Regional 4-H Students Attend Camp, Pledge Good Choices

L-R: Miss Teen Honeyfest Caitlin Daniele, Officer Brewbaker, Melinda Campbell, Linda Starnes, and McKenzie Vincent riding Ranger.

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From Friday, April 20, through Sunday, April 22, 2018, over 130 students from ten counties including Edmonson participated in the South Central Kentucky 4-H Horse Camp at the Western Kentucky University Ag Expo Center in Bowling Green. Well over 300 people were in attendance for the weekend of training and fun.

The central focus of this year’s camp was “Just Say WHOA to Drinking, Drugs and Bad Decisions.” Officer Ernie Brewbaker and his partner registered Tennessee Walking Horse Ranger T. Walker were on site to discuss the importance of staying away from substances that impair decision making. From alcohol and drug use to bullying, the student participants were encouraged to “Just Say WHOA!” and to be positive and productive members of society. At the end of the Saturday evening session, each participant signed a pledge to make good decision making a priority.

​Several guests stopped by to visit including Miss Teen Honeyfest Caitlin Daniele, a junior at Edmonson County High School, and Brownsville resident Melinda Campbell, Amerifest’s Kentucky’s Woman.

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​The weekend included many workshops including showmanship and basics of equine management. While the camp was for the 4-H participants, many campers were accompanied by their parents and siblings. The camp had a family atmosphere as the families and 4-H staff of volunteers worked through the weekend skill classes and also managed to squeeze in some fun including a costume contest, a stall decorating contest, and a dance. Guest speakers also came in to meet with the campers about a variety of related topics including educational opportunities in agriculture and personal experiences with the loss of a loved one due to drunk driving.

The Just Say WHOA! program collaborates with groups in multiple states to bring this message to young people hoping to make a long-lasting difference in their lives. For more information regarding Ranger T. Walker & Service Horse opportunities, contact Ernie Brewbaker at ebrewbaker@yahoo.com. Linda Starnes can help you with a Just Say WHOA program in your “neigh”borhood. You can contact Starnes by emailing StarnesStables@gmail.com.