Teens judge horses and make history

judging team

Chris Nelson, Nicole Riepl, Kristen
Opdahl, Mimi Stanley and Austin
Scholl recently competed on the
national level as the first horse
judging team from the state to
place in the top 10 in any division.

Five local 4-H teens made North Dakota history judging horses in Denver, Colo., at the 100th annual National Western Stock Show Jan. 7 and 8. Austin Scholl and Kristen Opdahl, Menoken; Nicole Riepl and Chris Nelson, Baldwin; and Mimi Stanley, Bismarck, placed eighth in the High Team Overall, third in the High Team Total Performance, fourth in the High Team Performance Reasons and seventh in the High Team Total Reasons Divisions at the national level.

The Burleigh County 4-H Horsemasters were the first horse judging team from the state to place in the top 10 in any division. Teams representing 17 states competed with three or four members on each team. Individuals and teams competed in three divisions: halter, performance and reasons. The horses were ranked from first to last, and the judging contestants were awarded a placement according to their accuracy and oral presentation of reasons.

Honors were awarded both for team and individual achievement. The North Dakota team also performed well individually, bringing home many top 20 placings. Some of the awards included:

Austin Scholl—second place High Individual Total Performance, second Place High Individual Performance Placings, and eighth place High Individual Performance Reasons
Mimi Stanley—fifth place High Individual Total Placings, eighth place High Individual Halter Placings, ninth Place High Individual Overall and ninth Place High Individual Total Halter
Kristen Opdahl—15th place High Individual Performance Reasons and High Individual Total Reasons

Capital Electric Cooperative congratulates our teen members for their outstanding achievements and thanks them for representing our communities in such a positive way!