State Horse Show, Judging and Hippology

2023 State Horse Show

Dates: Monday, July 24 - Wednesday, July 26, 2023

Location: Stanley County Fairgrounds, Ft. Pierre

If you are interested in coaching one of our teams, fill out the coach and chaperone interest form.

Champion Photos

Follow the link below to view a complete collection of champion photos from the 2023 State 4-H Horse Show on SmugMug.

View Champion Photos

Darrell Vik of Beresford began his horse career at the age of 5 and is known throughout the state and nationally as a horseman, trainer, and businessman. Some of Darrell’s accomplishments include owning and operating a training stable for over 40 years, where he trained horses for riding and driving for clients from 9 states and Canada. He has also exhibited a six-horse hitch of Percheron geldings across the upper Midwest at shows and provided entertainment at numerous fairs, parades, and rodeos. In 1976, Darrell travelled to Washington D.C. as the featured horse trainer representing South Dakota for the nation’s Bicentennial celebration. Driving a team of horses down Pennsylvania Avenue to the White House is an honor of which Darrell is extremely proud. In 2017, Darrell was named the South Dakota Horse Council Horse Person of the Year. Darrell’s greatest impact can be seen in the love and knowledge of horses he has passed along to his two children, Danelle and Dillon.

Kevin Woodford

A dedicated, veteran horse judge, Kevin Woodford has been a carded horse judge for thirty years. Kevin also owns and operates Woodford Performance Horses in the state of Iowa, where he works to train youth and amateur competitors for all-around events, including western, English and ranch events.

Kevin was just inducted into the Pinto Hall of Fame in 2023 after having served as the National President for the Pinto Horse Association from 2020 to 2022.

Kevin resides in Spencer, Iowa, where he trains and coaches out of his newly built 30-stall facility.

Barry and Sherri Knippling

Barry and Sherri have ranched east of Stephan for the last 33 years. While building their cow/calf operation, Barry worked for various ranchers and the Lode Star Casino as surveillance, black jack and general manager and serves on the FSA County Committee; Sherri has worked at daycare, taught high school and middle school, officiated gymnastics, was the head gymnastics coach at Chamberlain for 30 years. She currently drives the school bus, does custom bead/leather work, and most recently served as president of the South Dakota Coaches Association Board of Directors. The Knippling family has been involved in rodeo since the early 50s, with Barry’s dad, Francis, and uncle Johnny competing in the circuit rodeos. Barry and Sherri both competed in youth and high school rodeo and still compete today in SDRA, NRCA, NBHA, and other various organizations and jackpots. Barry, following in his father’s footsteps, judges most weekends during the summer, including high school finals, 4-H finals, SDRA finals, NRCA finals, and WPRA finals, where Sherri has timed or secretaried many competitions as well. Barry served on the high school board of directors for 14 years, and he was also president for four. The Knipplings continue to contribute to the sport, as they still break and train horses. They also judge, time, secretary, announce, and volunteer at youth events, local playdays, 4-H, high school, SDRA, NRCA, ranch rodeos, round robins, and other equine events and jackpots.

Kathy Anderson

Kathy Anderson has been the Extension Horse Specialist at the University of Nebraska since 1991.  Also, she is an avid horse show judge and has cards with the American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA), American Paint Horse Association (APHA), and National Snaffle Bit Association (NSBA). She oversees the adult extension horse program for Nebraska, and she also teaches undergraduate courses in the Animal Science Department. Kathy currently teaches courses in horse judging, horse management, horse industry study tour, equine reproduction, and equine nutrition. Additionally, she is the advisor of the UNL horse judging team. 

Along with her educational background, Kathy stays highly involved in the industry; previously she was an assistant trainer and breeding manager at a large Nebraska quarter horse farm; her family raises horses for and shows in trail and western pleasure horse competitions; she is the current, past-chair of Extension Horses; past-president of the American Youth Horse Council; and she is past advisor for the Nebraska Quarter Horse Youth Association. Additionally, she is a national director for AQHA and serves on AQHA’s youth committee. Recent honors include the 2022 Papillion LaVista Community Schools Foundation Hall of Fame - Distinguished Alumni Award, 2017 Equine Science Society Fellow, and 2014 American Society of Animal Science Equine Science Award.