Riding high at state 4-H horse show

GRAND ISLAND — It’s been a long time coming! That’s what her parents said when Rachel Harder won the first-place trophy in the junior division of English hunter under saddle competition at the state 4-H Horse Expo at Fonner Park in Grand Island.

The horse show was held July 9-13. More than 350 youth ages 10-18 from at least 50 counties brought more than 600 head of horses and competed in educational and riding opportunities.

Rachel also competed in showmanship, western pleasure, English equitation, ranch riding and reining, and was in the top 10 in all those classes except ranch riding, her mother said.

Rachel, the daughter of Seth and Lisa Harder, will be an eighth grade student at St. Mary’s Catholic School this fall. The 13-year-old has been riding horses since she was 7 years old and has been competing in 4-H horse shows since she was 8. The Harders also have two sons, Isaac and Sam, the latter of whom has just started riding, but neither of them has the passion for horses that Rachel has, her mother said.

Rachel’s horse is an 11-year-old horse named Dandy Lil Zipper, which the family calls Daisy. She is a member of the Knox County Riders, a group of young riders that gets together to practice for competitions. In addition, she has a trainer, Josie Bonner with Bonner Performances Horses in Norfolk.

Rachel explained that she practices six days a week, weather permitting, for one to three hours per day.

In order to qualify for the state 4-H horse show, members have to compete in one of the district shows held throughout Nebraska in June and receive a blue or higher ribbon. Rachel qualified by competing at the show in Albion.

Rachel commented, “I look forward to showing at the state 4-H horse show every year. It was really awesome winning at state with my horse. It was really exciting! I’m looking forward to doing it again. Hopefully we can do it next year.

“It’s really competitive showing at that level,” Rachel continued. “There are a lot of good riders and good horses, so it was really surprising and awesome to win it with Daisy. The state 4-H show is a great experience every year. I want to thank my family and my horse for doing this, because I couldn’t do it without them, and my trainer, Josie Bonner.”

When she had gotten purple ribbons in the other classes at state and was about to compete in the last one — English hunter under saddle, dad Seth said he had commented, “Wouldn’t it be great if she got the trophy? And she did!”

Rachel plans to compete in both the Knox County Fair 4-H Horse Show and the Wausa Horse Show, both in August.