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Walton County
UGA Extension Office

Judging and Team Events

Wildlife Habitat Evaluation Project (W.H.E.P.)

WHEP is a 4-H and FFA youth natural resource program dedicated to teaching wildlife and fisheries habitat management to junior and senior level (ages 9-19) youth in the United States.

The WHEP is a hands-on environmental education program. WHEP also provides participants an opportunity to test their wildlife knowledge in a friendly competition, as each state supporting WHEP conducts an annual contest where teams of 3-4 similarly aged individuals gather. The winning senior (14-19 years of age) WHEP team from each state earns the right to attend the annual National WHEP Contest, typically held the last full week of July. The national contest moves to a different state each year.

Junior and Senior Teams practice and compete during the fall season.


 Poultry Judging

The Poultry Judging Contest is a 4-H program which develops self-motivation, self-esteem and responsibility. Students have the opportunity to strengthen their communication and leadership skills in an environment which allows contribution to group effort; encourages teamwork and promotes acceptance of differences. Cloverleaf, Junior and Senior 4-H members are eligible to compete in Poultry Judging; Cloverleaf 4-H’ers who are at least nine years old may compete in the Junior division. During the contest, participants judge both live specimens and market poultry, identify parts of birds already prepared for market, and evaluate eggs as to their quality and readiness for market. After judging past production participants are asked to justify their placing decisions through a set of oral reasons. Participants compare their opinion of an animal against the ideal as specified by industry experts, and learn organizational skills as they compose their thoughts into a cohesive set of reasons justifying their decisions.

Poultry Judging season is from late February to the end of April.


Horse Judging  

Each spring, the State 4-H Horse Judging contest is held in Athens, Georgia at the UGA Instructional Arena. This contest is open to 4-H'ers from all over Georgia ages 9-19. County teams of up to twenty members compete against one another.

Contestants judge eight classes, four conformation and four performance classes. In addition, they give 2-4 sets of reasons to justify their placings and explain their decisions. 4-H'ers not only learn the basics of judging and placing horses, they also learn the valuable life skills of decision making, critical thinking, organization, teamwork, competition, public speaking, and self confidence.

Hippology

Simply put Hippology is the study of Horses. 4-H'ers test their knowledge and practical application of equine skills   through a written test, a skill station, a judging competition and a team problems component in which team members’ work together to solve a specific issue as it relates to equine management. Participants must work with three or four team members in this equine event. The Hippology Contest is held in conjunction with the state horse judging contest in the spring at the UGA Instructional Arena.

Horse Quiz Bowl

The Georgia 4-H Horse Quiz Bowl is held each January, and this year we will hold one state contest at Atha Road Elementary School in Walton County. Teams of either four or five members from one county compete in a game show type format and answer questions related to equine subject matter. Play consists of double elimination tournament style matches where two teams compete at a time. A county can bring up to two senior and two junior teams to the area contest. Cloverleaf, Junior and Senior 4-H members are eligible to compete in Horse Quiz Bowl. Cloverleaf will compete in the Junior division, and these 4-H’ers members must not have completed the 8th grade as of January 1 of the current year. Seniors must be attending the ninth grade or above and must not have passed their 19th birthday as of January 1 of the current year. Members of the winning senior division team become master 4-H'ers and go on to compete in national competition.


Cotton Bowl/Consumer Judging

If you love to shop or are interested in knowing how to make the most of your money.....this is the opportunity for you. Cotton Bowl/Consumer Judging teaches 4-H'ers how to observe, compare and make decisions based on facts collected. In the contest, 4-H'ers learn to rank articles or products over others based on standards and quality. They will evaluate consumer items and tell why they think one is better then the other. 4-H'ers create a fun cotton ad.

Consumer Judging takes place in September and October.