Teens aged 14 to 18 participating in the Pennsylvania 4H Horse Program competed in a horse judging contest at Penn State’s Snider Agricultural arena. The contest involved evaluating horses based on criteria such as balance, muscling, and walking performance, tailored to each horse’s breed and characteristics. This event is part of 4H’s Animal Science Knowledge contests, designed to test members’ expertise in animal evaluation.

Joe Stanco, Penn State Equine Extension Associate, explained that the contest helps participants understand judging standards and positive traits for different breeds from a judge’s perspective. Success in this competition contributes to selecting the state champion team, which will advance to the National Animal Science Knowledge contests in November.