kicking Clovers 4H group, Jordan Gohman, Alison Hulbert, Kaylie Hulbert and Jade O’Riley will be showing horses at the upcoming fair. O’Riley is also competing in photography.

“I think 4H is good for kids,” said Key Leader Kristine Sylvester. “It helps them see what the future can hold and introduces them to giving back to the community.”