Ruby Hunter, Dalton Lucas, Lauren McGraw and Mary Suarez, 8th graders at Sherrard Middle School, are being recognized for their outstanding knowledge of West Virginia history by being named the 2026 West Virginia Golden Horseshoe winners in Marshall County.
Given every year since 1931, the Golden Horseshoe test assesses student knowledge of state government, history, economics, geography and current events.
The Golden Horseshoe test is not a statewide competition which means 8th grade students compete against other 8th graders who attend school in their own county. The number of winners per county is based on the population.
Students with the highest scores in each county earn the distinguished Golden Horseshoe award. During a formal pinning ceremony, students are inducted as Knights of the Golden Horseshoe Society.
The four students will be honored during a banquet at the WV Culture Center in Charleston on Tuesday, June 9, 2026. This year, 225 8th graders from across West Virginia earned recognition as Knights of the Golden Horseshoe.