For Akers, who has type 2 spinal muscular atrophy and is confined to a wheelchair, her participation looks a bit different, but the community she’s a part of has been nothing but supportive.
“Every time that I’ve shown an animal, they make sure that I’m good to go ... Maybe there are some kids out there in a wheelchair that want to show and don’t know if they can or not, [but] they make it accessible,” Akers said.
Last year was the first time Akers showed her horse. At first, she wasn’t sure if it was possible, but her 4-H advisor encouraged her to sign up. They built a gravel ramp in front of her stall for Jack so Akers could get in and out, and during the competition this year they brought the barriers into the grass behind the show arena.
When Akers first competed with Jack last year, she originally went through the obstacles in the area, but she got stuck in the mud. After that, the organizers helped move everything behind the arena to try again. Competing in the grass comes with it’s own challenges, though - Jack sometimes can’t resist taking a snack break and trying to graze.
“I teared up when she got stuck,” Ginger Hollon, Akers’ mom, said. “Because I couldn’t go out in the arena, and here she was stuck in the middle of the arena and no one around her, but club members went out there.”
Akers said the support she’s had showing horses is special to her.
“It just really touched my heart,” Akers said. “I never thought I’d be able to do something like this, and here I am doing it for the second time. It’s really just heartwarming, and makes me feel very loved and welcomed. [It] makes me just feel like I belong.”
This is Aker’s last year participating as a junior member of the fair, and she’s making the most of it. She’s been answering questions from young 4-H members all week, from what color categories their rabbits should participate in to the expected showmanship in small animal competitions.
Akers said she wouldn’t have known what to do at her first fair without the help of older members, and now she’s paying it forward.
“Some kids are very nervous, and not every kid is ready,” Akers said. “They might be ready, but they don’t feel ready, and I love to be able to give them that reassurance and those extra pointers just to make them feel more confident.”
Next year, Akers plans to stay involved as an advisor. She isn’t sure what her time commitment will be, but she’s looking forward to continuing to help her club.
“The best growth from these 11 years is realizing it’s not about your placing,” Akers said. “It’s not about how your horse or your animal does. It’s about what you’ve learned.”
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