St. Louis Charity Recognized As Missouri’s Best
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
The Missouri Horse Show Association (MHSA) named the St. Louis National Charity Horse Show the 2006 Show of the Year for both the hunter/jumper and Saddlebred shows.
Hunter/jumper week was awarded the MHSA 2006 Star Show of the Year for hunter/jumper shows two days or more. This recognition came as no surprise to exhibitor and longtime horse show board member Lisa Mills of Ballwin, Mo. “We’ve worked really hard to make this show special,” said Mills. “Our $25,000 Budweiser Grand Prix drew top-notch exhibitors from all over the country. Add to that the MACLAY finals and a fun, country-fair atmosphere, and it was a winning combination.”
Joni Friesen, President of the St. Louis National Charity Horse Show, says the same fun atmosphere contributed to the success of the Saddlebred show, which received the MHSA 2006 Show of the Year for Saddlebred shows four days or more. “We have exhibitor parties almost every night with a huge turnout,” explained Friesen. “The Saddlebred world is a tight-knit community, but this show really brings everyone together – it’s all about good food and good horses.”
The MHSA award comes on the heels of another. United Professional Horsemen’s Association (UPHA) also named the 2006 Saint Louis National Charity Horse Show the UPHA Chapter 5 Show of the Year for Saddlebred week.
Friesen credits the show’s popularity to the new charity it benefits: Longmeadow Rescue Ranch, the farm animal division of the Humane Society of Missouri. In 2006, the horse show donated $20,000 to Longmeadow with the goal of helping abused and neglected horses find loving homes.
According to Friesen, this charity is the perfect partner for the horse show. “It’s horses helping horses in the most literal sense, and it’s something the horse community can really rally around,” she added. For more information on Longmeadow Rescue Ranch and the horses available for adoption, visit www.longmeadowrescueranch.org.
The dates for the 2007 Saint Louis National Charity Horse Show are as follows:
· Hunter/Jumper is Sept. 12-16, 2007 with the Grand Prix on Sept. 16.
· Saddlebred week is Sept. 26-29, 2007, and will again be the American Saddlebred Horse Association Regional Championship Show for Region 5. Regional Championships will be awarded in designated classes to the highest placed horse that is stabled in and owned by a resident of Missouri, Illinois or Kansas.
The show location will again be at the National Equestrian Center in Lake St. Louis, Missouri. Judges will be announced at a later date.
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