Aug 3, 2009 4 min read

Tails were wagging and youths were smiling Sunday at the Fayette County 4-H Dog Show. Held from 8 a.m. to about 3 p.m. in the Indoor Arena, the show included about 20 youths who were able to show off the fruits of their hard work to a supportive audience. The rewards included the High Point Awards, a combination of grooming, obedience and showmanship scores, which were awarded to Wyatt Krater, for age group 8 to 11; Katie Batronis, age group 12 to 14; and Mary Kathryn Kline, age group 15 and over.

“I felt pretty good,” said Krater, 11, of McClellandtown, who is in the sixth grade at Albert Gallatin North Middle School.

Krater competed with a Corgi named Lilly and noted the competition was “pretty hard.”

“I was shocked,” said Batronis, 14, of Adah, who is a ninth-grade student in cyber school.

She competed with a miniature poodle named Hershey.

“I was amazed. I thought a different dog was going to get it,” said Mary Kathryn Kline, 16, of Connellsville, who is a junior at Connellsville Area Senior High School.

Kline was in the competition with a cocker spaniel, also named Hershey.

The show also included competition for agility as well as a fun category where youths and their dogs wore costumes.

Patty Kline of Connellsville, organizational leader for the club, noted the club recently sent two teams to state competition in the Canine Super Bowl at State College.

Jim Reagan, activities leader, said, “The junior team came in third and our senior team came in sixth. In individual competition, we had one first, three seconds and two thirds. This is their first year and they went against teams who had been coming as many as four years. The Super Bowl has been held for 33 years.”

Patty Kline said of the youths, “They learned a lot and they’re excited to go back.”

She said the youths also did well in regional competition, which took place last September in Greene County. Fayette County will host this year’s regional contest on Sept. 26.

The members can use any kind of dog but Kline noted that some members have branched out into American Kennel Club (AKC) events in agility and showmanship. She said that some members, who have worked with dogs for four years, were competing Sunday with the animals off the leash. They included Hayle Dennis, Chloe Showalter, Nick Paroda, Sarah Kline, Alexandra Broskey and Melody Jones. The club also started a junior leader program.

Meeting year-round, the club has a full schedule that includes participating in the Halloween parades for Connellsville and Uniontown, doing a demonstration at Christian Klay Winery, bonfires and a Christmas party, field trips to AKC shows and community service for Fayette Friends of Animals and the Adopt a Highway program.

Members like the club for all these activities as well as the opportunity to work with their dogs.

“I like that I get to spend time with my dog and learn all about dogs,” said Batronis.

“I like getting experience and that I get to spend time with my dog,” said Mary Kathryn Kline.

Krater said, “It’s fun showing your dog and making her learn stuff.”

Nick Paroda, 13, of South Union Township and an eighth-grade student at Laurel Highlands Middle School, who took first place in novice obedience, age 12-14, off lead, worked with his Cairn terrier named Gunner.

He said he likes the club because “I can be around people my age, train Gunner and get out of the house.”

For more information on the dog club, call Patty Kline at 724-322-9933.

Meanwhile, Sunday proved the third day of riding competition at the Fayette County Fair’s Horse Arena with the open class horse show. The 4-H riding competition was held Friday and Saturday.

Sis Hughes, organizational leader for the county’s 4-H horse clubs, said of the youths, “They’re doing pretty good. Friday, it rained all day. Saturday, we just had a beautiful day and everything went well. The ring was wet but the ring crew took care of it. But last night, we had a downpour and the ring is muddy today.”

Callie Hoke, 14, of Bullskin Township and a member of the Bullskin 4-H Horse Club, said the third day of riding competition was still exciting.

“It’s just a lot of fun because my friends are here,” said Hoke, a sophomore at Connellsville Area Senior High School. “

Hoke, who has a quarter horse named Bailey, said of the competition, “It’s pretty good. There’s a lot of good riders.”

Competition at the Horse Arena continues with the 4-H Horse Fun Show at 11 a.m. Tuesday and the 4-H halter show at 10 a.m. Thursday.