Lively Crowd to WSHE

By Kate Riordan June 20, 2012

The 14^th annual Western States Horse Expo opened its gates June 8-10 to enthusiastic horse lovers who poured into the Cal Expo Fairgrounds in Sacramento, sprinting from vendor pavilions and outdoor displays to six different arenas and educational venues.

Events kicked off on a high note Friday as crowds flocked to watch Chris Cox start a colt in the Ram Truck Freedom Arena.

Cox, who knows how to expertly work with a young horse as he educates and entertains the audience, was the morning’s showstopper. Other clinicians and lecturers delivering their messages included Bernie Traurig, Steve Rother, Eitan Beth-Halachmy, Peggy Cummings, Dana Hokana, Tim Kimura and Lynn Palm.

Over the three days, some 35 contestants vied for the winning title in the Project Cowgirl competition, eventually won by Jenny Sherbo who earned the title the Next Great American Horsewoman.

The sun was beginning to set as thousands lined up Friday night in the cooling temperatures, armed with corn dogs as they patiently waited for the gates to open for the popular stock horse event, the Magnificent 7. The audience was rewarded with glitter and glamour as the California Cowgirls came out in full force, executing a beautiful drill team maneuver flanked by the U.S. flag in every saddle.

The Project Cowgirl ladies were introduced to a standing ovation crowd before the Mag 7 finalists, only hours after qualifying that morning, took turns cutting, reining, fence work and steer stopping. The winner of this world-class event was Corey Cushing on a horse named Smart Boon, bringing to a close the two-year reign of Ron Emmons, who came in second on Olena Oak, the mare that carried him to victory in 2011.

During the evening, 2011 Western States Horse Expo Hall of Fame Award winner and cowboy extraordinaire Bob Avila presented the 2012 Hall of Fame to the Western States Trail Foundation, an organization that has hosted the world famous 100-mile Tevis Cup Ride since 1955 and has kept this challenging Sierra Mountain trail open and maintained for 57 years.

The wind kicked up on Saturday, but didn’t infringe on the fun as Expo fans listened to live music while dining on barbecued ribs and gelato as the horse sale auction took place. One item of interest was on a fuzzy baby Zebra amidst the performance and trail horses on offer.

Hitches of handsome draft horses shook the ground as they assembled in the Ram Trucks Arena, glistening with polished gear, pulling strikingly beautiful wagons and carts. Not to be outdone by the ‘gentle giant’ draft breeds, the Driving Darby was fast-moving fun as the single and two-up hitches pulled by a variety of breeds zoomed around obstacle courses at amazing speeds. An array of breeds paraded through the crowds and then ‘strutted their stuff’ in the arena.

A highlight of Saturday’s events was the viewing of the Belmont Race in the California Thoroughbred Breeders Association booth, where throngs gathered to watch the race, many festooned in hats worthy of the Kentucky Derby. Broadcast television crews were seen throughout the grounds that day, interviewing people about how they felt regarding “I’ll Have Another” being scratched from the Belmont, surrendering hope for a Triple Crown winner.

Kate Chenery Tweedy, author of “Secretariat’s Meadow” and a member of the family that owned the great Secretariat, was the star attraction of the Book Corral where some 20-plus authors had tables of books for sale. It was a fabulous opportunity for people to meet their favorite authors ‘up close and personal.’ The Book Corral, shaded and surrounded with greenery, was one of the most popular areas of the Horse Expo.

The Young Rider Park, nestled in the olive tree grove, is always a huge hit for budding buckaroos and buckarettes. These youngsters make horse cookies, fingerpaint live Arabian horses (which start out grey, of course), ride ponies, paint horseshoes in an environment described by WSHE founder and president Miki Nelsen as “like a horse Disneyland for kids.”

Of course the amount and quality of vendors is a huge draw for attendees. Four indoor air-conditioned pavilions were filled with art, clothing, jewelry, saddles, bridles, supplements, clinicians. The four pavilions were flanked by outdoor displays of barns, horse trailers, trucks, tractors, motorhomes, living trailers, ATVs, panels, creating what was very much a one-stop shopping environment for a wide spectrum of equine needs.

Now that they’ve taken a few deep breaths, Nelsen and her team are already at work designing the 2^nd Annual Horse Expo Pomona, taking place in Southern California Jan. 31-Feb.2, and the 15^th annual Western States Horse Expo, June 7-9.

For more information visit www.horsexpo.com or call 800.352.2411.

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