Twinsburg teenager Madi Stutin was shy — but came out of her shell to join 4-H, competing with animals at the Summit County Fair in 2022. Her leap of faith paid off: That year, she earned the title of Reserve Champion in Western Walk Trot discipline classes and sixth place in Gymkhana classes with her lease horse, Tommy. With her mixed breed rabbit, Stormy, she won Best of Breed in his utility class, also taking fourth place in showmanship at the intermediate level.
“I came back with these two ribbons. My mom’s ecstatic, and I’m so happy too,” recalls Stutin, who is now 16 and has been horseback riding since age 5. She was inspired to compete after first visiting that fair in 2021. “I wanted to put myself out there.”
For Western Walk Trot, she rides her horse, showcasing different gaits. Meanwhile, for Gymkhana, she takes on barrel racing, pole bending and other events — such as a dash for cash, in which riders race to a bucket, collect $1 and race back. Since 2023, she’s competed with her quarter horse, Shyboy — placing third in Western Walk Trot classes and Grand Champion in Gymkhana classes that year. She placed Reserve Champion in both Western novice and Gymkhana classes in 2024. The most competitive Western class is showmanship, for which a rider completes patterned maneuvers with their horse. “It’s really difficult, and I like difficult things,” Stutin says, adding that Shyboy does too. “Every time we go into the ring, his ears perked up. He’s so happy.”
With Stormy, Stutin won Best of Breed in 2023 and 2024, also taking fourth in showmanship in 2024. For costume classes in 2024, she wore a Grinch outfit and handcrafted a Max get-up for Stormy, earning second in duo and first in cutest animal.
In 2024, Stutin blossomed. She joined Junior Fairboard, led several other animal organizations, got runner-up princess in the fair’s Royal Court and showed lease goats Dot and Mater for the first time.
She is constantly working to improve and practices with a horse trainer weekly. For the 2025 fair, Stutin is returning with Shyboy, Stormy, Evie, another rabbit, and goats — as well as, for the first time, a guinea pig. Her biggest hope is that she and Shyboy make it to the Ohio State Fair. She has found her niche.
“When I started 4-H, I was very shy,” she says. “But then last year, I dove right in. I was like, I’m gonna do this and this. … I don’t think I’m ever going to go back now.”
Mal McCrea
Mal McCrea
