URBANA, Ill. — Illinois 4-H youth from across the state demonstrated their knowledge, communication skills, and passion for the equine industry during the 2026 State 4-H Horse Bowl, Hippology, and Horse Speaking contests, held April 13 on the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign campus. These contests highlight the depth of learning in 4-H horse programs, where youth build skills in animal science, critical thinking, and public speaking.
In the State 4-H Horse Speaking Contest, youth competed in multiple divisions focused on public speaking and presentations. In the senior formal speech division, Emma Steiger of Rock Island County earned first place, followed by Rylan Holman of Knox County in second and Lexi Merriman of DeWitt County in third.
In senior individual presentations, Ruth O’Brien of Rock Island County placed first, with Izzy Barnas of Kankakee County second and Stephanie Niesen of DeWitt County third. In junior interpretive reading, Kayin Hampton of Jefferson County placed first, followed by Harper Allen of Champaign County and Johnny Sparrow of Warren County. Other top finishers represented Mercer County, Carroll County, and Ogle County. In junior extemporaneous speaking, Abby Johnson of Knox County earned first place, followed by Blair Burns of Mercer County and Kayin Hampton of Jefferson County. In senior interpretive reading, Jenna Green of Kendall County earned first place, followed by Ruth O’Brien of Rock Island County and Annelise Veeder of Kendall County.
In the State 4-H Horse Bowl Contest, youth competed in quiz bowl-style rounds testing their equine knowledge. In the junior division team competition, Mercer County placed first, followed by Carroll/Whiteside Counties in second and Knox/Warren/Stephenson Counties in third, with additional top teams from Champaign/Pike/Iroquois Counties and Kendall County. Individually in the junior division, Jocelyn Erickson of Mercer County earned first place, followed by Devin Burrs of Carroll County and Abigail Johnson of Knox County, with additional top finishers from Champaign County, Warren County, and Kendall County. In the senior division team competition, Kendall County earned first place, followed by Knox County and DeWitt/Livingston Counties. Individually, Emily Conlee of Knox County placed first, followed by Stephanie Niesen of DeWitt County and Annelise Veeder of Kendall County, with additional top finishers from Kendall County and Livingston County.
In the State 4-H Hippology Contest, youth demonstrated comprehensive knowledge of horse science through exams, stations, judging, and problem-solving. In the junior division, McKenzie Merboth of Carroll County earned first place, followed by Kenzie Hongsermeier of Ogle County and Chloe Modaff of Kendall County. Additional top finishers represented Mercer County, Ogle County, DuPage County, Tazewell County, and Jackson County. In the intermediate division, Devin Burrs of Carroll County placed first, followed by Audree Rehberg of Boone County and Lillian Elsea of DeWitt County, with additional top finishers from Knox County, Ogle County, Kendall County, and Warren County. In the senior division, Gracie Walker of Hamilton County earned first place, followed by Stephanie Niesen of DeWitt County and Emily Conlee of Knox County, with additional top finishers from Rock Island County, Kendall County, Tazewell County, and Pike County.
About Illinois 4-H:
Illinois 4-H is the flagship youth development program of University of Illinois Extension, administered through the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences. Through hands-on learning and life-changing experiences, Illinois 4-H prepares youth to be Beyond Ready — ready for college, career, military service, entrepreneurship, and more. Young people build confidence, leadership, and resilience as they explore interests from agriculture to computer science. Independent research and national surveys confirm the powerful outcomes of 4-H: participants are 40% more likely to pursue a college degree, twice as likely to obtain technical training, and two times more likely to serve in the military. With a legacy of cultivating leaders, Illinois 4-H continues to grow the next generation who are equipped to thrive in life and work today and beyond.
University of Illinois Extension develops educational programs, extends knowledge, and builds partnerships to support people, communities, and their environments as part of the state's land-grant institution. Extension serves as the leading public outreach effort for University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences in all 102 Illinois counties through a network of 27 multi-county units and over 500 staff statewide. Extension’s mission is responsive to eight strategic priorities — community, economy, environment, food and agriculture, health, partnerships, technology and discovery, and workforce excellence — that are served through five program areas — 4-H youth development, agriculture and agribusiness, community and economic development, health and community wellness, and natural resources, environment, and energy.