Start Planning Now for Equine Affaire Ohio 2009

I’ve been to the Equine Affaire at the Ohio State Expo Center twice in the last three years, and was generally pretty good for one day of clinics and shopping. Now that I’ve got a horse, however, everything’s changed. I’m interested in a whole different set of clinics, not to mention a lot of equipment I wasn’t looking to buy pre-horse ownership.

And to top it off, 2008 Olympic dressage team member Steffen Peters is one of this year’s clinicians. He has a full schedule of sessions on Thursday and Friday of the April 2-5, 2009 event, and they look amazing. Here are the titles:

• Collection: Establishing a Solid Foundation at 1st & 2nd Level
• Creating a Better Ride: Explaining & Applying Effective Aids to the Dressage Horse
• Evaluating Performance & Setting Realistic Training Goals for the Young, Advanced & Olympic- Level Dressage Horse
• Going for the Freestyle: Tips for Developing and Performing an Impressive Dressage Freestyle Test

These look like some incredible sessions for beginning and advanced dressage riders, and for this new-ish owner with hunter/jumper, dressage, and/or eventing aspirations.

Because of these wonderful clinics and shopping, I look forward to Equine Affaire every year. But just four years ago, I’d never even heard of it!

What is Equine Affaire?

Equine Affaire is one of the largest equestrian conventions in the country. Held three times a year in various locations across the country (Massachusetts in November, Ohio in April, and California in January), it is an education-oriented, four-day horse event. Each day is jam-packed with clinics from the most well-known authorities in every discipline you can think of – from jumping to western pleasure to gaited horses, natural horsemanship, and trail riding. Exhibition halls are filled with vendors selling everything from feed to trailers to show clothes to barn equipment, tack, and horsey gifts.

According to their site, Equine Affaire’s mission is to:

• Improve the horse management, training, and riding skills of current horsemen
• Promote communication and cooperation within our very diverse national horse industry
• Provide an introduction to the extraordinary world of horses
• Showcase the finest horses and riders representing a variety of horse breeds and equestrian disciplines

Four days of clinics run from 9:30 am-7:00 pm (done at 5:00 pm on Sundays) with multiple sessions running simultaneously. They typically have different clinicians every year, and some accept applications for outside riders to participate. The tradeshow exhibit halls are also open during this time.

The event also features a breed show, youth pavilion, horse and farm exhibits, and Extreme Cowboy Race competition.

Pfizer Fantasia

Fridays and Saturdays conclude with the Pfizer Fantasia show, a pretty awesome display of horsemanship. It’s described as

This one-of-a-kind, family-friendly musical celebration of the horse will feature a variety of special equestrian actschoreographed to a wide variety of musical styles. Professional performers will dazzle the crowd with acrobatic artistry, and precision drill teams will impress their fellow horsemen with intricate pattern work. The evening will highlight the brilliance, grace and athleticism of all equines-from smaller horse breeds through large draft breeds-and the special connections they share with their human handlers.

2009 Ohio Equine Affaire

April 2-5, 2009
Ohio State Expo Center

Clinicians this year include Steffen Peters, Julie Goodnight, Monty Roberts, Craig Cameron, George Williams, Mark Rashid, Tommy Garland, Angela Moore and many others.

• Clinic session schedule (PDF)
• Presenters
• Tradeshow exhibitors

Tickets

General Admission

One day: $14
(kids 7-12 $8)

Four days: $48
(kids 7-12 $28)

Pfizer Fantasia

$12-25 (depending on seating location) + a $2.75 reservation fee

General admission or Fantasia tickets may be purchased in advance online.

Blogger Meet-Up?

If you are a blogger or a blog reader and are attending this year’s Ohio Equine Affaire, I’d love to meet up with you! If you are interested in getting together over lunch or something, contact me. If enough people are interested, we may be able to plan a scheduled group meet-up.