It's A New Year!

These past couple months have been very busy. I'm November I competed at the Eastern National 4-H Round-Up on South Carolina's horse bowl team. We placed 6th overall. The team was very proud of our hard work.

In December I traveled to Myrtle Beach to compete in the SC Farm Bureau Youth Ambassador scholarship competition.  I was very shocked when I was awarded the scholarship in the amount of $2,000. I will represent the state along with the male recipient of the scholarship.  I am very excited to see what this opportunity has in store for me.

The past week I received my acceptance letter to Clemson  University. I plan to attend in the Fall semester majoring in Agriculture Business.

It's January now which means I am preparing the breed my dairy heifer in the coming month.

I am very excited to see what is ahead of me in the upcoming year!

Show Season

This show season is going very well for Peaches and I.  We have been to about 3 shows and have placed well in every class.  Peaches has grown in to a great cow that has placed in the top two of every show so far.  Our next show will be at the South Carolina State Fair.  I will also be showing horses at the fair the weekend after the cow show.  I'm working hard to keep my animals show ready.

Aside from showing, I am preparing to attend the Eastern National 4-H Horse Round-Up on South Carolina's horse bowl team.  Hopefully the teams hard work will pay off in Kentucky.

Summer Is Coming To An End Quickly

This summer is quickly coming to an end.  Regionals was a great experience and I am very proud of my horse.  We rode our best dressage test yet and had the fastest barrel time out of the South Carolina delegates. The team I competed on in horse bowl placed ninth overall and the horse judging team was 6th overall.  I have qualified to compete at the Eastern National 4-H Horse Round Up in Louisville, Kentucky in November in the horse bowl competition.

I have my first dairy show with Peaches in about a month so we are really working on our show skills.  I'm very excited about what this project has in store for us.

I am also a member of the Twin Farm Interscholastic Equestrian Association (IEA) Team.  Our season is about to get underway and I'm very happy to be part of such a great time.  I hope we make it very far in the competitions.

This coming weekend I will start the High School Rodeo season and compete in several different events.

Senior year is almost here and I know it'll be gone before I know it and I can't wait to see all the adventures it has inspire for me.

Busy Busy Busy

This past week I attended South Carolina State 4-H Congress.  I had a great time catching up with friends that I have made through 4-H.  I served on the State 4-H Teen Council who planned this event and I was very proud to see how well it all I went.  I participated in the shooting sports track and got to shoot at the private Clemson University facility.  Also while I was there, I was elected President of the 2013-2014 State 4-H Teen Council. I am very excited to see what this council has i store for 4-H.

This week I am preparing to leave for the Southern Regional 4-H Horse Show Championship.  I will be competing in Dressage and three speed events on my big, bay horse, Docs Twisted Eagle.  Even though its a long haul out there, I am very excited.  Other than showing ,y horse I will be competing in horse bowl and horse judging contests.  Horse judging has helped me in showing because it shows me what I need to work towards while I'm showing.  Horse bowl has expanded my knowledge on horses and the equine industry.  We have some great times going to compete in education contests and some fantastic riders going to show out there. I can't wait to see how South Carolina does.

This summer has been extremely busy with all my livestock projects and other 4-H activities but it has been a blast and I have enjoyed it so much.

This past week the South Carolina state 4-H horse show wrapped up in Clemson, SC. I qualified to go to the Southern Regional 4-H horse championship show in West Monroe, LA in dressage.  This show will be at the end of July.  I was very proud of this accomplishment. Also this past Saturday I went and picked up my project goat for the 2013 meat goat project. I drew a 43 lb. goat from a local producer. My cow is doing well also and we are looking forward to our first show.

A little about Ashley!

Short Bio about Ashley: 

I have been riding horses all my life.  I started running barrels when I was 7 and it evolved from there.  I now show western pleasure, hunter under saddle, jumping, dressage, and still run several speed events.  I became involved I'm the meat goat project through 4-H.  This will be my fifth year showing goats.
Dairy cows are my latest adventure.  I decided to give it a try during my last year in 4-H.  I drew a red Holstein named Peaches at the project kick-off.  Showing Livestock has helped me learn many skills and has made me who I am today.


Ashley's favorite thing about showing livestock:


My favorite part of showing livestock would be all the friends I have made all over the state of South Carolina.  I have so many crazy stories and memories from all the different shows that I will never forget.  From the long hauls half way across the country to local shows, showing livestock wouldn't be the same without my best friends in the ring with me.


Ashley's biggest accomplishments showing livestock: 


I would say that my biggest accomplishment in showing livestock would be qualifying for the Southern Regional 4-H Horse Championship show on my newest show horse, Docs Twisted Eagle.It's a big accomplishment because we had only showed dressage at one other show and I never expected us to qualify
in the dressage division.  I was very proud of how he rode during the test and the compliments that the judge gave us were very encouraging.