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Young riders take reins during fair competition Rogue Valley kids have plenty of horse sense By Joanna Collins CENTRAL POINT � Yogi Davis has wanted to be a cowboy and ride horses all of his life. When he was 3, he refused to wear anything but black pants, a black flannel shirt, a black felt vest and a black cowboy hat � in the middle of summer. When he was 4, his father Mark Davis found him sitting on top of a gate wearing a bicycle helmet and trying to drop a rope around a steer�s neck. When his father asked him why, Yogi replied, "Because I want to ride it." "I ruined him at a really early age," says his mother, Catherine Davis, of Talent, a long-time lover of horses. Now that he�s 11, Yogi is part of the Southern Sky Riders. The seven members of the 4-H horse group from Ashland and Talent are among the thousands of kids competing in animal events at this week�s Jackson County Fair. The Sky Riders spent the week at the fair showing their horses. Most of them camp out with their families at the fair, since the horses demand constant attention and the kids show their horses twice a day. It�s the first time in official competition for Yogi and his 8-year-old mare, Rascala. The two are signed up for every event possible this week. There�s advanced horsemanship competitions such as dressage, reining classes, equitation and trail simulations, to name a few. On Wednesday it was showmanship, a grueling and meticulous evaluation of how the kids present their horse. "(The judges) may be nice but they�re really tough," says Yogi. In showmanship each participant must do a pattern designated by the judge right before the competition. In Yogi�s class, he must lead the horse towards the judge, back up a length, move forward, stand squared for an evaluation, turn around, trot back, turn around and be back where he started. All the while making sure both he and Rascala are in perfect form. That means facing the judge at all times and smiling no matter what happens. Yogi was up at 6:15 a.m. Wednesday, pretty late for fair time. By 8 a.m. he was doing "barn duty" � shoveling stalls and scooping manure. Each kid takes turns on barn duty, but according to Yogi the older kids make the youngest � him � do most of the work. In between chocolate-covered doughnut bars and cheering on another member, Yogi spent the rest of the morning preparing Rascala for showmanship. It�s a group effort for the close-knit Southern Sky Riders. 4-H rules prohibit parents from helping with anything � parents can�t even hold a horse or carry a saddle. So the kids wind up doing all the work and preparation. "It�s really hard to just sit," says Dian Brandenburg, a parent and group organizer. "Oh don�t get her wrong," laughs one girl. "She enjoys telling us what to do." Brandenburg says the rules allow a lot of interaction between the kids, even ones from different teams. Most, she says, help each other when it�s needed. An older member of the group shaves the long hairs off Rascala�s nose and trims his ears with clippers. Another girl puts Rascala�s mane in tiny pony tails. Yogi�s 9-year-old sister Olivia, an associate member of the Southern Sky Riders, brushes Rascala and polishes her hooves. Even Annabelle, Yogi�s 3-year-old sister, does her fair share � brushing Rascala where she can reach. Yogi�s parents say being a part of 4-H is a great learning experience for their children. Since Yogi is home-schooled, Catherine says she can use horses as a "passionate outlet" in education. For example, she says, learning about horses requires reading. Figuring out hay rations requires math. Finding out the origins of different breeds requires geography. Horses have even taught Yogi a little about karma. "You can never hit a horse, because they�ll always find a way to get you back some time that day," he says. Around 12:30 p.m. it�s finally Yogi�s turn for showmanship. His family gathers in the stands to watch. Yogi leads Rascala into the arena, turning his head to smile at the judge every three steps or so. "You want to basically think that your horse is a million-dollar show animal and present them that way," explains Mark, Yogi�s dad. "Yay, Yogi," Annabelle yells, "you will get a blue ribbon!" Then the 3-year-old�s off to play in the dirt, pausing once in a while to cheer on her older brother. The arena falls silent as each of a half-dozen kids goes through their pattern. Yogi nervously waits his turn with Rascala, checking occasionally to see if her feet are squared. When it�s Yogi�s turn, he forgets to back up or trot, but he doesn�t forget to treat Rascala like a million-dollar animal. Yogi gets a red ribbon, the middle honor for 4-H kids. "I was a little scared just because I wasn�t sure how I was going to do," Yogi says afterwards. "I think he did awesome," says Catherine. Now that Yogi�s tasted serious horse competition, he sees more in his future. He wants to ride steers in rodeos. The thought of hanging onto a bucking animal makes Yogi�s eyes twinkle. His son�s plans make Mark roll his eyes. But Mom thinks Yogi might get his chance. "He has a real passion for cows and I feel like part of my job is to help him find his passion," says Catherine. Obituaries | Sports | Business | Classifieds | Tempo | Prime Times | So Oregon Sites | Outdoor Journal | Subscribe | Contact | Movies | Advertise | Real Estate Showcase | Archive | Editorials | Letters to the editor | Religion | Wake-up Call | NIE | Cyber Chef | Job Network | So Oregon Weather | WSJ Northwest | Forums | AP Wire | AP Money | F.A.Q. | Awards Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. The Community Newspaper Subsidiary of Dow Jones & Co, Inc Copyright �The Mail Tribune 2000, Medford, Oregon USA