Illinois 4-H youths from across the state demonstrated their knowledge, communication skills and passion for the equine industry during the 2026 State 4-H Horse Bowl, Hippology and Horse Speaking contests, held April 13 on the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign campus.

The contests highlight the depth of learning in 4-H horse programs, where youths build skills in animal science, critical thinking and public speaking.

In the State 4-H Horse Speaking Contest, youths competed in multiple divisions focused on public speaking and presentations.

In the senior formal speech division, Emma Steiger of Rock Island County earned first place, followed by Rylan Holman of Knox County in second and Lexi Merriman of DeWitt County in third.

In senior individual presentations, Ruth O’Brien of Rock Island County placed first, with Izzy Barnas of Kankakee County second and Stephanie Niesen of DeWitt County third.

In junior interpretive reading, Kayin Hampton of Jefferson County placed first, followed by Harper Allen of Champaign County and Johnny Sparrow of Warren County.

In the State 4-H Hippology Contest, youths demonstrated comprehensive knowledge of horse science through exams, stations, judging and problem-solving. In the junior division, McKenzie Merboth of Carroll County earned first place, followed by Kenzie Hongsermeier of Ogle County and Chloe Modaff of Kendall County.

In the intermediate division, Devin Burrs of Carroll County placed first, followed by Audree Rehberg of Boone County and Lillian Elsea of DeWitt County.

In the senior division, Gracie Walker of Hamilton County earned first place, followed by Stephanie Niesen of DeWitt County and Emily Conlee of Knox County.