Living the FFA Motto Through Horses, Leadership and Service

Hadley Hancock receiving her Greenhand degree from James Little.

Hadley Hancock receiving her Greenhand FFA Degree.

Hadley Hancock, a member of the Sugar-Salem FFA Chapter in Idaho, is a passionate member of her community. She is a sophomore in her second year of FFA and a vital chapter member. From horse judging to dairy cattle evaluation, she is always willing to fill in on teams and try her best at something new. She has contributed to many of her chapter’s activities through planning and inviting new members and friends.

A Lifelong Passion

Outside of Sugar-Salem FFA, Hancock has an extensive background with horses. From a young age, she grew up caring for her family’s horses, riding them and learning lessons far beyond the barn. She recently began her Supervised Agriculture Experience (SAE) with her horses.

“Hadley is a great FFA member who is dedicated to her SAE project,” says Sugar-Salem FFA President Carter Moore. “It was very exciting to see her horses at the homecoming parade; you can tell just how hard she has worked on them.”

Hancock got her first horse named Daisy when she was 8 years old. A few years later, at age 11, she added her second mare, Stormy. Most recently, she bought her first gelding, whom she named Skeeter.

“I raised and trained Stormy,” she said. “I’m still working on Skeeter, though.”

Hancock with her horses.

Sharing Her Passion With Others

As Hancock learned more about raising and training horses, she felt inspired to share her knowledge with others. That passion led her to begin teaching riding lessons in her community. Over the past three years, she has taught more than 30 kids to ride on her horse, Daisy. By helping them gain confidence and ease in the saddle, she’s also strengthened her own love for riding in the process.

Hancock’s journey reflects the FFA motto: Learning to Do, Doing to Learn, Earning to Live, Living to Serve. From raising and training her own horses to teaching others to ride, she has used every opportunity to grow and help others.

Curious to learn about more members who live out the FFA motto? Find more FFA in the USA articles featuring members from across the nation.