Doughty family receives the 2021 Friends of 4-H award
Saturday, Oct. 2 was not just a sunny day; it was an eventful day at the Coshocton County Fair. Current residents and Coshocton natives gathered together to enjoy the sights, rides, shows and more. One event of the day was the open horse shows. There were 35 classes, including the stick pony, egg and spoon, costume, barrel racing and pole racing shows, to name a few. The judge for the day, Jim Skidmore came in from Plain City, and Ben Hasting from Red Haw, was the ring master. D Woodward Wells functioned as the announcer for the day.
For many, the open horse show was a family affair. Many of the participants were siblings or parents and children. For one family in particular, it was a multi-generation event. Jackie Jackna, 74, with Dog Gone Puppies and Ponies shared how her family has been participating in the Coshocton County Fair for 47 years. “I made all of my kids and grandkids do barrel racing, and this year I will be doing rough trucks in addition to the Jack Benny (the class for 40 and over) because it is my turn to do something the kids want me to do,” Jackna said as she and her grandchildren Bindi Brestle, 11 and Jacob Schumaker, 6 loved on Schmoo, the horse Jackna planned to ride.
Some of the participants who were top placers multiple times for the day were Shayna Boyer, Madison Whitt, Clare Bintz, Lindsey Conkle and Taryn Tumblin. Boyer placed first in the youth barrel class and the open poles class. Whitt placed first, second and third in the adult barrel classes. Twelve year old Clare Bintz won first place in the youth poles, youth down and back, and the open down and back. Conkle, on the other hand, obtained first place in the showmanship 19 and over class as well as in the horse mares 2 years and over shows. Tumblin placed first in four classes: Showmanship 14-18 , class number 19, class open English W-T, and class open English Pleasure.
The stick pony class was facilitated by Robert Doughty and his daughters, Michelle and Mackenzie. The stick pony class was a class started in honor of Kathy and Robert Doughty’s son, Caleb who drowned in 1997 at the age of two. Unfortunately, Kathy Doughty passed away this past January from Parkinson’s, but her husband and daughters judged the stick pony show and awarded each participant with ribbons and suckers. After the stick pony class finished, D Woodward Wells presented the Doughty family with the 2021 Friends of 4-H award.
Wells expressed gratitude for Kathy and Robert Doughty’s participation in and support of 4-H. Both Kathy and Robert were in 4-H themselves and had their daughters in the program as well. Wells shared how Robert took sheep and dairy projects, was involved with public speaking and then served as Junior Leader and served on the Junior Fair Board. Kathy took cooking, sewing, horse, dairy and chicken projects. Wells listed Kathy’s accomplishments as winning the poultry showmanship, outstanding of the day with her cooking at the state fair, dairy princess and District 3 Holstein Queen. The couple also assisted their daughters in their projects throughout the years.
“Kathy was so passionate for the 4-H horse program that she would even attend practices of Trailblazers even after Michelle and Mackenzie left. Despite her disease, Kathy attended all the 4-H and agriculture events that she could. She was so passionate for 4-H and loved it until the day she died” Wells tearfully said.
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