2025 Artistic Expression & Creative Writing Contest Winners

(Updated: July 21, 2025, 10:44 a.m.)

2025 NC 4-H Horse Program 


Artistic Expression & Creative Writing Contest Winners

The North Carolina 4-H Horse Program is thrilled to announce the results of the highly anticipated 2025 Artistic Expression and Creative Writing Contests! These contests, a highlight of the NC State 4-H Horse Show, were held on July 11th and 12th in Raleigh, showcasing the incredible talent and creativity of our 4-H members.

The NC 4-H Horse Program extends its sincere gratitude to the Dale Earnhardt Foundation for their generous sponsorship of both contests, making these opportunities possible for our youth. We also want to give a huge thank you to Amber Davis, NC 4-H Horse Program Volunteer, for her outstanding coordination of both events. Her dedication ensured a smooth and successful experience for all participants.

A heartfelt thank you goes out to all the talented 4-H members who took the time and effort to prepare such amazing projects. Your artistic flair and eloquent words truly impressed the judges and demonstrated the passion you have for the equine world.

Please join us in congratulating all the winners and participants! Their hard work and dedication are a testament to the vibrant spirit of the NC 4-H Horse Program.


Senior Results


Artistic Expression Contest Winners

Craft

First Name Last Name County Placing
Sanorah Watson Cherokee 1
Haley Matthis Sampson 2
Johnathan Cox Stanly 3
Olivia Sarah Grace Fiedler Duplin 4
Horse-shaped painted wood with sunset beach scene; tag reads "1st place Senior Artistic Expression"
Sr. Craft Winner Sanorah Watson, Cherokee

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Sewing

First Name Last Name County Placing
Johnathan Cox Stanly 1
Triumph Horse Feeds bag with horse image and ribbon "NC State 4‑H Artistic Expression Contest"
Sr. Sewing Winner
Jonathan Cox, Stanly County

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Digitally Enhanced Photography

First Name Last Name County Placing
Emmy Creek Wake 1
Johnathan Cox Stanly 2
Four horses with party hats leaning from stall doors; text "1st place Senior Artistic Expression"
Sr. DE Photo Winner
Emmy Creek, Wake County

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Drawing

First Name Last Name County Placing
Emmy Creek Wake 1
McKinley Breeding Watauga 2
Jenna Peele Dare 3
Blake Garber Union 4
Sanorah Watson Cherokee 5
Eliana Meiners Cherokee 6
Johnathan Cox Stanly 7
Horseback view down a fenced path sketch; ribbon: '1st place Senior Artistic Expression'
Sr. Drawing Winner
Emmy Creek, Wake County

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Painting

First Name Last Name County Placing
Sailor Peele Dare 1
Kaelyn Hedden Cherokee 2
Johnathan Cox Stanly 3
Carlie James Cherokee 4
Eliana Meiners Cherokee 5
Cole Kimbrell Cherokee 6
Painted brown-and-white horse in front of U.S. flag; label "1st place Senior Artistic Expression."
Sr. Painting Winner
Sailor Peele, Dare County

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Photography

First Name Last Name County Placing
Emmy Creek Wake 1
Jenna Peele Dare 2
Eliana Meiners Cherokee 3
Haley Matthis Sampson 4
Derrick Castillo Perquimans 5
Charli Williams Perquimans 6
Reagan Blackmon Sampson 7
Kolbi Woods Graham 8
Sailor Peele Dare 9
Sophie Ward Wilson 10
Horse silhouette facing sunrise; award plaque reading "1st place Senior Artistic Expression"
Sr. Photography Winner
Emmy Creek, Wake County

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Poster

First Name Last Name County Placing
Sophie Ward Wilson 1
Johnathan Cox Stanly 2
Tri-fold display board titled "CHASING THE CROWN: Inside the World of Horse Racing" with info panels
Sr. Poster Winner
Sophie Ward, Wilson County

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Digitally Created Art

First Name Last Name County Placing
Emmy Creek Wake 1
Two brown horses' heads in dark painting; blue ribbon reads "1st place Senior Artistic Expression"
Sr. Digitally Created Art Winner
Emmy Creek, Wake County

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Creative Writing Contest Winners

Short Story

First Name Last Name County Placing
McKinley Breeding Watauga 1
Halle Taylor Onslow 2
Anna Van Der Decker Carteret 3
Emmy Creek Wake 4
Isabella Bauer Wayne 5


Poetry

First Name Last Name County Placing
Emmy Creek Wake 1
Sophie Ward Wilson 2


Essay

First Name Last Name County Placing
Emmy Creek Wake 1
Eliana Meiners Cherokee 2

Junior Results


Craft
First Name Last Name County Placing
Olivia Kilby Wilkes 1
Kansas McDavid Cumberland 2
Ryan Ljunggren Onslow 3
Taylor Farriester Sampson 4
Karleigh Meads Currituck 5
Raylan Maness Rockingham 6
John Tucker Rowan 7
Oakley Lewis Edgecombe 8
Sloane Anderson Wake 9
Isabel Cox Stanly 10
Decorative leather horse headstall with concho and clipped card reading "1st place Junior Artistic Expression"
Jr. Craft Winner
Olivia Kilby, Wilkes County

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Digitally Enhanced Photography

First Name Last Name County Placing
Maci Green Jones 1
Ryan Ljunggren Onslow 2
John Tucker Rowan 3
Sarah Tucker Rowan 4
Lillian Risse Cabarrus 5
Brown horse standing in a field under blue sky; sign reads "1st place Junior Artistic Expression"
Jr. DE Photo Winner
Maci Green, Jones County

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Drawing

First Name Last Name County Placing
Clementine Cooper Haywood 1
Maizie Stewart Dare 2
Avery Hoyle Jones 3
Karleigh Meads Currituck 4
Isabel Cox Stanly 5
Abby Oley Wake 6
Mandy Jo Bennett Jones 7
Kansas McDavid Cumberland 8
Reagan Shelton Rockingham 9
Kennedy Ljunggren Onslow 10
Antlered rider in green on spotted black horse with deer, fox, rabbit; ribbon reads "1st place"
Jr. Drawing Winner
Clementine Cooper, Haywood

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Painting

First Name Last Name County Placing
Annelise Wilson Cherokee 1
Taylor Farriester Sampson 2
Savannah Wahl Wake 3
Abby Oley Wake 4
Leah Grove Nash 5
Kansas McDavid Cumberland 6
Madison Bishop Cabarrus 7
Brooke-Lynn Deyo Lee 8
Elsa Payne Cherokee 9
Shiloh Breeding Watauga 10
Red barn in a flowered field with a dirt path; ribbon reads "1st place Junior Artistic Expression"
Jr. Painting Winner
Annelise Wilson, Cherokee

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Photography

First Name Last Name County Placing
Ellie Hudson Burke 1
Ulysses Atchley Jones 2
Raylan Maness Rockingham 3
Kristin Daniel Lee 4
Kennedy Ljunggren Onslow 5
Madison Bishop Cabarrus 6
Avery Hoyle Jones 7
Elsa Payne Cherokee 8
Hallie Hardy Lee 9
John Tucker Rowan 10
Close-up of horse face with braided bridle; ribbon reads "1st place Junior Artistic Expression"
Jr. Photography Winner
Ellie Hudson, Burke County

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Poster

First Name Last Name County Placing
Lillian Risse Cabarrus 1
Ryan Ljunggren Onslow 2
Tootie McCauley Cumberland 3
Ella Root Lee 4
Penelope Klimko Watauga 5
Kansas McDavid Cumberland 6
Kennedy Ljunggren Onslow 7
Olivia Kilby Wilkes 8
Oakley Lewis Edgecombe 9
Isabel Cox Stanly 10
Tri-fold poster titled "Equine Hydrotherapy" with photos and explanatory text.
Jr. Poster Winner
Lillian Risse, Cabarrus

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Sewing

First Name Last Name County Placing
Piper Davis Nash 1
Lillian Risse Cabarrus 2
Avery Hoyle Jones 3
Kinsley Clabo Sampson 4
Ribbon bundle with tag reading "1st place Junior Artistic Expression"
Jr. Sewing Winner
Piper Davis, Nash County

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Digitally Created Art

First Name Last Name County Placing
Olivia Kilby Wilkes 1
Vera Beth Geremia Cabarrus 2
Clementine Cooper Haywood 3
Lillian Risse Cabarrus 4
Leah Grove Nash 5
Horse peeking from stable with ribbons, dog and apples; text "1st place Junior Artistic Expression"
Jr. Digitally Created Art Winner
Olivia Kilby, Wilkes

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Junior Results

Short Story

First Name Last Name County Placing
Savannah Wahl Wake 1
Jacelyn O'Briant Durham 2
Eliza Meiners Cherokee 3
Lillian Risse Cabarrus 4


 

Poetry

First Name Last Name County Placing
Ryan Ljunggren Onslow 1
Penelope Klimko Watauga 2
Haylen Lovelace Graham 3
Arianna Ruggles Sampson 4


 

Essay

First Name Last Name County Placing
Ryan Ljunggren Onslow 1
Lillian Risse Cabarrus 2
Penelope Klimko Watauga 3

Cloverbud Participants

First Name Last Name County Event(s)
Barrett Anderson Wake Painting, Photography
Thomas Anderson Cherokee Painting
Eva Kate Bennett Jones Drawing, Photography
Audrey Cornish Lee Craft, Sewing, Painting, Photography
Molly Gambill Ashe Poster
Olivia Garber Union Drawing, Painting, DE Photography
James Henry Hadas Cherokee Painting
Judah Herman Person Painting, Photography
Raelyn Hyde Sampson Drawing, Painting
Palmer Kaus Union Drawing, Painting
Harper McVey Rockingham Poster
Bradley Phillips Dare Craft, Poster, Drawing, Painting
Rylee Robertson Cherokee Painting
Julia Wahl Wake Painting
Addison Wells Dare Drawing Photography