Nebraska 4-H Profile: Annie Cleveland

By Noel Ochoa, Veterinary Technology Student, Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture

Western Nebraska is home to many great attractions, such as Lake McConaughy, the Scotts Bluff National Monument, and Chadron State College. In the middle of all these is the western Nebraska town of Keystone, home to Annie Cleveland, a Nebraska 4-H member with a great passion for horses.

Cleveland has been in 4-H four years. She is currently a sixth grade student at Ogallala Middle School. She is involved in club volleyball, basketball and junior high rodeo. She loves spending extra time with her family and friends.

Cleveland’s family lives on some acreage in Keystone and owns between 25-30 horses. All of the horses are American Quarter Horses except for her brother’s horse. He has a true mustang that they got from a reservation.

Annie Cleveland / Photo by Deb Cleveland

In 4-H shows, Cleveland participates in halter, western pleasure, horsemanship, barrels, poles, and trail. Most of the training for the horses is done by Cleveland and her family. Recently, they sent one horse for training for rodeo events. Cleveland’s father has over thirty years of experience working with horses, training and breaking them for others and himself.

With her father always having been around horses and her mother formerly being very active in the rodeoing community, Cleveland was destined to live with her passion for horses. Her mother helps her with her goat tying and her father coaches her for barrels.

In 2008 she won the Keith County Fair’s Horse Show in the halter class. In 2008 she also won Grand Champion Gelding with her 5-year-old American Quarter Horse named Cajun. In 2010 Cajun suffered a stifle injury, causing Cleveland to have to use two of her other horses, Gator and Mose.

Horsemanship at the Keith Co. Fair, 2009, Annie is riding Cajun. / Photo by Deb Cleveland

Cleveland said she loves working with horses so much simply because of how much fun it is. She stated, “It is my favorite thing in the world to do!” She is one of the few people in her school that lives on a ranch and gets to work with horses. To the surprise of many, Cleveland would rather spend time at a vet clinic than going shopping. Regardless, she does love shopping “dearly.”

In the future, she would like to be either a veterinarian or physical therapist. Lately, she said she is leaning more towards the veterinarian path. She said she is very fortunate in that she is very good friends with her local vet, Dr. Ron Moorhead. This has allowed her to spend time in the clinic, observe many activities and procedures, which she has enjoyed and learned from very much.

Annie Cleveland at the Broken Bow Jr. High Rodeo, October 2010, goat tying on her horse. / Photo by Deb Cleveland

Being involved in junior high rodeo, Cleveland participates in barrels, poles, goat tying and ribbon roping. Her ribbon roping partner is her brother, Brody Cleveland. Throughout the summer many friends and family members join the Clevelands in their arena to rope, socialize, and practice 4-H. Cleveland said she thanks Julie Glinn, Keystone 4-H leader, for making her 4-H year very successful and fun. She also is very thankful to her parents, who help her make her dreams come true.

Cleveland’s hard work and dedication are a prime example of a 4-H member’s passion for agriculture, success and, most of all, horses.

Annie Cleveland and a frield at the Curtis, Junior High Rodeo, October 2010. / Photo by Deb Cleveland

Nebraska 4-H Profile: Courtney Kral

By Noel Ochoa, Veterinary Technology Student, Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture

Courtney Kral excels in speed events. Photos by Jeannie Kral

Horses come into peoples’ lives through many ways and for a variety of reasons. For Courtney Kral of Roseland, Neb., this passion was introduced by her Aunt Joni. Her passion for horses all started when Aunt Joni bought Kral her first pony.

Kral has been a 4-H member since she was in third grade and 8 years old. She graduated from Silver Lake High School in 2009 and is currently a second year Vet Tech student at the Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture in Curtis, Nebraska. In high school, she played basketball her freshman year and also did High School Rodeo (HSR) from her sophomore through senior year. During her junior and senior year, she went to state for HSR.

In 4-H, Kral competes in all events available, ranging from halter her junior and senior high school years to speed events  this very day. She has four of sixteen horses owned by her family, all Quarter horses, except for one Paint. Most of her horses had riding experience before she bought them. After she buys them, she furthers their training and practice in the area in which they are confident and naturally suited. Kral doesn’t usually do too much traveling for horse shows but in the past has traveled every weekend in the fall and spring to rodeos for HSR.

Kral has competed in a few open shows but other than the Webster County 4-H show, she only does speed events. At the Webster County 4-H show, she won Performance All Around and Reserve Champion Speed her junior year and got to compete in the Round Robin Competition her sophomore and junior years of high school.

When asked what is her favorite thing about working with horses, Kral stated: “When your hard work pays off and you win.” She plans to finish her Vet Tech degree at NCTA and work at a mixed animal practice. Most importantly, she plans to continue riding and rodeoing as long as she possibly can.

Courtney is correct when she says working with horses is hard work. It takes a lot of time, patience, money and dedication. With this passion having been instilled in her so young, Kral has grown up loving horses and developing
the qualities a good 4-H member, horse rider and show person must possess in order to succeed.

2011 Miss Rodeo Nebraska Pageant

By Noel Ochoa, Veterinary Technology Student, Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture

With queens and cowgirls as far as the eye could see, the Quality Inn and Suites of North Platte, Neb., was full of excitement and glamour as the 2011 Miss Rodeo Nebraska Pageant was about to begin.

The coronation of the new Miss Rodeo Nebraska, Becky Grimm, with the current Miss Rodeo Nebraska, Miss Rodeo America, the Agri Affiliates sponsor, and the current Miss Teen Rodeo Nebraska.

To overlook the significance of the Miss Rodeo Nebraska title would be a mistake. The reigning queen acts as an ambassador for the state and the sport of rodeo. But before she can wear the chaps, travel throughout the state and country and strut the ever so coveted crown, an aspiring queen must compete for this grand honor at the annual Miss Rodeo Nebraska Pageant held during Nebraskaland Days in North Platte.

This year there were four contestants in the competition for the MRN title: Erika Backes of Bushnell, Tamera Moorhead of Ogallala, Amanda Pflasterer of Grand Island, and Becky Grimm of Harrison. These young ladies completed applications, submitted photos, and underwent preparations for the many events and tasks they’d have to perform in competition. Each contestant also met certain requirements to enter the competition. Each Miss Rodeo Nebraska contestant must be between the ages of nineteen and twenty-six when entering the pageant in order to compete in the Miss Rodeo America Pageant, which comes with being Miss Rodeo Nebraska; must never have married, never have been pregnant or given birth to a child, and she must never have been charged and/or determined to have committed any crime of moral turpitude; nor can she have had any other title removed for any reason. In addition, contestants must agree that if they do become Miss Rodeo Nebraska, they may not get married during their reign.

The new Miss Rodeo Nebraska is decided by three impartial judges that award points to each contestant in the many events that take place, including giving a speech, photogenics, a written test, appearance, personality, congeniality and horsemanship. Before the pageant began on the evening of June 16, I asked the contestants a few questions. Their confidence and enthusiasm demonstrated to me and everyone around them how passionate they were about rodeo and representing it.

When asked what the most stressful part of the competition was, Erika Backes stated, “it is worse than college finals,” as she smiled and giggled with the rest of the girls. Amanda Pflasterers’ response was, “the preparation and studying for the questions, since they can be about anything from the Second Amendment to current issues like the oil spill and President Obama.” When asked what the most exciting part of the whole competition was, Tamera Moorhead answered for all the girls with one word, “Horsemanship!”

Read the rest of the story in the August issue of Saddle Up Nebraska. To subscribe call 1-800-888-1380. Only $15 for a year subscription!

Toxic weeds of Nebraska: spurges

By: Greg Kruger and Steve Young, University of Nebraska-Lincoln West Central Research and Extension Center

Toxic weeds should be a concern for anybody who cares for horses. Toxicity can vary between weed species and environmental conditions. The best way to ensure that your animal is not exposed to toxic weeds is to manage the weeds in a timely fashion. Some strategies for managing toxic weeds in pastures would include the use of herbicides, timely mowing and heavy seeding of desired plant species. In order to prevent animals from being poisoned by toxic weeds, it is critical to know and identify those species and when and how they are toxic.
In this issue we are going to focus on the spurges. Leafy spurge and spotted spurge are the two most common spurge species in Nebraska. However, ground spurge, thyme-leaved spurge, ridgeseed spurge, toothed spurge and prostrate spurge can also be found in some areas of Nebraska. Spurges can grow prostrate or erect depending on the species and are commonly identified by their milkey sap which is a characteristic that all spurges have.

Top right: Spurge spreading through a field. Photo by Stevan Knezevic. Bottom left: Close-up of spurge. Photo by Lowell Sandell.

Spurges produce diterpenoids, a chemical compound, which at high doses can cause weakness and digestive irritation. While spurges are toxic to horses and cattle, one method for control of spurge is grazing by sheep and goats which are tolerant to the toxicity. In grass pastures, the use of 2,4-D or dicamba (Banvel, Clarity, etc.) can be used to control spurge infestations.
Additionally, in small patches the use of glyphosate (Roundup, etc.) can control spurge; however, any plants which are sprayed with glyphosate will also be killed. Also, overseeding grasses in infested areas will aid in the management of spurges.
Regular mowing (every 2-4 weeks) can be used to limit seed production. Of course for the motivated individual, manually pulling the weeds will also work. The method of management for spurge infestation is not nearly as important as the actual management because of the possibility for toxicity that exists from having too much spurge in the diet.

Nebraska 4-H Profile

By Noel Ochoa, Veterinary Technology Student, Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture

In today’s fast-paced society, it can be difficult to attend college, train horses, participate in sports, and compete in fairs and shows. And yet, Holly Bishop of Beatrice, Neb., has managed to do all of that. Having been around horses while growing up, Bishop has continued with her passion for horses, working them all the way to college with great plans for the future.
Bishop graduated from Beatrice High School and is a freshman at Hastings College majoring in biology as part of her pre-vet studies. Last fall, she was also a part of the Hastings College rodeo team, competing as a barrel racer. Aside from her horses and rodeos, Bishop is also on the track and field team. While at the moment she is unemployed, Bishop has spent past summers working for neighbors carrying out such duties as cleaning stalls, halter breaking foals, and riding some older horses. This upcoming summer she is planning on partnering up with someone and training barrel horses.
Having been around horses her whole life, Bishop has been in 4-H for 11 years. In 4-H, she shows dairy cattle and works with quarter horses. Both of these animals are taken to county fair, state fair, and Ak-Sar-Ben by Bishop and her family. With the horses, Bishop participates in poles, barrels, and working ranch. Occasionally, she’ll do some western riding or trail classes, just to give her horses a bit of change in routine. The Bishop family has 11 horses currently. Holly owns four of them. She owns Cuervo, a two-year-old gelding, two five-year-old mares, Sandee and Lena, and a ten-year-old mare she calls Peppy.
Bishop does all the training needed in preparation for competitions with her horses. “It takes time,” she said, “but it means a lot more after you make a great run when you’ve done all the work yourself.” She broke and trained Sandee and is planning on breaking Cuervo this summer. Peppy, who she has had for about two years, was a cattle working horse until Holly trained her for barrels and poles. Lena is the newest addition to the group and has just recently started working on the barrel pattern.
For the last two summers Peppy and Bishop have qualified for state in both poles and barrels. At the 2009 Gage County Fair they won the Grand Champion Senior Barrel Racing and the Reserve Grand Champion Senior Pole Bending. In September, they attended Ak-Sar-Ben and won the Senior Pole Bending and got third in the barrel racing. Bishop considers herself lucky to have a horse like Peppy and hopes to keep improving their times. Bishop also competed on the Gage County Horse Judging team and won at the Nebraska State 4-H Horse Expo in July. They got the chance to go to the National Western Stock Show in Denver for judging in January. The other members of the team were Erin Dorn and Jared Pinkerton.
Bishop’s passion for horses has led her to say that she can’t imagine going on after college without horses in her life. She would like to continue barrel racing and go on to raise some foals of her own. Her favorite part about working with horses is how easy they are to bond to. “Once they trust you and you have an understanding between each other, they will do about anything for you. There’s really no other feeling to compare it to.” In order to be able to succeed at college, sports, barrel race, and train horses, one must have a great level of dedication and an unwavering passion for horses. Bishop is a Nebraska 4-H’er who has demonstrated that there really is nothing in life that can take you from what you love as long as you work for it. With the dedication and passion for horses Bishop has, it will take a lot more than a fast-paced society to slow her and her horses down.

Nebraska 4-H Profile

By Noel Ochoa, Student, Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture

Mikensie Wright of Broken Bow, Neb., is a proud member of her local 4-H organization. Mikensie, who is sixteen, has participated in 4-H activities for seven years and has had the opportunity to participate in many projects, including sewing, cooking, photography, BB gun and air pistol shooting with her brother, though her main interest lies in working with horses.
In 2009 Mikensie made it into the top fifteen at state for horsemanship. She has done very well at county fair, placing second and third in different categories.
Mikensie is involved in 4-H with her twin brother and her mom, who is the organization leader in Broken Bow. Mikensie also works at the local floral shop, and is very involved at Broken Bow High School. She is in the band, art club, speech team, and FFA. Horses have been a part of Mikensie’s life since she was very young. “My cousins had horses and I would always go over and ride them,” she says.
In the summer of 2009, Mikensie attended about eight shows in various places. On the ground, she does haltering and showmanship. While on the horse, she does western pleasure and horsemanship. Mikensie says these events cause her the most stress and pressure because the judges’ attention is focused on her the whole time.
Mikensie has two horses that she uses for events, Woody and Sunny. She also has an upcoming project named Roxy. Although Roxy is four years old, Mikensie plans on using her for her next 4-H project and training her for shows and events. In addition to showing, Mikensie has done barrels, poles, and goat tying. For these events, she uses Woody, a bay. She uses Sunny for pleasure and horsemanship.
Despite having begun her horse career fairly young, Mikensie has done all the training and getting ready herself, except for some help from past 4-H’ers and local friends. From busy nights with homework to working at the flower shop after school, she is very well rounded. Enthusiastic about the future, she plans to better herself and her horses and to continue winning many more awards.