By Tom Rohrer
Thanks to the efforts of one local 17-year-old, Thurston County will be represented at the Eastern National 4-H Horse Round-Up in Louisville, KY., this upcoming November.
At the Puyallup Fair on Saturday, Sept. 8, Natasha Cnossen, a student at South Puget Sound Community College, was named to the Washington State 4-H Equine Judging Team.
By placing in the top 4, Cnossen has the opportunity to travel to Louisville for the competition, which runs from Thursday, Nov. 1, through Sunday, Nov. 4. Cnossen’s journey to the national event began eight years ago when she first joined the 4-H in order to help further develop her passion for horses and equine education. Through dedication and extensive studying of the 4-H judging manual and trips to judging workshops, Cnossen was able to accomplish this long standing goal.
“I’m very excited, and have been aiming for this for a few years,” Cnossen said in an interview with ThurstonTalk.com. “To get that news that I would be going to nationals was terrific and it’s almost a once in a lifetime opportunity.”
Cnossen, the daughter of Jan Cnossen and Suzanne Malakoff, will be joined by her mother in Kentucky, who is traveling with the state 4-H educational group as a chaperone. Seeing her daughter rise through the ranks of 4-H, and becoming president of the South Bay Horse 4-H Club (the oldest horse club in Thurston County) has been a rewarding experience.
“She’s very self-motivated and self-educated,” Malakoff. “All of the adults she works with in 4-H are very impressed with her and respect her and are pulling her further along into leadership roles.”
In order to travel to Kentucky, Cnossen must raise between $700-$800 for the trip, and has already received funding from the 4-H Council, and her raised funds will be matched by the 4-H horse council. A blog has been set up for Cnossen’s efforts and she will donate all generated funds not needed for the trip back to the 4-H program.
“It has made me more outgoing and able to take leadership positions,” Cnossen said of her involvement with 4-H. “It has taught me dedication and responsibility in some ways as well and it’s just a very supportive organization.”
Leaders of the local 4-H program have taken notice of Cnossen’s dedication as well.
“4-H for Natasha isn’t just fun and games. She’s learning a lot of skills and gaining a lot of experiences that will really help her in her adult life,” said Linda Robson of Public Information Specialist for Thurston County. “Everyone at the Thurston County 4-H program is very proud of her.”
Cnossen, who is originally from New Zealand, spoke about the equine judging process and some of her goals in the future within 4-H.
“We basically take the role of the judge, we judge the horses riders and owners,” Cnossen said. “Things like posture, equine performance. Our scores get matched up to those of the official judges. Depending on how close we match their scores is how many points we get.”
“I want to help organize and put on judging clinics and hopefully get some other kids to go to nationals for the county,” Cnossen noted. “I’m aiming to go to nationals for equine presentation. Once you’ve gone to nationals in one educational program, you cannot attend again in that category.”
As for her future career, Cnossen said she is looking to become a biologist, possibly focusing on horses, and has a goal to represent her country in international competition.
“Something that I want to do is make the U.S. Olympic Team for Dressage,” Cnossen noted with a smile. “That’s a big commitment, but you never know.”
To stay up to date on Natasha Cnossen’s trip to Louisville, click here. For more information about the Thurston County 4-H program, read this article published on ThurstonTalk.
