‘A learning experience’
Living across the road from a horse farm, Danielle Kotyk’s fascination with the animals started at a very young age.
Not knowing about horse training and riding, and being too young, Kotyk took matters into her own hands by training animals she could easily access.
The two family dogs – a beagle mix and a Lab mix – were put through their paces over the variety of courses she would assemble in the backyard with her dad’s scrap wood.
Now, after five years of training and riding horses, the Burgettstown Area High School freshman is taking those experiences across the commonwealth to compete in the first 4-H miniature horse jumping competition Oct. 28-30 at the Farm Show Complex and Expo Center in Harrisburg.
The timed contest features mini-horses being guided by their handlers over obstacles. It’s the first time the event is being offered at the state level.
“It was added simply because of the popularity,” said Sheila Hackinson, 4-H extension assistant in Washington County. “More and more events outside of the state have had it. So, this is the first year it was decided to be put in at the state level.”
Kotyk belongs to the newly formed Sunni Bell Stables 4-H Club in Burgettstown, where she has continued her work to master horse training over the last three years.
“My first lesson I was just excited because I was able to be around the horses,” said Kotyk. “I wanted to just continue to work harder to be good at it.”
Those countless hours of hard work with Sunni Bell Stables owner Sonya Bell led to Kotyk winning this year’s county show and a first-place finish at the district level at the Westmoreland County Fairgrounds District 10 Horse Show, which consisted of 4-H clubs from Washington, Greene, Fayette, Armstrong, Westmoreland, Allegheny and Indiana counties.
For Kotyk and Bell, it will be the first time competing at the state level and an experience that was far from expected.
“I went in February to a judging school to become a 4-H judge,” said Bell. “They announced that there will be a mini-jumping event for the first time. I started calling everybody while I was up at Penn State to gauge the interest of becoming a 4-H Club. We already had minis at the farm and began practicing in March.”
Practice was needed not just for Kotyk, but for Scooter Dooter, the 17-year-old miniature horse who has been at the farm since its inception 13 years ago.
“The main thing that is practiced is the pace,” said Bell. “Miniature horses can only go as fast as the handler can run. We would practice on Thursday nights, but a lot of the kids practice on their own throughout the week.”
Growing up around horses her entire life, Bell hasn’t regretted the decision to obtain the 4-H classification.
“This was just a thought I had back in February,” said Bell. “It was going to be a learning experience for everyone, including myself. I’m not only very proud of Danielle but all of our kids that made districts. I love to give my students different opportunities. It’s a challenge for me because I haven’t done some of these things in the past. I’m very proud of how far my kids have come.”