Leesport >> Laura Dietrich was announced as the 2016 Pennsylvania Outstanding 4-H Horse Member at the 2016 State 4-H Horse Show Recognition Ceremony Oct. 29 at the Farm Show Complex, Harrisburg.
She was one of five finalists from across the state of Pennsylvania and came out on top to win the award. In winning the award, she was presented with a tack trunk and a $500 scholarship. The award recognizes an outstanding 4-H member who is active in the 4-H horse/horse science program. The member’s participation in the 4-H horse program, their leadership experiences and their impact on club, county and community service were all involved in selecting a winner.
Dietrich has been a Berks County 4-H member for 11 years and winning the 2016 Pennsylvania Outstanding 4-H Horse Member Award was an accumulation of all the work she put into being a 4-H member. Laura is currently a member of the Blue Ribbon Riders 4-H Horse Club. She has held offices of Secretary, Vice President and President. She says that holding these officer positions has taught her that she can speak to a room of people with confidence, successfully run a meeting and communicates effectively with her club members.
As a horse club member who did not always have a horse to show, she knew she should also experience other 4-H activities outside the show ring. Laura took an interest in horse judging. The Berks County 4-H Horse Judging Team in which she was a member of won the 4-H State Achievement Days horse judging competition in 2015 which qualified the team to compete at the All American Quarter Horse Congress Youth Horse Judging Competition as well as the Eastern National 4-H Horse Roundup Judging Competition. Since attending these National competitions, she now helps younger members in teaching them how to judge horses.
She also took an interest in 4-H programming which included attending 4-H State Capital Days, the 2014 National 4-H Congress, the 2014 4-H National Youth Agri-Science Summit and has attended State Leadership Conference all four years she was eligible. Because of her involvement with the National Youth Agri-Science Summit, she and another 4-H member were given the opportunity to attend the National 4-H Week Celebration in Cidra, Puerto Rico. While there, they taught agri-science lessons to elementary school students and participated in Puerto Rico’s National 4-H Week activities.
Dietrich has served as a 4-H Camp Counselor for five years at the Berks County 4-H Camp. She has also assisted with 4-H Science Day Camps and has lead activities during the 4-H Veterinary Science Day Camp. In her 4-H club, she has been a teen leader and has taught at least one Quality Animal Management lesson each year. According to Laura Miller, the Blue Ribbon Riders 4-H Horse Club Leader, “Laura has demonstrated extensive knowledge and involvement in multiple facets of the Pennsylvania 4-H program, both in and out of the horse club.”
Laura Dietrich said she has learned that there are many more experiences in the program than just showing horses and that she has encouraged members of her club to attend events and work on their 4-H projects outside the show ring. She has enjoyed mentoring the younger members of her club.
Outside of 4-H she is a full-time student at the Pennsylvania State University, Berks Campus studying Veterinary and Biomedical Science. At Penn State, she is a member of the Berks Equestrian Team and is their 2016 team secretary. She is also involved in her church. Laura goes to St. John’s Lutheran Church and has served as the youth group assistant and also participated in the 2015 Hope Mission Trip.
She is the daughter of Harold and Deborah Dietrich of Sinking Spring. She also has an older brother George who is also a student at Pennsylvania State University.
