Author: RoanokeEquestrian

Photos from the AQHA Spring Breakout at the Virginia Horse Center

Classic Chrome

The first few days of Spring meant the horse showing at the horse center, with the first of three AQHA shows of the season in Lexington.

Classes were modest in size. Trail and Western Riding had as few as three entries. Youth Equitation had in the double digits. And the ever-growing Ranch Horse Pleasure class continued its rise with 28 entered in the Open class.

 Many of the horses were a bit rusty and there was plenty of schooling going on. The turnouts lacked the spit and shine you see later into the season. The silver and sequin is sure to be sparkling brightly when AQHA rolls in again this fall for the Novice Championship.

It was our first experience watching Ranch Horse Pleasure. It was certainly the most popular class on Saturday’s showbill and it’s easy to see why. It fit horses and people that don’t want to spend thousands of dollars on silver for their saddle and sparkles for their jackets. Horses could compete even if they were a bit green and wooly with spring coats. You don’t need to be with a full-time trainer to maintain an artificially slow lope in your horse. The gaits were natural, forward and more in line with what the quarter horse was originally bred for. It will be interesting to see how the class evolves over time.

More photos and all-around results.

GET YOUR HORSE FIX: Equestrian events in the Roanoke region this weekend (March 21-22)

Trainers prepare a horse for competition at the Virginia Horse Center.

We are excited for the AQHA to roll into the Virginia Horse Center this weekend, but that’s not the only show in town (or even the only event at the horse center) if that’s not your cup of tea.And if you don’t feel like going out, we’ve got online options listed too.

VIRGINIA HORSE CENTER

  • AQHA: The Virginia Quarter Horse Association is holding is annual Spring Breakout show at the horse center this weekend. Larry Little, Judd Paul, Tony Burris, Rhonda Replogle will judge. The show will start at 8 a.m. both Saturday and Sunday. Saturday will open with trail, move to hunter classes, pleasure driving, western riding, ranch horse pleasure and reining later in the day. Sunday will open with halter and showmanship and then move to western pleasure and horsemanship classes. Find a complete class schedule here.
  • CLINIC: Mary Babick will be presenting a two-day clinic, organized by the Southwest Virginia Hunter/Jumper Association (SWVHJA) this weekend. Babick’s two-day hunter and equitation clinic will offer three sections including a 2’6″ hunter section, a 3′ hunter section and a 3′ equitation section.    Riding spots are filled but auditor spots are still available.  Audit tickets are available for $150/day or $250 for both days, and TCP participants may register to receive credits for $300. Babick, of Freehold, NJ, has trained students and horses out of her Knightsbridge Farm, earning victories and  at such shows as Devon, the Penn National, Washington International, U.S. Pony Finals and the North American Junior and Young Rider Championship. Babick’s students have earned many state, zone and national championships, from the small pony to the national equitation finals and the junior and amateur-owner jumper sections.

CAMPBELL COUNTY

The Leslie Morris Breast Cancer Benefit Horse Show will be Saturday at the Patrick Henry Girls Home, 1039 Brookneal Hwy, Rustburg, Va. Show starts at noon, gates open at 10 a.m. (About 1 hour from Roanoke) Show is casual and participants are invited to wear pink or their fanciest show clothes.

A LOOK AHEAD

STREAMING LIVE ONLINE

GET YOUR HORSE FIX: Equestrian events in the Roanoke region this weekend (March 21-22)

We are excited for the AQHA to roll into the Virginia Horse Center this weekend, but that’s not the only show in town (or even the only event at the horse center) if that’s not your cup of tea.And if you don’t feel like going out, we’ve got online options listed too.

VIRGINIA HORSE CENTER

  • AQHA: The Virginia Quarter Horse Association is holding is annual Spring Breakout show at the horse center this weekend. Larry Little, Judd Paul, Tony Burris, Rhonda Replogle will judge. The show will start at 8 a.m. both Saturday and Sunday. Saturday will open with trail, move to hunter classes, pleasure driving, western riding, ranch horse pleasure and reining later in the day. Sunday will open with halter and showmanship and then move to western pleasure and horsemanship classes. Find a complete class schedule here.
  • CLINIC: Mary Babick will be presenting a two-day clinic, organized by the Southwest Virginia Hunter/Jumper Association (SWVHJA) this weekend. Babick’s two-day hunter and equitation clinic will offer three sections including a 2’6″ hunter section, a 3′ hunter section and a 3′ equitation section.    Riding spots are filled but auditor spots are still available.  Audit tickets are available for $150/day or $250 for both days, and TCP participants may register to receive credits for $300. Babick, of Freehold, NJ, has trained students and horses out of her Knightsbridge Farm, earning victories and  at such shows as Devon, the Penn National, Washington International, U.S. Pony Finals and the North American Junior and Young Rider Championship. Babick’s students have earned many state, zone and national championships, from the small pony to the national equitation finals and the junior and amateur-owner jumper sections.

CAMPBELL COUNTY

The Leslie Morris Breast Cancer Benefit Horse Show will be Saturday at the Patrick Henry Girls Home, 1039 Brookneal Hwy, Rustburg, Va. Show starts at noon, gates open at 10 a.m. (About 1 hour from Roanoke) Show is casual and participants are invited to wear pink or their fanciest show clothes.

A LOOK AHEAD

STREAMING LIVE ONLINE

Get your horse fix: Equestrain events in the Roanoke region this weekend (March 14-15)

Hat City, owned and ridden by Lauren Moran at the
Thoroughbred Celebration Show in 2014..
Photo Credit David Bell/RideOnSports Photography

Did I really just see daffodils blooming in Roanoke? Dare I hope that my pasture is turning ever-so-slightly green? Can I let myself believe that spring is here? I know at our house we are certainly hoping so as ice gives way to mud. My riding areas are much too water-logged to get any time in the saddle. So here are some events around our region where you can hopefully find drier footing and horses coming out of our winter hibernation.

VIRGINIA HORSE CENTER

This weekend is the center’s annual Thoroughbred Celebration Spring Show in the Coliseum and Wiley Arena. The two-day Hunter/ Jumper series is for horses who are either off the track or bred to race. Meg Rhodes will judge hunters. Leslie Brown will judge jumpers. Both days start at 8 a.m. Find a prize list and schedule of classes here.

SEMINAR

The Southwest Virginia Dressage Association will host it’s Educational Sunday at 8 a.m. March 15 at Flanagan Stables in Christiansburg. Lynne Gilbert (competitive endurance rider) will discuss long-distance riding. Heather Hilgartner, DVM (of Windover Equine Services) will discuss lameness in dressage horses. Wayne Jones (Owner of Star-Ro Trailers) will  discuss trailer safety. Roddy and Sally Moore (Storey Creek Farm) will be discuss training and driving draft horses. Used tack sale also planned. The event is free, so bring a chair and learn something new.

 A LOOK AHEAD

GET YOUR HORSE FIX: Equestrian events around Roanoke this weekend (March 7-8)

Things are picking up this week as the snow begins to melt away. Let’s hope for warm weather and no snow as we head into March.

VIRGINIA HORSE CENTER

The House Mountain Horse Show is set for March 7-8 at the horse center Coliseum for hunters/jumpers.  The two-day regional schooling show is named after the Lexington area mountain. The show is owned and operated by the VHCF and managed by Keedie Leonard & L.M. “Sandy” Gerald. Glenn Moody of Charlottesville will judge. Find the Prize List here.

GREEN HILL EQUESTRIAN CENTER

The Salem park will hold its third show in its Winter Series on March 8, beginning at 11 a.m. Ken Davis will judge. Find a show flyer here.

COGGINS CLINIC

Get your required Coggins testing done at the Early Bird Coggins Clinic. Load up and meet Dr. Heather Hilgartner of Windover Equine Services on Saturday, March 7 from 9 a.m.-1p.m. at Liberty Lake Park in Bedford, Va.   Digital Coggins $23, Fecal Egg Counts $15.  Vaccines available with notice. Call 540-397-6796 for more information.

TACK SALE

The Botetourt County Horse Association’s annual Tack n’ Trade Sale is 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, March 7, at the VFW Hall, Rt 220 in Daleville.

VIRGINIA/NORTH CAROLINA HORSE FESTIVAL

The Virginia Cooperative Extension hosts. Demonstrations on Dressage and Long Lining, Parade of Breeds, Hunter/Jumper, and Mounted Shooting plus many more exhibitors and vendors. The festival begins at 10 a.m. and will run until 3 p.m. at the Olde Dominion Agricultural Complex on U.S. 29 in Chatham, Va. Admission is free. More information.

The Farm Show Complex arena.

ROAD TRIP 

The Pennsylvania Horse World Expo, is March 5-8 at the Farm Show Complex in Harrisburg, Pa. (4 1/2 hour-drive from Roanoke).The World Expo includes seminars, clinics, a stallion avenue, carriage racing, shopping with hundreds of vendors and Theatre Equus, a musical variety show. All activities are heated and parking is free, but there is a daily admission charge of $12 for adults and $6 for children 6-12, cash only at the door.

A LOOK AHEAD

Penn State’s twin foals all grown up, one ready for sale

Remember the twin foals that were foaled at Penn State in 2013? One of them is headed for the annual Penn State Quarter Horse Sale that is set for Saturday, May 2, at Penn State’s Snider Ag Arena.

Named PSU She B Rockin Two, the 14.2 hand bay mare is one of ten 2-year-olds that will be auctioned at the sale. Two 3-year-olds will also be offered. You can find a sale catalog for the sale here. 

The other twin is still at Penn State but will not be auctioned off this year, a representative from Penn State said.

Horses up for sale are by stallions Execute, Willie Be Nimble, Time to Score and PSU Dynamic Krymsun.

Check out our 8 tips for buying a horse at auction.

Execute

PSU Dynamic Krymsun

Time to Score

Willie Be Nimble

GET YOUR HORSE FIX: Equestrian events in the Roanoke area Feb. 28 – March 1

Please let the snowstorms and bitter cold be over, and let’s get to some horse shows! Things are a little slow in the Roanoke region, but there are a few horse-related events going on in the region this weekend to help us dream of spring!

VIRGINIA HORSE CENTER

EVENT CANCELED… We showed up Saturday morning to find the Va Horse Center locked and gated. Hollins Spring Welcome Horse Show “A” is for hunter/jumpers and runs Thursday through Sunday. Dee Thomas, Carole O’Brien, Judy Spitzer, and E. Sue Bopp are judging. The 4-day show is a qualifier for the Virginia Hunter Championships that will be held Aug. 15 at the Virginia Horse Center.

MEETING

The Botetourt County Horsemen’s Association will hold it’s monthly meeting on March 3 at Bellacino’s in Daleville. This month will focus on local youth programs.

SEMINAR POSTPONED

The seminar by the Southwest Virginia Dressage Association that was scheduled for Sunday, March 1, has been postponed until March 15. The Educational Sunday at Flanagan Stables is a free annual seminar on a variety of equine-related topics including lameness, long-distance riding, trailering and trailer safety and training and driving draft horses. Plus a used tack sale. Registration is 8 a.m. and is free. See http://www.swvada.org for more information.

A LOOK AHEAD

GET YOUR HORSE FIX: Equestrian events Feb. 14-15 near Roanoke

A deep plunge of cold air is coming just in time for Valentine’s Day this year, which may not make you enjoy heading out with the horses quite so much. But if your heart yearns only for horses, no matter the weather, you can still feed that hunger.

VIRGINIA HORSE CENTER

The Polar Bear Horse Show is a very aptly named event this year. The hunter schooling show will be held in the East Complex at the center. The event includes classes on the flat and over fences and begins at 8:30 both Saturday and Sunday. Casual attire is permitted except in the equitation classes. Find the schedule of classes here.

TAKE A ROAD TRIP

  • Clinic:  Lana Affemann Performance-Horses and Stark Performance Horses will be holding a clinic on grooming your horse and showing in halter and showmanship Feb. 14-15 in Smithfield, Va. (4-hour drive from Roanoke.) For more information or to RSVP, contact Hillary Stark at Hrstark184@yahoo.com or (757)705-3648.
  • Gymnastics Clinic with Paul Ebersole at Morven Park’s indoor arena in Leesburg, Va. (3-hour drive). Lessons will last one hour for groups of three or four riders, for all levels from Green horses and going up through the Eventing levels (Baby BN, BN, N,T,P,I)  Ebersole will also offer a cross country clinic Feb 28-Mar 1st at Morven. Cost is $90 per horse which includes Morven’s ring fee. Auditors are welcome to watch at no charge. To sign up, please email Pat Palmer at ppalmerwheatland@aol.com.

ONLINE

arabian
The Scottsdale Arabian Horse Show is the largest all-Arabian horse show in the world.

If you’d rather just stay wrapped up in a blanket inside during this bitter weekend, thankfully these days you can do so and still be at the horse show.

A LOOK AHEAD