It’s been a year full of hard work and sweet wins for participants in the Pilot Point 4-H Club.
The program is open to youth in third-12th grades, with a separate program called Clover Kids for kindergarten through second grade.
“The big thing for us is we want to get our kids beyond ready for life,” said County Extension Agent Steven Baringer.
He added that the program offers hands-on learning and real-world experience in STEM, food & nutrition, public speaking, agriculture, livestock, photography and other areas to further develop life skills such as confidence and leadership.
“By the time they graduate high school, they can have several years of experience in the 4-H world, and it just gives them a real sense of understanding and belonging to their communities,” Baringer said.
As the Denton County 4-H year wraps up, he shared some results from this school year.
Wyatt Arnold competed in the Denton County Youth Fair and took home first place in breeding Ewe, second place in Southdown, first place in Dorper and won the Dorper division champion.
He also won the Reserve Grand Champion Tractor Driver Contest.
At the State Fair of Texas, Arnold placed third in the Southdown class and 20th in the Medium Wool at the Houston Livestock Show.
Avery Hamil received Reserve Champion for her cherry pie, Grand Champion for her animal drawing and first for her plush toy at the Denton County Youth Fair.
At the North Texas Fair and Rodeo, she placed first for cupcakes, second in cabin drawing, quick bread, Staghorn and Salvia plants, and her jellyfish plush toy.
Hailey Hamil placed first for her crochet horse, strawberry cheesecake truffles and Delta Light Plant. She finished second for her drawing, her strawberry-lemon blondies and her Aglaonema Plant at the Denton County Youth Fair.
Hailey also received first place for her apple fries at the 4-H Show, and at the North Texas Fair and Rodeo, she took home first place for a crayon drawing, a crochet sweater and a crochet lap blanket, and won reserve Grand Champion for mints.
Katelyn Hamil competed in the Denton County Youth Fair, placing first in cabin drawing, first in cookies and second in sticky rolls.
She also received first and second place for her lavender and four-nerve daisy plants and second place for her loaded fries in the 4-H Food Show competition.
In the North Texas Fair and Rodeo, she placed first for her chocolate chip brownies, second place for drawing on black paper and third place for a wreath.
Adisyn Johnson competed at the Denton County Youth Fair and won Reserve Breed Champion for her dark dross market swine, Breed Champion for her Hampshire market swine and Reserve Champion in livestock skillathon.
At the Houston Livestock Show, she placed second in lightweight cross barrow and eighth place in Heavyweight Hampshire Market Barrow at the San Antonio Livestock Show.
Adisyn also placed first in the District IV Senior Livestock Quiz Bowl Team, first in the District IV Senior Livestock Judging Team and fifth Overall Individual in District IV Senior Livestock Judging.
Karsyn Johnson also competed in the Denton County Youth Fair and received Reserve Grand Champion Market Swine, Breed Champion in Poland Market Swine, Grand Champion in Livestock Skillathon and second place in Senior Showmanship in Market Swine.
She placed first in the District IV Senior Livestock Judging Team and District IV Senior Livestock Quiz Bowl Team and third Overall Individual in the District IV Senior Livestock Judging.
Karsyn placed third in Poland gilt at the San Antonio Stock Show and second place in Mediumweight Hampshire at the Fort Worth Stock Show.
Both Adisyn and her twin sister Karsyn are national and state 4-H Congress delegates and scholarship recipients from Heart O’ Texas Fair & Rodeo Scholarship, Friends of Pilot Point FFA & 4-H, the Blue Ribbon Club and recently received Texas 4-H Opportunity Scholarships sponsored by the Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo for $20,000 each.
“When I found out both me and my sister were chosen for a scholarship, it felt like a true blessing, and just being able to have the 4-H program invest in my future just showed the dedication they had to the youth of our youth of tomorrow,” Adisyn said.
Baringer shared that more than 500 people applied, over 200 students made it to the interview round, and fewer than 20 were awarded the Texas 4-H Opportunity Scholarship.
“Honestly, it was just an honor to have that opportunity to even apply for the scholarship,” Karsyn said. “It was a reflection of all the hard work and dedication that the Texas 4-H program puts into the youth, and honestly, it’s just been a great opportunity to be part of the program and see how well they are at building leaders of tomorrow.”
After graduation, they will both pursue degrees in agricultural communications at Texas Tech University.
Elliott Johnson took home first in Market Lamb at the Denton County Youth Fair and fourth at the San Antonio Stock Show.
Mia Mack had a successful run at the North Texas Fair and Rodeo, receiving two Grand Champions for her Chess Pie and Texas Turtle Sheet Cake along with two Reserve Grand Champion titles for Best Ever Chocolate Cake and Pecan Bar.
She placed first for her brownies, peanut brittle and fudge, third for her drop cookies and fourth for her chocolate chip cookies.
In the 4-H Food Show, she placed first in the county for her Mediterranean Black lentil salad, and in the District IV Food Show, she was also the District Jacket Winner.
In the Denton County Youth Fair, she had eight food entries, four horticulture entries, and two arts and crafts entries.
Rounding off the list is Chloe Pels, who placed fourth and fifth in the Medium Wool Market Lamb competition at the Denton County Youth Fair.
