NEWPORT-The 2009 Tennessee State 4-H Horse Bowl and Team Demonstration champions from the Cocke County 4-H Horse Club are diligently preparing for upcoming contests.

The Southern Regional contest is just around the corner, being held on July 29 in Little Rock, Arkansas. The Regional will play host to the top teams from the southern United States.

Quarter Horse Congress will take place over three weeks in the month of October in Columbus, Ohio. The Quarter Horse Association sponsors a spectacular youth academic competition where Quarter Horse Youth Association members, along with state championship teams from 4-H and FFA, compete for prizes.

The last competition for the Cocke County team will be the prestigious Eastern National 4-H Roundup, held annually in Louisville, Kentucky in the first week of November.

Team members Noelle Parks, 18, Kelsey Haynes, 17, Emily Smith, 15, and Luke Hopkins, 15, have spent a combined 24 years in the Cocke County 4-H program, winning numerous state and regional titles in Horse Bowl, Hippology, Horse Judging and Communications contests. These four young people have actively participated in every aspect of 4-H from community service to leadership programs.

What brought the team together, initially, was their love of horses, and that's what keeps them motivated to continue making time for the study and hard work that has led to their level of success. But, the team can't do it on their own. The cost of the trips to the contest locations add up, and the team really needs help from the community to have the opportunity to continue to represent Cocke County at the national level and, hopefully, bring home more national titles this year.

Any business or individual interested in sponsoring the Cocke County 4-H Horse Bowl and Team Demonstration teams with a donation should contact Club leader Maureen Smith at (423) 613-0864, or Cocke County 4-H Agent Melanie Allen at (423) 623-7531. Any and all donations would be greatly appreciated.