By Sara Misura
Roll call is done at every meeting to know who is present. We do this with a question like what is your horse’s name, color, breed, etc. At our previous meeting the question was what is your favorite class at fair? Each member had a different answer from reining to western to English and more.
When showing a horse at fair there are three main divisions; western, English, and contesting. Within each of these divisions there are walk/trot classes and walk/trot/canter classes.
The western division consists of classes like reining, horsemanship, showmanship, pleasure, and more. In this division members ride in a western saddle, bridle, jeans, show shirt, and helmet. Most riders will use neck reining to steer their horse with one hand.
The English division consists of classes like showmanship, equitation, pleasure, dressage, and more. In this division competitors ride in English saddles, bridles, breeches, show jackets, and helmets. These riders use both hands to steer and keep good collection in their horse.
The contesting division is all speed events including barrels, poles, flag race, keyhole, and more. Contestants in this division use the same tack and clothes as western riders but use both hands to steer their horses at the speeds they are taking on.
There are also classes that do not have a specific division like versatility where competitors ride in all divisions, trail which can be ridden either western or English, bareback classes which can be considered a division by itself, and more. These classes are a lot of fun and a good experience for horse and rider.
Demonstrations were done by Carly Zender on horse markings and Cecilia Chase on How, Why, and When to Vaccinate your horse. The club would also like to thank our speaker Victoria Carmean for helping to educate members on the work that the humane society does every day and to everyone who bought flowers to support our club. The flowers will be ready for pick up Saturday, May 7, at the Crawford County Fairgrounds starting at ten.