Fifteen Mercer County 4-H Horse Club members are working their 4-H horse projects into form to compete at the State 4-H Horse Show at the Farm Show Complex in Harrisburg Friday through Oct. 27.

This is one of the larger groups of Mercer County participants at the state show in recent years. The 15 youth will be exhibiting 20 project animals.

Lauren Hogue, Stoneboro, will be the first to show as she shows her two Paint Production projects, Fetan's Classy Shadow, a yearling gelding, and her unnamed filly of 2002 on Friday morning. Melissa McDowell, Mercer, will compete with her horse, Buddy, in the Working Hunter Horse Class on Friday night.

Saturday morning will be the Quarter Horse Show. Participating will be Leslie Abernathy, Mercer, with her two- year-old filly, Final Devotion; and Keelan Turner, New Castle, who will be showing Filing Chapter Eleven, a colt of 2002.

Taylar Adams, Jamestown, will be competing in the Hunter Type Horse Classes with her yearling filly, Sarah. Keelan Turner will be competing with her performance horse, Lord Money, on Saturday afternoon in the Hunter Under Saddle Horse, Junior Division Class. Molly McElrath of Mercer will be in the next class, the Hunter Under Saddle Horse, Senior Rider, with her horse, Watch Look Out.

Saturday evening, Mercer will be well represented in the Stock Seat Equitation Classes with Lauren Erchstadt, Greenville; and Christine Tyner, Grove City, competing in the Junior Division with their horses Fat Elvis and Maybe Ima Sno Devil. Lauren Hogue and her horse, Steel A Fancy Chip, will compete in the Senior Division.

Sunday will be the busiest day for Mercer County participants as the Grooming and Showmanship Classes are on Sunday morning. Three members will be competing in the Junior English Grooming and Showmanship Class -- Taylar Adams with her horse, Doc's Betin on Black; Samantha Logo, Greenville, and her horse, Uno Morrana; and Keelan Turner with Lord Money.

In the Senior Division, Shelly Campbell, Jamestown, with her horse, Incredible Corey; and Melinda Reed, Mercer, with her horse, Dreams of Innocence, will be competing.

In the Western Class, Junior Rider, Lauren Erchstadt and Fat Elvis will be competing. Lauren Hogue with Steel a Fancy Chip and Sara Schepp, Volant, with Sunny's Welcome Dove, will be competing in the Senior Division.

Beth King, Sandy Lake, will be competing with her miniature horse Whipporwills Warrior in the Miniature Horse Driving Class, and with Lady Whitmor in the Senior Rider Western Pleasure Horse Class.

Kristine Lazzar, Clarks Mills, and her horse, Just a Mir Kid, will compete in the Western Pleasure Futurity, 3-year-old class. Lauren Erchstadt and Kristine Lazzar will be competing in the Junior Rider, Western Pleasure Horse Class.

Charmine Wolff, Butler, will compete in the last class of the show, Western Riding, with her horse, Blue J's Lark.

All of the participants were selected by the judge at the District IX 4-H Horse Show.