Courtesy photo
The 2022 Virginia State 4-H Championship Horse and Pony Show was held in Lexington at the Virginia Horse Center Sept. 8-11.
The statewide horse show hosts over 500 youth from across the commonwealth who compete in a wide variety of contests, as well as the State Championship Horse and Pony Show.
Lina Prillaman, a 2021 graduate of Salem High School and currently a sophomore at Emory and Henry College, represented the Roanoke Valley in her last year competing in 4-H. Six 4-H youth representing Roanoke County competed at the 2022 Virginia State 4-H Championship Horse and Pony Show.
Prillaman qualified for the Saturday evening Dressage Equitation Classic by placing in the top 10. Prillaman rode Casanova, a Trakehner/ Draft cross owned by 4-H Leader Tammy Nichols, of Bedford County. Out of over 40 riders competing in this division, Prillaman won first place in the championship equitation class.
The State 4-H Horse Show is self-funded through entry fees, donations by friends of the State 4-H Horse Program and corporate sponsors such as the Virginia Horse Industry Board. Youth had the opportunity to secure sponsorships through the Horse Show Hero program. Local individuals, business and organizations that sponsored the show included: Dr. Nelson and Mrs. Brenda Greene, Whitney Eversole, Heather Ellett, Punch Boutique, Southwest Virginia Dressage Association and The Roanoke Valley Horsemen’s Association.
The Virginia State 4-H Championship Horse and Pony Show is in its 61st year and draws in over 2,000 youth, parents and volunteers from across the state. The show is 99% run by volunteers, most of who grew up in the program and continue to give back.
-Submitted by Leslie Prillaman
