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2004 MAINE 4-H QUIZ BOWL TEAM

The first full year of the Maine 4-H Horse Quiz Bowl Team ended with a rewarding trip to the Eastern National 4-H Roundup in Louisville, KY, November 5-7. Thanks to support from the Pine Tree State 4-H Foundation, four excited 4-Hers made the trip after competing in a “warm-up” competition in Keene, NH at the New England Regional Horse Bowl Competition on October 24^th. Congratulations to the 2004 Maine 4-H Quiz Bowl Team members Carolyn Limerick, Shannon Snyder, Jessica Anderson-Morris and Sara Fernald for blazing the trail for future Maine 4-H Quiz Bowl Teams!

This was the first year that Maine 4-H has sent a team to compete in the Horse Bowl competition at the Roundup in Kentucky, and only the second time a Quiz Bowl team has been to the Regional competition. The National Roundup in Kentucky was a wonderful learning experience and the team and coach gathered numerous ideas of the winning ways of teams that have been attending the competition for many years. What a fantastic program the Roundup is! It was very well planned, executed and delivered in a way that brings all of these youth together in a friendly and exciting competition. Many states were represented from across the United States in the different competition areas, from as far away as Washington State! What a great experience for these kids from Maine.

The team and coaches from Massachusetts were an enormous help in orienting the Maine Team and guiding them to the right places, explaining the rules and keeping the team relaxed in an anxious environment. One of the foremost areas we found we need work on is pressing the buzzers first! Their knowledge of the topics was more than sufficient but they just couldn’t press those buzzers fast enough!

Maine didn’t place in the top 10; however they did come away with a positive attitude, many new friends, and the realization that they are “pioneers” in a new area for Maine 4-Hers working to expand their knowledge and put it to the test on a national level.

One of the most satisfying results of this year is that each of the Quiz Bowl Team members is anxious to try out for another team which also attends the Regional and National competitions for 2005. Maine sent three teams this year, Hippology, Communications (also their first year) and Quiz Bowl. Hopefully we can get a Judging team together for 2005 and Maine can send all four teams!

 The team was able to make quick trips to see the Kentucky Horse Park and to see Churchill Downs, along with visiting the International Livestock Exposition which was going on at the Expo Center where the competition was held.

Look for upcoming information on tryouts for the 2005 teams.  Hopefully we’ll have a lot of interest in continuing a new Maine 4-H tradition!

Mary Heald, Coach

Maine 4-H Horse Quiz Bowl Team