Thurston County Youth Medals at the Washington State Fair in 4-H Equine

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Avanti High School freshman Kylan Thulin-Gizzi made it to 4-H State this year, after a solid showing at the Thurston County Fair in July. He and his grade pony Summer Rose – Rosie for short – qualified for the Washington State Fair in showmanship, hunter-in-hand, dressage in-hand and obstacle in-hand. He was the only male equestrian from Thurston County to make it to State Fair.

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“I was the only boy from Thurston County showing at state, but there were a few other boys showing small equine from other counties,” Kylan shares. “I didn’t see the other performance classes, but I was told that there were only a couple boys out of dozens of girls. There were a few more boys in gaming classes.”

His first time competing at State in his three years of 4-H with the Blazing Saddles 4-H Club, he said it was definitely different from showing at the smaller county fair or other shows. “It was pretty impressive!” he says. “At first, I was pretty nervous, but I didn’t want my feelings to affect Rosie. She needs me to feel confident so she can be comfortable.”

“I’ve enjoyed witnessing Kylan grow in his horsemanship skills over the last few years, and especially this past year he has matured so much,” his mom Patricia Thulin, shares. “He has so much love for his equine partners. He is very empathetic with them and tries to understand their feelings and how it relates to how well they are willing to cooperate. Although Kylan isn’t overly concerned about performing, it was a joy to see that his patience and hard work paid off culminating at the state fair with a gold medal for hunter in-hand with his beloved Rosie.”

And there were challenges too. “It’s loud and there are lots of distractions,” he explains. “The indoor arena is super echoey. Most of our classes were early in the day, but some classes were later when loud music was playing nearby. I think next year I will bring earplugs for Rosie.”

But once the nervousness wore off, the excitement of what he had achieved with Rosie took center stage. He also liked the chance to see other horses perform and meet 4-Hers from other counties.

Thurston County 4-Her Kylan Thulin-Gizzi was the only male equestrian from Thurston County to qualify for 4-H State in 2024. Shown here with his pony, Rosie. Photo credit: Patricia Thulin

Thurston County 4-Her Brings Home State Fair Champion Titles

Not only did those nervous wear off, but Kylan excelled at the Washington State Fair. He received blues in showmanship, hunter-in-hand, and obstacles in-hand, and a red in dressage in-hand. They were also State Champions in hunter in-hand, with a gold medal and premium award and seventh in obstacles in-hand.

Kylan also qualified for State with his presentation – sans equine – on the tradition of fox hunting. He received high marks at State for that as well.

At the Thurston County Fair, Kylan also rode his family’s small gypsy cob, Daeg. He won two reserve-champions awards in dressage and western dressage and a grand champion in dressage rail. However, since he received a white in showmanship, he did not qualify for State. “Daeg doesn’t like to trot in-hand,” Kylan explains.

Avanti High School freshman Kylan Thulin-Gizzi with his pony Rosie and their Washington State Fair Ribbons. Photo credit: Patricia Thulin

Future Thurston County 4-H Goals

His goals for this coming year in 4-H is to make it to State again.  I hope to qualify for State again,” he shares. “Since I started high school this fall, I am a senior in 4-H. The competition will be harder than being an intermediate. I plan to show Rosie in small equines classes at the Thurston County Fair next summer, and if all goes well, I’ll be showing my Azteca gelding, Apollo, at Fair too. I think Apollo will do well in dressage. I also ride him in Pony Club. I plan to do a couple Pony Club rallies (a kind of show where Pony Club members compete in teams) with him next spring, which should help him get ready for fair.”

Kylan also participates in drag fox hunts – a human drags a scent for the hounds to follow – at Woodbrook Hunt Club. His new horse Apollo is just learning the ropes of this exciting sport. “I already did the Shakedown Hunt (an informal hunt) with Apollo last weekend. He was pretty nervous at first since it was his first fox hunt, but once we got trotting, he started to settle. We even did a couple jumps and cantered out with the field. We plan to do a hunter pace next Saturday and the opening day hunt on Sunday.”

“Apollo can be a very challenging horse, with only a handful of people willing to ride or even handle him,” adds Patricia. “Kylan and Apollo have bonded over the last year, and really became a partnership. Sometimes with ups and downs, but with mutual respect for each other. I am so proud of Kylan. When others would have given up, he has stuck with it!”

Kylan Thulin-Gizzi jumping at Woodbrook Hunt Club with his horse Apollo. Photo credit: Patricia Thulin

Patricia notes that Kylan is also the only boy at the Woodbrook Hunt Pony Club, which they hope to change. “It was great to see more boys, and kids from diverse backgrounds at the State Fair,” she says. “Not sure why we have so few boys from Thurston County 4-H. Also, Kylan is the only boy in Woodbrook Hunt Pony Club. At the Pony Club Tet rallies, there tends to be more boys, maybe attracted to the variety of competitions, Also, when we go on fox hunts, there are only a few men and boys. Traditionally, there were many more, and in other countries, like Ireland, it’s not uncommon to witness a large ratio of male participants in fox hunting and other equestrian events. I hope our family can reverse the trend and encourage more boys to try out equestrian sports!”

Kylan loves riding at top speeds, his mom adds, and she believes if other boys knew the adrenaline rush of galloping a horse, there would be a lot more boys in the sport!

When not riding, Kylan also enjoys music and has an electric drum kit. “At my high school, Avanti, there is a special music program I hope to join next quarter where I can do drumming,” he says. “I’m taking a biking class for PE. We’re learning to repair bikes too. I also like to run and hike. In Pony Club I participate in the Tetrathlon (Tet) rally, where there are four competitions: running cross country, swimming laps, target shooting with airsoft pistols, and jumping horses. It’s my favorite rally.”

To learn more about 4-H, visit the Washington State University Extension website.

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