2007 Congress News

Youth Show Their Skills in the Congress Hippology Contest
by Carly Williams

The Hippology contest was held on Wednesday, October 17 during the 2007 Congress. Each year, the Congress holds the Hippology contest, along with Public Speaking, Demonstration, Horse Bowl and Judging contests, to educate and highlight youth who are dedicated to horses.

The Hippology contest covers many of the same topics as the Horse Bowl contest, but puts them into a more practical application format. Participants will each be awarded individual points based on three separate segments. The first segment is an examination, which may include a written exam or slides to be identified. Objects to identify can include breed, color, activity, tack and anatomy (both internal and external).

In the next segment, team members will travel to stations where they may be asked to identify tack and equipment, feed samples and other horse-related items. Other key points that may be tested in the stations include external anatomy, skeletal anatomy, internal anatomy, disease, internal parasite life cycles, breeds, breed history, color, color patterns and equine activities. The third segment of the Hippology contest will require contestants to place four separate horse show classes.

Once the individual segments are completed, the youth team will be given a problem to answer as a team. The problem may include impromptu answers, or it may require preparation. Contestants can anticipate that the problem may include planning a specific youth participation activity, setting up an annual herd health program, designing a stable of a given size for a specific number of horses, designing a training program for a specific type of performance horse, or designing a breeding and/or leasing contract (including specific clauses for insurance, liability, payments, care, termination, transport and more). Teams must answer the problem together through a five-minute oral defense/explanation.

Upon the completion of the Hippology contest, scores will be determined for individual members (using the first three segments) and the entire team (using all four segments).

Top 10 Judging, Individual results:
1.  Katie Amundson, Minnesota (B team)
2.  Shannon Kernan, Wisconsin (A team)
3.  Austin Baragary, Kansas
4.  Amy Turner, Iowa
5.  Shannon Smith, Kansas
6.  Jacob Gartner, Minnesota (A team)
7.  Rachel Talent, Kentucky
8.  Rebecca Bishopric, North Carolina
9.  Catherine Von Hagn, Empire State Quarter Horse Assn
10. Kelsey Horner, Nebraska

Top 5 Judging, Team results:
1.  Kansas
2.  Minnesota
3.  North Carolina
4.  Nebraska
5.  Minnesota (A team)

Top 10 Exam, Individual results:
1.  Shannon Smith, Kansas
2.  Rachel Talent, Kentucky
3.  Diane Royalty, North Carolina
4.  Jason Miles, Kansas
5.  Sarah Smith, Kansas
6.  Eliza Farrell, Illinois
7.  Anna Young, Empire State Quarter Horse Assn
8.  Leah Sigmon, North Carolina
9.  Katie Niemeyer, Minnesota (A team)
10. Brittany Nowak, Ohio (B team)

Top 5 Exam, Team results:
1.  Kansas
2.  North Carolina
3.  Mid-Atlantic Quarter Horse Association
4.  Illinois
5.  Empire State Quarter Horse Association

Top 10 Stations, Individual results:
1.  Rebecca Bishopric, North Carolina
2.  Diane Royalty, North Carolina
3.  Laura Bradley, Mid-Atlantic Quarter Horse Assn
4.  Shannon Smith, Kansas
5.  Leah Sigmon, North Carolina
6.  Walker Powell, Nebraska
7.  Eliza Farrell, Illinois
8.  Catherine Von Hagn, Empire State Quarter Horse Assn
9.  Ali Chisholm, Mid-Atlantic Quarter Horse Assn
10. Sarah Walhstrom, Empire State Quarter Horse Assn

Top 5 Stations, Team results:
1.  North Carolina
2.  Mid-Atlantic Quarter Horse Association
3.  Empire State Quarter Horse Association
4.  Minnesota (B team)
5.  Kansas

Top 5 Team Problems results:
1.  North Carolina
2.  Minnesota (A team)
3.  Mid-Atlantic Quarter Horse Association
4.  Empire State Quarter Horse Association
5.  Minnesota (B team)

Top 10 Individual Overall Results:
1.  Shannon Smith, Kansas
2.  Diane Royalty, North Carolina
3.  Rebecca Bishopric, North Carolina
4.  Leah Sigmon, North Carolina
5.  Laura Bradley, Mid-Atlantic Quarter Horse Assn
6.  Eliza Farrell, Illinois
7.  Rachel Talent, Kentucky
8.  Catherine Von Hagn, Empire State Quarter Horse Assn
9.  Shannon Wakefield, Minnesota (B team)
10. KatieNiemeyer, Minnesota (A team)

Individual Overall Champion, Shannon Smith

Top 5 Team Overall Results:
1.  North Carolina
2.  Kansas
3.  Mid-Atlantic Quarter Horse Association
4.  Empire State Quarter Horse Association
5.  Minnesota (B team)

Overall Champion Team, North Carolina