At the Routt County Fair, riders learn lifelong lessons that teach responsibility and build confidence

On Monday, Ryan Wattles stood just outside the outdoor riding arena at the Routt County Fairgrounds and watched the action in the advanced riding class.

Wattles, who grew up in Routt County and attended the fair, watched his 14-year-old daughter Sydney and 11-year-old daughter Lucy compete in the same class in the equestrian events at the Routt County Fair on Monday.

“It’s cool to see,” Ryan said as he waited for the girls to ride into the arena to be judged. “They take this pretty seriously and have a lot of fun competing.”

Behind the fences of the arena between the showmanship and horsemanship events, the two girls worked together to prepare for the next event. Lucy had put in a strong performance in the open horse show on Saturday, where she earned the title of Reserve Grand Master overall and Grand Master in the Western riding events.

“It’s great because we can help each other out a lot,” Sydney said. “There’s always someone I can ride with, and if I do something wrong, she notices and tells me. I do the same for her. She’s really great at most things she does, and she’s taught me that if I want to be good, I have to put in the effort.”

In fact, both young 4-H athletes performed well in the arena on Monday. Sydney took first place in the intermediate class in showmanship, beating Lucy, who took second. She also won first place in her class in horsemanship, with her sister taking third.

There is no doubt that the sisters want to win in the arena, but they insist they can keep their competitive spirit under control.

“We know the winner deserves it and we both worked hard,” said Lucy. “We spend a lot of time together and take care of our horses. It’s just great fun to go into the arena and compete.”

Just outside the arena, her father said that both of his daughters were winners, regardless of which ribbons they took home.

“The most important thing I see with the kids in 4-H is the responsibility they have for their animals, and that gives them a tremendous amount of confidence,” Ryan said. “You see that with every kid at the fair. They’re just confident kids because they have real responsibility. … They have a sense of accomplishment because they have a big project at the end and they can show off.”

For Morgan Kopischke, this year’s horse competitions at the Routt County Fair will mark the end of her 4-H journey that began when she competed in the junior division as an 8-year-old, as this is the last year she is eligible for 4-H. She began her final Routt County Fair by winning the senior showmanship and horsemanship competitions.

“This is my last one because I’m going to college and it’s my last year at the fair,” said Kopischke, who is heading to Colorado State University this week. “That makes this day even more special because it’s my last one.”

Kopischke said she has been riding for as long as she can remember and has competed in major shows across the state, but the Routt County Fair holds a special place.

“It’s fun because I get to be with all my friends,” Kopischke said. “When I go to the shows away, I’m usually pretty much alone. … There may be a little less competition compared to the other shows, but I come mainly for the fun.”