Lexington, Kentucky - The 2009 Massachusetts Equine Affaire©, held Thursday, November 12, through Sunday, November 15, 2009, in West Springfield, Massachusetts, proved an excellent opportunity to promote American Saddlebreds, as volunteers had great success in their promotional efforts for the breed at this event.

The Saddlebred exhibit at this year's event once again featured the "I'll Take You There" campaign, and the booth was manned by volunteers from ASHA charter clubs in Connecticut and Maine. A breed demo was also conducted at the event, which included 10 Saddlebreds, and represented walk-trot equitation, western, hunter, dressage, adult show pleasure, juvenile show pleasure, sport horse/jumper, fine harness, three-gaited park, and five-gaited.

According to volunteer Mark Strong, "It was a testament to the true versatility of the breed, and showed the crowd how accessible the American Saddlebred can be for everyone." There was also a pair of black and white pinto Saddlebreds on display in the sold-out nightly Pfizer Fantasia event. These two Saddlebreds performed pattern work as part of the Opening Ceremony, and played roles in a comical skit that followed later in the evening.

As part of the event's promotional efforts, and with the help of 13 New England Saddlebred barns, attendees of the event who had never ridden a Saddlebred were offered a free riding lesson. The sign-up material for this offer was available near the promotional Saddlebred videos provided by ASHA for the event, in hopes that those in attendance would view the video and be encouraged to take advantage of the offer, many of whom were quick to do so. Overall, 251 individuals registered for the program, the logistics of which were coordinated by ASA of Maine President Rick Drew.

To view photos from the event, visit the 2009 Massachusetts Equine Affaire photo gallery on the ASHA website, here.

There will also be American Saddlebred exhibits at upcoming Equine Affaire© events scheduled for California and Ohio. The California event is scheduled for Thursday, February 4, through Sunday, February 7, in Pomona, California. The Ohio Event is scheduled for Thursday, April 8, through Sunday, April 11, in Columbus, Ohio.

For questions or additional information, or to find out how to volunteer to assist in the Saddlebred promotional efforts at Equine Affaire©, for the California event, contact Kathie Dunn. For the Ohio event, contact Jeremy Kelley, or Mary Waickman.