Equine Affaire in Pomona, CA
Thursday, March 2, 2006
Horse owners and enthusiasts enjoyed four days of sunshine and warm southern California weather at the sixth annual Equine Affaire, held February 2-5 at Fairplex in Pomona. Record numbers of equestrians from throughout the West Coast as well as throughout North America traveled to Fairplex to take advantage of Equine Affaire's exceptional program of educational clinics, seminars, and demonstrations and comprehensive equine-related trade show.
"Following our highly-successful show in 2005, we were thrilled to see attendance at the 2006 Equine Affaire in Pomona increase yet again," reported Eugenia Snyder, President of Equine Affaire. "Attendance at this show has grown more than 25% over the past two years, and we credit this growth to the outstanding roster of presenters we've been able to retain, the expansion of our popular Breed Pavilion, a popular Youth Pavilion, and the diverse and high-quality trade show we've assembled. Attendees are making Equine Affaire a special annual event to enjoy with their equestrian friends and family members."
A world-class roster of equestrians presented clinics on such diverse general training topics as ground training, trick training, and trailer loading and offered professional instruction on both competitive horse sports and recreational equestrian activities. Internationally-recognized competitors including George Morris (hunters & jumpers), Les Vogt (reining & working cow horse), Charmayne James (barrel racing), and Cesar Parra (dressage) shared the spotlight with such training experts as John Lyons, GaWaNi Pony Boy, Charles Wilhelm, and Julie Goodnight to provide a wide range of learning opportunities. Seminars and demonstrations covered equine chiropractics, saddle fitting, barn safety, Web site development, trail
riding and camping, conformation, first aid, and many other subjects customized for horsemen.
Many visitors gained further insight into their particular interests by speaking one-on-one with presenters at their exhibit booths, where they could also collect autographs or pick up training materials to continue the learning process at home.
Horse people of all ages navigated six buildings full of trade show exhibits to find not only equine essentials such as tack, grooming supplies, and equine health care products, but also specialty products and services such as equine dentistry, custom show apparel, and equestrian vacations. Those shopping for trucks and trailers compared makes and models from numerous dealers in exhibits both in Building 22 and among Fairplex's colorful outdoor plazas. Equine Affaire has become a convenient location for reviewing and purchasing horse trailers as evidenced by the brisk sales enjoyed by trailer vendors at this year's event.
Attendees were pleased with the quality and variety of presentations and other exposition highlights. Kathleen Keating shared her experience at the event: "My friend and I flew in from Vancouver, British Columbia, for the full four days of the event...and we both found the trip well worth it. Beautiful facility. We loved the trade show, and so many of the demonstrations, clinics and seminars. Thanks so much!"
Attendees and exhibitors enjoyed this year's greatly diversified and expanded Breed Pavilion, Youth Pavilion, and Celebrity Horse Showcase, all located in Building 22. The Breed Pavilion housed 25 different breeds of horses-including Arabians, Friesians, Icelandics, and Norwegian fjords, to name just a few-while breed demonstrations showcasing the attributes of each breed were conducted in the clinic arenas. The Youth Pavilion featured fun activities and presentations especially for young horse enthusiasts. The Celebrity Horse Showcase brought Caleyndar (a grey Arabian stallion who has appeared on television and in paintings and photographic books) and Tuno IV (a grey Andalusian gelding whose many appearances include being "Traveler 7" with the University of Southern California's team mascot, Tommy Trojan) "face to face" with current fans and introduced them to new admirers.
Editor’s Note: American Saddlebreds and Morgans were well-represented with breed booths and demonstrations as well. ASB owner Kathie Dunn also served as an expert presenter demonstrating side-saddle techniques aboard one of her Saddlebreds.
Equine Affaire Raffle prizes were awarded to six lucky winners- Dee Tierney from Yucca Valley, CA, won the western saddle package from Big Jim's Tack; Alison Wiles from Highland, CA, won the blanket package from Valley Vet Supply; Erin Miller from Paso Robles, CA, won the gift certificate toward a pair of chinks from Burns Saddlery; and Larry Hultgren from Fontana, CA, Colleen Canavin from Shadow Hills, CA, and Loretta Nielson from Ramona, CA, each won a pair of four-day tickets to next year's Equine Affaire event.
Sunshine and unseasonably warm temperatures throughout the four-day event afforded Equine Affaire attendees a very enjoyable equestrian weekend. Equine Affaire is able to offer horse enthusiasts presentations by and exhibits from a wide range of horse industry experts-all for a modest general admission fee-because of the support of many generous sponsors. Equine Affaire, Inc. wishes to thank the 26 companies whose sponsorship support helped make this year's event possible including Blue Ribbon
Manufacturing, Equine.com, Rarin' To Go Trailer Sales, and the Arabian Horse Association.
Upcoming Equine Affaires are scheduled for April 6-9 in Columbus, OH, and November 9-12 in West Springfield, MA. For more information on Equine Affaire, consult www.equineaffaire.com or call (740) 845-0085 weekdays from 9:00am to 5:00pm Eastern.
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