BERNE — Founded just a year ago, the Berne-Knox-Westerlo chapter of Future Farmers of America won first place in a state competition last weekend.

Kayleigh Reynolds-Flynn, 16, won the People in Agriculture competition at the New York State FFA convention after making a presentation on state police canine handlers, a job she hopes to one day have.

Last year, BKW started teaching agriculture courses, hiring agricultural science teacher Michaela Kehrer — who now serves as the chapter advisor along with junior advisor Sarah McArdle — and introducing the FFA chapter.

Reynolds-Flynn, a junior, lives on her family’s horse farm and often heard at home how an FFA chapter would be beneficial, and so she joined as soon as she learned the district would be starting a chapter, she said.

Reynolds-Flynn grew up in Speigletown, a hamlet in the town of Schaghticoke in Rensselaer County, and went to school in the Lansingburgh Central School District in the city of Troy. She moved to the Hilltowns with her family and began attending Berne-Knox-Westerlo four years ago, where she said she was able to connect with more people who cared for animals or lived on farms.

Her family currently owns eight Belgian horses that they offer for carriage rides for events such as weddings, and also have them compete in local shows. Reynolds-Flynn has been riding horses for as long as she remembers.

“I was really little when I started … ,” she explained. “I just grew up knowing how to ride.”

Her life on her family’s horse farm also involves chores: She feeds the horses every morning and night, and cleans their stalls five times a week.

Reynolds-Flynn has been taking classes in agricultural science. This semester, she is taking a course on agricultural issues. Last semester, she took a class on equine science, where she learned things even she didn’t know about horses after working with them for years.

For one project, she reconstructed a horse’s skeleton using uncooked pasta to create a six-inch model. Macaroni, penne, and spaghetti became limbs, and bowtie pasta was broken in half for hooves or to be used as a skull.

Reynolds-Flynn first began competing with FFA in a fall event at State University of New York College of Agriculture and Technology at Cobleskill. She and her partner, Amanda Conley, got second place in the Equine Competition. Another BKW pair, Samantha Filkins and Breanna Larghe, won first place in the same competition. Liz Lendrum took first place in 4-Wheel Wagon Tractor Driving, and Ryan Stansfield took first in Landscape Design.

FFA chapters are divided into 10 districts; BKW is part of District 2, which extends from BKW downstate to schools bordering New Jersey. For the spring competition, Reynolds-Flynn and other students traveled to Pine Plains in Dutchess County to compete against other District 2 students at Stissing Mountain Junior/Senior High School on March 10.

“At first it was kind of, like, nerve-wracking,” she admitted. “But once it was done, it was like, ‘Wow, that felt really good.’”

For the love of dogs

In the competition, Reynolds-Flynn gave a presentation about different categories of agriculture and examples of jobs in each. For example, on agri-business, she spoke about a floral designer, and on mechanical science, she spoke about a combine operator. For her final category, she spoke in depth about her dream job, working as a canine handler for the New York State Police.

She hopes that her background in agriculture and study of small animals will help her get there. In the FFA competition, she presented the advantages and disadvantages, what training is required to do the job, and what a typical day is like.

Reynolds-Flynn did research online and also emailed Trooper Patrick Shufelt, Kehrer’s brother-in-law, who at the time worked as a canine handler before he was promoted to the state’s Bureau of Criminal Investigation.

“Finding his answers to that was pretty cool,” said Reynolds-Flynn.

Last semester, Trooper Casey Krul had also visited her equine studies class with his police dog, Frey, who was able to track down narcotics Krul had hidden in the classroom as a demonstration.

From Shufelt, Reynolds-Flynn learned that canine handlers typically work 12-hour shifts, similar to other troopers, and respond to patrol officers or house calls. Police usually handle either German shepherds or bloodhounds. The handler and his or her dog spend 20 weeks in Cooperstown training, and spend days and nights together to build both a work and a personal relationship.

“When your shift is over, your dog comes home with you,” explained Reynolds-Flynn, adding that often means the bond is stronger than that of a typical owner and pet.

“I think the best part I learned about when talking to him was the bond between the handler and the dog,” she said, of her conversation with Shufelt.

She herself owns four dogs: a rottweiler, a German shorthaired pointer, a Jack Russell terrier, and a yellow Labrador retriever. She has already trained her lab, a duck-hunting dog, to retrieve and drop, and is trying to do the same with her pointer.

Moving up

A week after the March 10 competition, Reynolds-Flynn competed at the next level: sub-states. She and her fellow FFA members traveled to Cobleskill-Richmondville High School where they competed against the top four competitors from each district competition.

After their victory there, they traveled to Rochester for their final competition from May 17 to the 19. They stayed for two nights, competing over the course of three days and had “a lot of fun,” attending a Scotty McCreery concert and visiting the Strong National Museum of Play, Kehrer said.

“Before I presented, I was pretty nervous,” Reynolds-Flynn said, of her final presentation before a panel of three judges.

Kehrer said that Reynolds-Flynn gave an excellence performance that was well-rehearsed and prepared for. When she finished, the judges asked Reynolds-Flynn even more questions about her presentation.

“That just attests to your knowledge,” Kehrer said to Reynolds-Flynn.

Hours later, she, her four teammates; and the two club advisors, were sitting with other competitors in an arena waiting for the results to be announced.

Reynolds-Flynn’s name was called.

“My reaction was, ‘Holy crap, I just won!’” she said. “... We were all screaming.”

That same night, the BKW chapter was awarded the Chapter Jacket Award, which is issued to new chapters and gives them the blue corduroy jackets worn by FFA members.

The following day, BKW had another victory when Shelby Clickman placed seventh in the Discussion Meet competition.

Callie Hempstead also participated in the Agriculture Education Incentive Grant workshop, while Graycie Swan and Amber Gebe — who helped Kehrer apply for the jacket award — represented BKW as delegates for the business meeting and voting process for the new New York State officer team.

For her senior year of high school, Reynolds-Flynn, who also serves as the chapter secretary, intends to compete again and, after meeting district presidents during the competition, hopes to apply to be District 2’s president next year.