Ranch Riding and Western Pleasure Skills Clinic

Announcing a very special opportunity coming up on Saturday, July 13, 2013! Sign up now to participate and learn about becoming versatile in both Ranch Riding and Western Pleasure skills in a one-day clinic.  We have two outstanding clinicians, Richard Toms and Greg Ralph, dedicated and excited to teach our 4-Hers about the versatility of both Ranch Riding and Western Pleasure disciplines. Prepare for the upcoming NEW Ranch Riding division at the State Fair 4-H Horse Show (Oct. 5, 2013) and for the State 4-H Championship Show Western Pleasure & Horsemanship classes (Sept. 12-15, 2013).  Please Note:  We are limiting this clinic to 16 riders so register early! Hosted by Greg Ralph Quarter Horses (indoor arena in Catlett, VA) & the Nokesville 4-H Club.

Cost: $50 per rider  - includes both sessions of a lesson on Ranch Riding and Western Pleasure (plus more!) 

Pre-Registration Required, Due by June 15, 2013
For More Information Contact:
Sandy Arnold
preferred contact by email: 4arnolds@gmail.com
703-201-4322 (mobile phone)
Or Visit the Northern District Horse Council Website: https://sites.google.com/site/northerndistva4hhorse/contests/county-contests--clinics--shows

Public Health Conference for High School Juniors and Seniors

Opportunity for students that are rising high school juniors and seniors and have an interest in learning more about careers in the field of public health!  The "Let's Talk Public Health" Conference will be held in Blacksburg on the Virginia Tech Campus July 25-28.  The conference is meant to introduce rising juniors and seniors to educational and career opportunities in the field of public health. Through the conference, participants will have the opportunity to learn from public health professionals and gain hands-on experience with public health related activities. Some of the topics that will be covered include obesity, social determinants of health, bioterrorism and emerging infectious diseases. Transportation and Scholarships are also available!
For more information or to apply, check out the Facebook Page or Let's Talk Public Health summer conference website.  This website also has the application form needed. The deadline for applying is June 3! 
 

Livestock Judging Team State Contest

Members of the Livestock Judging Team- we have scheduled practices for the following dates:

Saturday, June 8^th, 8:30 a.m. at Glenmary Farm

Tuesday, June 11^th, 4;00 p.m. location TBD

Tuesday, June 25, practice evening before in Blacksburg

Contest:               Wednesday, June 26

If you are planning on competing on the team for this contest, you MUST let us know by THIS FRIDAY, MAY 31st.  

Fair Entries are Live!

Fair entries are ready to go!  All entries must be entered into the system no later than June 14 at 5 p.m.  Late registrations are subject to a $10 per head late fee.

Beef
Sheep
Pigs
Goats
Cloverbuds
Dairy

If you have questions or need help, please contact Kaci or Sarah at the extension office.

2013 Virginia Lamb and Goat Symposium

Opportunity for youth lamb and goat exhibitors!  The 2013 Lamb and Goat Symposium will be held on June 29 at the Alphin-Stuart Arena on the Virginia Tech Campus in Blacksburg.  There will be a sheep and goat skillathon, lamb and goat quality assurance program, lamb and goat showmanship and then a lamb and goat show.  Exhibitors may choose to show market goats, market lambs, commercial ewes, and commercial does.  Entries are accepted online only at www.ext.vt.edu/youthlivestock, and must be in by June 17.
For more information, the packet with rules and guidelines is located in the OC 4-H Document Library.

State Fair of Virginia Youth Livestock Show Update

The State Youth Livestock Show will be returning to the State Fair of Virginia in Doswell this year.  To show livestock, they must be nominated at specific sites and dates beforehand.  The entire list of nomination sites is located on the Orange 4-H Document Library under the "Blog Post Follow Up" section.
Here are the updates from Dr. Paige Pratt:

Updates for 2013

1)      Dates: – All beef, sheep, swine and meat goats will show October 4-6; the second weekend of the State Fair

2)      All market lambs/commercial ewes, market goats/commercial does, and market beef/commercial heifers must be nominated using the mid-late June nomination sites and all market hogs/commercial gilts must be nominated using the late July and early August nomination sites

3)      A $5 per head nomination fee will be collected when animals are nominated at a nomination site; an additional $5 per head entry fee will be required when animals are entered online

4)      Entries: All entries for State Fair must be submitted online; entry information will be available in July at www.ext.vt.edu/youthlivestock.  All beef, sheep, swine and meat goats will be required to enter by August 15^th!

5)      Complete details of the show schedules, judges, policies and rules for each species will be posted at the youth livestock homepage (www.ext.vt.edu/youthlivestock). Please check this site for important changes and updates!

Market Lamb/Commercial Ewe, Market Goat/Breeding Doe, and Market Beef/Commercial Heifer Nominations 

Market lambs, commercial ewes, market goats, commercial does, market beef (steers or heifers) and commercial heifers must be nominated and identified at an official site by July 1, 2013 to be eligible for exhibition at the State Fair of Virginia.

NEW for 2013:  All commercial heifers born September 1, 2011 to December 31, 2012 must be nominated at the mid-late June nomination site.  All commercial heifers born after January 1, 2013 are NOT required to be nominated.  All feeder steers are NOT required to be nominated.  Any commercial heifer not nominated will not be ineligible for the supreme breeding heifer scholarships.  All exhibitors are still eligible for the premier exhibitor scholarships.

Market Hog/Commercial Gilt Nominations 

Market hogs and commercial gilts must be nominated and identified at an official site by August 15, 2013 to be eligible for exhibition at the State Fair of Virginia. 

Upcoming Market Lamb and Market Goat Shows

Opportunity for 4-H Youth with market lambs and goats!  There are two upcoming market lamb and market goat shows in the area.
The first one will be on June 15 at the Shenandoah County Fairgrounds in Woodstock, VA.  Entries are due on June 10 to the Shenandoah County 4-H Office.  Entry fees are $12 per head.
The second opportunity is on July 6, sponsored by the Clarke County Volunteer Leaders Association.  This show will take place at the Clarke County Fairgrounds in Berryville, VA.  Entry fees are $15 per head and are due to the Clarke County Extension Office by June 21st.

For more information and entry forms, please contact Kaci or Sarah.

Sheep and Goat Weigh In Reminder

All youth planning to show a market lamb or goat at the fair this summer need to weigh in their project animals TOMORROW between 4-6 p.m.  This will take place in the same location as last year: at the white building to the right of Orange-Madison Coop.

Archery Club Happenings

 The Archery Club helped out on Saturday, May 11, at the Tractor Supply store in Orange for the 4-H/Tractor Supply Paper Clover Campaign.

Then they went to Montpelier that afternoon for the Legislative Trail ride where Virginia legislators and their families were able to participate in archery demonstrations.

Summer Workshops!

The Summer Workshop schedule and brochure is complete!  It has been posted on the Orange County 4-H Website in the Document Library (here).
We have some new additions as well as our super popular workshops this year- an "In the News" workshop where we will travel to Charlottesville to a local TV and radio station to learn about broadcast journalism, a "Camp Millionaire" workshop where we will learn all about money and financial issues for middle schoolers, two recycled art workshops, a wacky science workshop, and the ever popular Cloverbud Camp (which fills up fast!).
Registrations are due by June 7, or 4 weeks before the workshop's date.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us!

TACO Summer Camp- Volunteers and Campers Wanted!

TACO Summer camp is quickly approaching!  This year, camp will be held July 29-August 2 at Elmwood Farm just outside the town of Orange.
Don't know what TACO is? The Therapeutic Adventure Camp of Orange, otherwise known as TACO, is a free annual summer camp for special needs children in Orange County that is completely run by volunteers.  Campers attend for five days from 8:30-noon, learning about horses, riding horses, and participating in arts and crafts.  Sound interesting?  We need volunteers to make camp a success!  Volunteers must be 12 and older (adults are welcome too!), but no prior horse knowledge is necessary.  We need side-walkers (people who walk along the horses and help support the riders), group leaders, horse education assistants, arts and crafts assistants, snack assistants, recreation helpers, and more!  
We also have openings for campers!  Campers must be Orange County residents and have been identified as special needs.
Applications for both volunteers and campers are available on the Orange 4-H Website's Document Library (here) under the TACO folder.  They must be turned in by June 7.
If you have questions, please feel free to contact the extension office.

VT BAJA Car Team Photo

This photo shows the Virginia Teach and South African teams at the BAJA Car competition in Tennessee last weekend.  Bobby Chambers, middle, front row, gray shirt, is an Orange 4-H alum.