(ND Ag Connection) – A North Dakota 4-H team from Ward County earned the national champion title in the Horse Quiz Bowl contest of the 4-H Western National Roundup held during the National Western Stock Show in Denver, Colorado.

The national champion team members were:

Emily Fannik from Max, North Dakota

Hailey Schauer from Lake Park, Minnesota (formerly Carpio, North Dakota)

Mackenzie Wipf from Ryder, North Dakota

Mikaela Woodruff from Edgeley, North Dakota (formerly Garrison, North Dakota)

Under the guidance of their coaches, NDSU Extension agents Paige Brummund and Emily Burkett, the team also secured individual top 10 placings. Woodruff placed first, Fannik third and Wipf eighth.

The Horse Quiz Bowl tests not only knowledge about horses but also quick thinking, as participants had to buzz in and recite the answer faster than their opponents. The competition spanned nine rounds, covering topics related to veterinary science, nutrition, horse care and general horse industry knowledge. Despite facing an initial setback against Utah in the first round of competition, the North Dakota team won each of their next eight rounds, including victories against South Dakota, Georgia, Mississippi, Utah (in a second match) and Kansas.