Horsemen from throughout the region are already planning ahead for the 2014 Equine Affaire, which will take place at the Ohio Expo Center in Columbus on April 1013. The program of the upcoming event will include more than 200 different clinics, seminars and demonstrations on a broad range of equine disciplines and horse-related topics conducted by many of the nation’s leading coaches, competitors, horse trainers, and horse management experts. Though most event attendees choose to watch the clinics from the stands, selected horses and riders have the opportunity to participate in the clinics through Equine Affaire’s “Ride With The Best” program.
The Clinics and Clinicians
Whether you’re interested in improving your dressage test score, shortening your horse’s barrel runs, perfecting your reining patterns, adding finesse to your jumping skills or simply improving your riding skills and your horse’s performance, you won’t want to miss the opportunity to receive individual instruction from the outstanding clinicians who will be participating in Equine Affaire’s Ride With the Best program. Among the presenters who will be participating are “general” horse and horsemanship trainers Guy McLean, Stacy Westfall, Kerry Kuhn and Richard Winters.
Clinicians offering sessions in the Western disciplines will include Stacy Westfall (reining), Molly Powell (barrel racing), Richard Winters (reined cow horse) and Dana Hokana (Western pleasure).
Those conducting clinics in English disciplines will include Bernie Traurig (jumpers), Janet Foy and Michael Barisone (dressage), Dana Hokana (hunter under saddle), Jim Wofford (eventing) and Marc Johnson (driving). Jeff Wilson will present sessions on cowboy dressage, Gary Lane will offer clinics on easy gaited horses and Karen Ososki will present on rider biomechanics.
If you have one or more horses that are halter broke and ready to be started under saddle, you may want to consider applying to have your horse trained in Equine Affaire’s new “Foundation First” clinics.
Guy McLean, Stacy Westfall and Richard Winters will be presenting Foundation First clinics over the four days of the event. Each will train one unbroke horse to be ridden, and attendees and horse owners will be able to observe their progress through daily clinics. The Foundation First clinics will not be a race or competition. The focus will be on creating the proper foundation in training a horse to be ridden and on progressing at the rate that is appropriate for the individual horse. All three clinicians will present their horses during a special session on Sunday, when they will discuss the specific challenges associated with the training of their horses and why they used the training approaches they used over the course of the four days. The Foundation First clinics will offer unique opportunities for owners of halter-broke horses to have their horses trained to be ridden by these exceptional trainers.
What It Costs and How To Apply
The modest clinic fees for Equine Affaire’s “Ride With The Best” program range from $70 for a single clinic to $300 for the multi-session Foundation First clinics. Fees include clinic participation, event admission and stabling. Clinicians will select the participants for their sessions from written applications and videos submitted by applicants to Equine Affaire. While some are seeking riders and horses with specific skills or problems to demonstrate and resolve during their clinics, others are seeking any riders interested in improving their general horsemanship and relationships with their horses. The 2014 Equine Affaire will offer a wide range of learning opportunities—and you and your horse might be the ideal participants for one or more sessions.
Full clinic details and a Ride With The Best application are available at equineaffaire.com. Click on the Ohio event and follow the “Participate” link to information on the Ride With The Best program. Interested riders and horse owners may also request an information packet and clinic application by contacting Kristen Gump at kgrump@equineaffaire.com or by calling 740-845-0085 ext. 104. Don’t miss these unique and affordable clinic opportunities; get your application materials in before the Feb. 14 deadline! Consult equineaffaire.com for continuously updated information on additional clinicians and sessions in the Ride With The Best program.
Elevate your equestrian experience at Equine Affaire—the premiere equine exposition and equestrian gathering in North America. Browse the largest horse-related trade show to be found anywhere (including Youth and Breed Pavilions and the new Hobby Farms Pavilion); experience Equine Affaire’s signature musical celebration of the horse—the Fantasia sponsored by Buckeye Nutrition—on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights; and take in all of the action of Equine Affaire’s Versatile Horse & Rider Competition on Thursday and Friday afternoons. For everything you need to know to go, visit equineaffaire.com.
