For some, it takes years to find their true passion in life. But for junior Valerie Crouse, it’s different. She’s already found hers. Having loved horse all her life, she’s already Larimer County’s Desperados 4-H Queen for 2012 and acts as Vice-President for Larimer County’s 4-H club. Having already accomplished this, she wants the love she has for animals to be a big part of her life beyond high school.

As long as she can remember, Valerie has loved horses. However, owning a horse is very expensive and her family couldn’t afford one. So instead, Valerie chose softball and was an avid player until her unconditional love for animals made her decide to quit and dedicate her time to 4-H. Even though she didn’t have a horse, she still loved the club. It was at this time that Valerie received an amazing opportunity. Some friends in her church had an old horse they didn’t ride anymore and wanted to know if Valerie wanted to lease it. She was thrilled. “I was really grateful. I was finally getting a horse!”

Today, she rides her horse Tara, or some call by her by her show name “Heiress of the Loot.” Valerie puts in a lot of time to keep up with her horse. She drives to Berthoud every week to ride her and spends the majority of her weekends with her horse. “It’s a lot of work, but it’s totally worth it. I have decided to dedicate my life to 4-H and I really love it,” she said.

Earlier this year, Valerie was crowned Larimer County Desperados 4-H Queen for 2012. With this comes a lot of responsibility. She is the representative of the club in all the parades. However, she has her own personal goals that come with the title. “I want to be a role model for younger girls, whether they ride or not. I think it is important as queen to be someone to look up to.” Her reign ends in January. Along with being queen, she is also vice-president of her 4-H club where she helps run meetings and backs up the president. This year, she also competed in the Horse Judging Team and made it to state. There, she got to judge horse shows while getting judged on how well she judged. She was also named Champion Senior Horse Showman in the Round Robin and won Senior Reserve Horse Champion Record book, where she was judged on how well she kept her horse’s record book. “4-H has helped me accomplish so many things,” she said, “I have learned a lot about leadership and public speaking, especially with my horse judging competition. It has also helped me to branch out and be more outgoing.”

Her work in 4-H has also inspired her to be a veterinarian when she grows up. “This last fair, I got to help out with all the animals this time instead of just the horse and I really loved it. I made me have more of an appreciation for other animals and is why I want to be a livestock veterinarian,” Valerie said. She also plans to go to CSU and get the education she will need to live out her dreams.

4-H is a national club for young adults ages 8-18. There is also a younger group called “Cloverbuds” for younger members that get to experience parts of the 4-H club. The Desperado’s 4-H club is bigger than most with 25 members in total. 4-H stands for head, hearts, hands, and health. While most people think that 4-H is just about livestock, Valerie wants people to know that that’s not true. There are parts of 4-H for crafts, baking, and gardening. They are also involved with other organizations like Hearts and Horses that recently paired with Special Olympics, where Valerie helped a sensory trail for mentally disabled children to ride horses while also feeling their way along the trail. “I love 4-H because it teaches responsibility, respect, and just fundamental skills for the future.”

Being a part of a club that is so much bigger than herself, Valerie Crouse has certainly found her passion and hopes to continue working with animals for the rest of her life. Her goal for this year is to finally become President of the club and become a strong leader. With extraordinary maturity and work ethic, Valerie will reach for the stars.