Young riders who serve the Yukon with their hearts and their hands
Hello, everyone. My name is Taya Holmes and this is my first year in Spirit Riders 4-H, and I am the club reporter! I am thankful that my friend Lukiah introduced me to riding and to the club.
What is 4-H? It’s a non-profit organization that kids ages 9–18 get to be a part of, to learn how to care for their animals (such as sheep, horses, cattle and goats) and how to become more comfortable and confident in handling them. It guides youth and provides resources to help them develop leadership and responsibility through projects. The club has been around for over 100 years and is Canada-wide. It has helped young people to develop and learn incredible life skills, such as public speaking and financial responsibility, and has given them confidence to step up and lead—even though they are young.
Spirit Riders is a horse club and is the only active club right now with 4-H Yukon. As a club, we strongly believe that 4-H is important in supporting our community and we believe it’s important to support Yukon agriculture and to volunteer in our community. This year, we have supported the hardworking people that supply the food we eat in Canada. That’s why, as a club, we’ve had the privilege of working with the Yukon Grain Farm and the Research Forest Farm—to help with harvesting and sorting carrots, grain, potatoes and beets. Both farms were extremely grateful for our help and even gifted each of us with some of the food that we helped harvest. Not only did we get to help at the farms, but we also got to volunteer with Share the Spirit, to partner with local businesses and to serve at banquets and events at the Kwanlin Dün Cultural Centre—and even at a local wedding.
Aside from serving, we also participate in other community events. We were part of Animal Day at the Yukon Fireweed Community Market where we brought a few horses and a Bethlehem donkey (Clipper) to introduce to people. Each of them had a sign on their enclosure that gave their name, breed, weight and any other extra-fun and quirky things about them.
The club has been an amazing experience for us all, this year, and has taught us how to work together as a team and how to step out of our comfort zones. Our meetings are even run as official business meetings, so we have had opportunities to learn the roles and responsibilities of such positions as president and vice-president, treasurer, safety officer, club reporter and secretary.
Spirit Riders recently did some fundraising by selling raffle tickets. When we do fundraisers, we get to tell others about 4-H while fundraising for equipment that we might need (such as jumps and barrels), as well as fundraising for travel.
The Spirit Riders 4-H Horse Club has been fundraising to purchase equipment and for travelling in 2024. To learn more about Spirit Riders 4-H, visit our Facebook page, Spirit Riders 4-H Club Yukon, at facebook.com/groups/3539272962993076.
A note of thanks …
Special thanks to the 4-H leaders who have guided us on this incredible journey, to our parents who have helped make this possible and to our club members who made this past year such an enjoyable and rewarding experience.
SIDEBAR 1
4-H Pledge
“I pledge my head to clearer thinking,
my heart to greater loyalty,
my hands to larger service, and
my health to better living
for my club, my community, my country and my world.”
Canadian 4-H Motto
“Learn to do by doing.”
SIDEBAR 2
Fun Facts About Icelandic Horses
- Don’t let their size fool you: they are horses (not ponies)!
- Icelandic horses have a unique four-beat lateral gait that no other breed has. It’s called the Tölt (check it out on YouTube).
