Hippology popularity is on the rise with national contest participation and county-wide contests!

David Lindsay<lindsa75@msu.edu>, Michigan State University Extension - December 10, 2025

Testing your equine knowledge is becoming fun again! A Michigan 4-H team participated nationally and other counties are hosting contests, too.

A group of young ladies in matching grey vests on front of a Christmas backdrop. — Mecosta County 4-H competing at the Eastern National 4-H Horse Round-up in Louisville, Kentucky. Photo credit: Coach Laura C.

The Michigan 4-H Horse Program hosts a variety of educational contests throughout the year, with the Hippology contest starting off the program year strong with many dedicated youth participating.

The 2025 Michigan 4-H State Hippology contest was held at Michigan State University on March 15. Hippology, as defined by the Merriam-Webster dictionary, means “the study of the horse.” That is entirely what the contest brought to life! During the contest, the youth demonstrated a variety of skills throughout the day, all centered around the study of the horse.

In the senior division, teams competed for the coveted “Top Three” placings. The top three teams in the senior division are given the opportunity to compete at a national contest representing Michigan 4-H at either the Eastern National 4-H Roundup, All-American Quarter Horse Congress or the Arabian and Half- Arabian Horse Nationals. Washtenaw County came to win, bringing home State Champions for a second year in a row. Second and third followed, with Mecosta County and Grand Traverse County taking home the respective honors. These three teams were separated by mere points, and all were strong competitors.

Mecosta County made the trek to Louisville, Kentucky to compete in the Eastern National 4-H Roundup Hippology contest. This contest has the reputation of being the most challenging contest in the country and has rules that allow youth to compete in it only one time. The Mecosta 4-H team of four practiced hard all summer long, and unfortunately due to illness, competed as a team of three. While they did not place, the team members still had a great time and learned a lot that they can apply in the future. Coach Laura even said that the team cannot wait for the next chance to compete!

A group of young ladies holding up blue ribbons and a trophy. — First place team from the District 5 Hippology Contest. Photo credit: Oceana County 4-H Program Coordinator Jennifer Payne.

To help prepare youth for future Hippology contests, Michigan State University Extension’s District 5 hosted their first ever Hippology contest! Comprised of Lake, Mason, Muskegon, Newaygo and Oceana counties; District 5’s Hippology contest consisted of knowledge tests, two horse judging classes, and a skills demonstration. Coordinated by Oceana County 4-H Program Coordinator Jennifer Payne, both Newaygo and Oceana counties had teams compete in the contest, and Payne hopes it continues to grow.

Interested in forming a Hippology team or joining one? Reach out to your local county MSU Extension office to find out how to get involved! In addition, mark your calendars for the 2026 Michigan 4-H State Hippology Contest on Sunday, April 12, 2026!

This article was published by Michigan State University Extension. For more information, visit https://extension.msu.edu. To have a digest of information delivered straight to your email inbox, visit https://extension.msu.edu/newsletters. To contact an expert in your area, visit https://extension.msu.edu/experts, or call 888-MSUE4MI (888-678-3464).