Montana 4-H Working Ranch Horse Show Set for Sept. 9 in Vaughn

BOZEMAN — The Montana 4-H Working Ranch Horse Project will hold a competition at 9 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 9, at the 406 Arena, 200 U.S. Hwy 89, in Vaughn. Spectators are welcome.

The Montana 4-H Working Ranch Horse Project teaches youth traditional skills and practices of safe livestock handling and low-stress cattle handling from horseback. Participants use horses for handling, sorting and moving cattle and learn mounted roping skills as a livestock handling tool. They also learn about branding techniques and about housing and care of cattle and horses.

Saturday’s competition is open to any 4-H youth enrolled in the 4-H Working Ranch Horse project (Levels 1-4).  There is no requirement that youth compete at a county level or qualifying show to participate in WRHF. The 4-H youth is required to be enrolled in the same county level as the level entered in at WRHF and be in good standing as a 4-H member. One horse must be used for all classes within the level. Horse must be an approved project horse for the current 4-H year. 

Each competitor will exhibit in 5 classes:  

• Knowledge Test 
• Riding a Pattern 
• Sorting Cattle 
• Roping Heading 
• Roping Heeling 

Colt classes are for horses 5 years old and younger.  

As with all 4-H projects, participating youth are expected to develop the qualities of leadership and responsibility that come with being engaged in 4-H.

Montana 4-H is part of MSU Extension, a statewide educational outreach network housed at Montana State University that applies unbiased, research-based university resources to practical needs identified by Montanans in their home communities. It has offices serving all 56 Montana counties and five Indian reservations in the state.

For questions about the Montana 4-H Working Ranch Horse competition, contact Lisa Jassen at 406-781-3678 or ljassen77@gmail.com.