Special to IFN

Iredell County 4-H youth have enjoyed an exciting and productive start to the new year. From statewide competitions to leadership events and recognition programs, local 4-H members have been actively building skills, forming friendships, and representing their county with pride.

Here are some highlights of the outstanding programs and events youth have participated in during the first quarter of the year:

Hunter Skills Tournament

Iredell County 4-H youth kicked off the year by competing in the North Carolina 4-H State Hunter Skills Tournament on January 10. Eight youth from the county participated in this statewide event, which challenges competitors to demonstrate knowledge and skills related to wildlife, firearm safety, and outdoor sportsmanship.

The Hunter Skills competition includes a variety of hands-on and writing activities that focus on topics such as wildlife identification, hunting equipment and firearm safety, outdoor responsibility and ethics, map and compass skills, and practical decision-making situations. Participants must apply what they have learned through their involvement in 4-H Shooting Sports programs while working both individually and as part of a team.

Iredell County’s Trouble Shooters Senior Team 1 earned a third-place overall finish. Individual competitors also performed well with Ty A. placing fourth overall, with only 20 points separating the top five competitors. Junior competitor Hunter W. also finished fourth overall, with just 10 points between the top five in his division.

Winter Enrichment Day

Also on January 10, two Iredell County 4-H members attended the South Central District Winter Enrichment Day in Cabarrus County. The day began with a community service project supporting Odd Socks, an organization that collects mismatched socks, pairs them, and donates them to shelters across North Carolina and surrounding states.

Youth then participated in engaging workshops focused on public speaking and relationship building. In one session, participants debated the fun but thought-provoking question of whether hot dogs should be considered sandwiches. In another workshop, they met new peers, learned about one another, and created friendship bracelets together.

The event concluded with recreational time at Stars and Strikes, where youth enjoyed bowling and arcade games while continuing to build connections and friendships.

4-H Achievement Night

On February 26, Iredell County 4-H hosted its annual Achievement Night to recognize youth for their accomplishments throughout the year. Members were honored for their participation and success in a variety of project areas, including project books and presentations, dairy youth events, shooting sports tournaments, robotics competitions, sheep showmanship, and more.

The evening also included recognition of six seniors, who were presented with their 4-H graduation cords, as well as the announcement of the 2025 4-H Club Members of the Year. In total, more than 50 youth were recognized for their hard work, growth, and leadership.

Robotics Competitions

The Iredell County 4-H Robotics Team, Elemental Dragons, recently competed in two exciting events featuring the FIRST Robotics game REBUILT. In this fast-paced challenge, two alliances (red and blue), each made up of three teams, compete to score fuel (foam balls) in high and low goals and climb a tower ladder during the endgame.

At the first event, held at Cox Mill High School, the team earned an impressive second-place finish alongside alliance partners Team 6500 Gearcats (Raleigh) and Team 4727 Avalanche (Charlotte).

At the second event, hosted by UNC Asheville, the team ranked higher overall in qualification matches but was unable to place during the finals.

Throughout the season, team members gained valuable hands-on experience in perseverance, teamwork, CAD design, electrical engineering, and mechanical engineering. The team is eagerly awaiting news on whether they will qualify for the State competition. Qualification announcements are expected by the end of March.

Dairy Skill-a-thon

The Iredell County 4-H Junior Dairy Team recently represented the county at the 2026 North Carolina Dairy Skill-a-thon. Participants demonstrated strong knowledge and dedication as they rotated through hands-on technical stations such as team problem solving, feed identification, equipment identification, dairy products identification, cow judging, and hay classification.

Congratulations to Stella F., Cooper G., and Raelynn G. for their hard work and commitment to learning more about the dairy industry while proudly representing Iredell County 4-H.

State Hippology Contest

Charlotte and Harlynn represented Iredell County 4-H and the Lake Norman Equestrians 4-H Club at the State Hippology Contest in Raleigh. The contest is a comprehensive horse knowledge competition that challenges youth through multiple stations testing skills in areas such as horse judging, breed and equipment identification, written exams, team problem solving, and practical horse management applications.

Charlotte earned second place in the Junior Division, an outstanding accomplishment. Both youth demonstrated dedication, teamwork, and a strong commitment to expanding their knowledge of the horse industry.

About 4-H

4-H is the youth development program of North Carolina Cooperative Extension, serving young people ages 5–18 through hands-on learning experiences that build leadership, citizenship, and life skills. In Iredell County, youth can participate in a wide variety of programs including agriculture and animal science, STEM and robotics, public speaking, outdoor education, healthy living, and community service. Through local clubs, workshops, camps, competitions, and leadership opportunities, 4-H encourages youth to explore new interests, set goals, and develop confidence in their abilities. The program follows the motto “Learn by Doing,” allowing young people to gain real-world skills that prepare them for future careers and community involvement. 4-H is open to all youth in Iredell County. Families interested in learning more about local programs or how to join can contact the Iredell County Cooperative Extension Center at 704-873-0507 or email Adreanna White, the Iredell County 4-H Agent at awhite6@ncsu.edu.