ASHEVILLE, N.C., - Wow! What a horse show! Competition on the Carolina circuit continues to heat up and many of the battles waged at the Asheville Lions Club Horse Show, May 15-18, at the Western North Carolina Horse Show Facility were absolutely world class at this important stop on the road to Louisville.
Armon Effinger, Euchee Matthews, and John Jones judged the Saddlebred, Hackney, roadster and equitation divisions and Heather Boodey judged the academy classes.
Manager Ray Cloninger, secretary Joyce Wilson and entry secretary Barbara Woodlief kept things running smoothly all weekend for exhibitors and the nearly 500 horses that made the trek to the mountains of western North Carolina. The show has over the years developed the reputation as a "little Louisville" because it continues to draw the cream of the crop from more than 25 states across the U.S.
The amateur and juvenile divisions were huge in virtually every section but it was great to see well-filled classes in many of the open divisions, due perhaps, to the Three-Gaited, Five-Gaited, Fine Harness, and Roadster Championships being MASCUP Classic classes.
Saturday night's cold temperatures didn't dissuade exhibitors from showing and entertaining the big crowd in one of the best championship sessions so far this season. Class after class all weekend long hosted world's champion after world's champion and in so many cases it was quite an accomplishment just to earn a ribbon.
DeLovely Farm came away as the weekend's biggest winners with 14 winning ribbons on the tack room wall by show's end. Silver Brook and Sunrise Stables also went home with a huge win count and the group from Cash Lovell Stables had an enormous number of wins to their credit as well. Kalarama Farm went home to Kentucky with a big win count including both the Five-Gaited Grand Championship and Three-Gaited Grand Championship titles. Ruth Gimpel brought her group from Florida and put together a long list of winners and Boone's Farm represented their home state well with numerous wins for the weekend.
Drowning Creek Farm, Premier, Carowill Farm, Clear View Stables, Grey Ridge Farm, Blythewood Farm, Buffalo Creek Farm, Richard Obenauf Stables, Johnny Lucas & Sons Stables, Steve Hanks Stables, Richardson Stables, Magnolia Stables, West Wind, Mike Tunstall Stables, Bridle Path Farm, Castle Hills Farm, Summer Chase, Arrowhead Farm, and Judd Stables all went home after having made victory passes during the weekend.
As the road to Louisville gets shorter and shorter, the Asheville Lions Club Horse Show has to be considered a very important stop on that road. There are so many reasons to go; a great facility, the charming city of Asheville, and of course . . . the opportunity to see and compete against some of the best horse flesh in the country.
For complete show coverage see the May 27th issue of Saddle Horse Report