Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, April 16, 1993 TAG: 9304160118
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: 1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: KAREN L. DAVIS SPECIAL TO THE ROANOKE TIMES & WORLD-NEWS
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
FESTIVAL SHOWCASES VA. HORSE INDUSTRY
Highlights of the fifth annual Virginia Horse Festival in Lexington will be under roof for the first time this year if Saturday and Sunday's weather turns unfavorable, as it has for past festivals.The Virginia Horse Center's new indoor coliseum, which seats 4,000, was recently completed and will house more than 80 commercial vendors. The festival's main attractions, such as the draft-horse pulling contest, the Jack Russell Terrier races and the Parade of Breeds, will take place indoors.
In past years, the two-day festival has drawn 10,000 to 12,000 spectators, "even though we've never been very lucky with the weather," said Bonnie Marcum, festival manager and program development director for the Virginia Horse Center.
The festival, which opens both days at 9 a.m., is a non-competitive showcase of Virginia's horse industry. Although mostly Virginia animals will be presented, exhibitors and horses from 18 other states also will represent their interests in Virginia.
"People can learn more about the types of horses available and what they do, what they specialize in," Marcum said. Various riding disciplines, such as jumping, dressage, saddle-seat and western equitation, will be demonstrated.
"Every 15 minutes something will be going on in an arena," either indoors or outdoors, Marcum said.
During the Parade of Breeds at noon each day in the coliseum, "People can see all of the breeds at one time, from the miniature horses to the big draft horses," she said. People also can stroll through the barns and see up close the more than 30 different breeds of horses and ponies that will be represented.
Among the many top-quality show horses representing specific breeds will be Oil Stock's Delight, the 1991-92 World Grand Champion racking horse owned by Clyde Creech of Middleboro, Ky., and presented by the Virginia Racking Horse Association.
Children will enjoy the carousel, pony rides, face painting and wagon rides. Vendors of horse equipment, crafts, clothing, gifts and food will be set up in the coliseum, covered arena and barn shed rows.
New this year will be clinics taught by Richard Shrake, a noted judge and trainer from Oregon who specializes in resistance-free training. At 3:30 p.m. Saturday in the coliseum, Shrake will demonstrate his method on an unbroken 2-year-old horse. During the two-hour clinic, Shrake will train the young horse to accept a saddle and rider.
Following the clinic, a pig roast dinner gets under way from 5 to 8 p.m. on the coliseum balcony. Advance Pig Roast tickets cost $15 for adults and $7.50 for children and include festival admission for both days. Dinner tickets will be sold Saturday for as long as they last, so check the information booth for availability.
General festival admission at the gate is $3 for adults and $2 for children 12 and under. Two-day passes are $5 adults, $3 children.
General admission includes the popular draft-horse pulling contest at 7 p.m. Saturday with more than 30 teams competing for $3,000 in total prize money. An exhibition by the New England Shire Centre's M&M Equipment Hitch from New Hampshire will open the contest.
According to Marcum, there are only about 500 Shire horses in the United States. This weekend, there will be 15 of that large, draft breed on the festival grounds, she said.
Noted sporting artist Else Tuckerman of Middleburg will judge this year's equine art and photography Show. Tuckerman is a founder of the Academy of Equine Art. More than $500 in cash prizes will be awarded in three categories to the best original art and photos depicting the horse in any setting. Visitors can view the artworks in Barn 6 and vote for the "People's Choice Award," which will be announced Sunday at 3:15 p.m. in the coliseum.
Also at 3:15 p.m. Sunday in the coliseum, a drawing will take place for Mr. Rutledge, a 7-year-old Thoroughbred gelding being given away by the Virginia Horse Council. Donated by Mr. and Mrs. Pedro Duran of Casanova, Mr. Rutledge's bloodlines go back to the famous racehorse, Northern Dancer, said Ron Frank, president of the Virginia Horse Council. Raffle tickets cost $3 apiece. The money supports the Virginia Horse Center's building fund and Virginia Horse Council projects, Frank said.
Following the awards presentation and drawing, the Jack Russell Terrier Races will get underway at 3:30 Sunday in the coliseum. The festival wraps up at 5 p.m. with a closing ceremony by the Trail Class Demonstration Group.
The Virginia Horse Center is on Virginia 39, one mile west of U.S. 11, just north of Lexington. It is easily reached by noting direction signs on I-81 and I-64 in the Lexington vicinity. For more information, call the center at 463-2194.
Other festival attractions
Additional Richard Shrake clinics: Showmanship demonstration, 9 a.m. both days in coliseum; Horsemanship demonstrations, 11 a.m. Saturday and noon Sunday, Barn 5; Resistance-free riding in western, English and dressage, 10 a.m. Sunday, Barn 5; "Fundamentals of Flying Lead Changes," 1 p.m. Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday, Barn 5.
Spanish Mustang Registry, Spanish Barb Breeders' Association & Southwest Spanish Mustang Association breed presentation, 10 a.m. Saturday, coliseum; 2:15 p.m. Sunday, Wiley Arena
Shenandoah Center for Therapeutic Riding and Central Virginia Therapeutic Riding Program demonstrations, 10 a.m. Saturday, Barn 5; 11 a.m. Sunday, Barn 5 and 12:15 p.m. Sunday, coliseum
Dartmoor Pony Society of America breed presentation, 10:15 a.m. Saturday, coliseum; 2 p.m. Sunday, Wiley Arena
International Plantation Walking Horse Association breed presentation, 10:30 a.m. Saturday and 1:45 p.m. Sunday, coliseum
Old Dominion Morgan Horse Association breed presentation, 10:45 a.m. Saturday, coliseum; 2:45 p.m. Sunday, Wiley Arena
Old Dominion Pony of the Americas breed presentation, 11 a.m. Saturday and 3 p.m. Sunday, coliseum
Stallion presentations, 11:30 a.m., 12:30 p.m., Saturday and Sunday, coliseum
Mount Tabor 4-H Vaulting Club "Gymnastics on Horseback" exhibition, 11:45 a.m. both days, coliseum; 1:30 p.m. Sunday, Barn 5
American Donkey and Mule Society presentation, 12:15 p.m. Saturday, coliseum
Shenandoah-Blue Ridge Appaloosa Association and Virginia State Appaloosa Horse Association breed presentation, 12:45 p.m. Saturday and 10:15 a.m. Sunday, coliseum
"The Ultimate Test" trail class, 1 p.m. Saturday, Wiley Arena
Virginia miniature horses, 1:15 p.m. Saturday and 12:45 p.m. Sunday, coliseum
Paso Fino Horse Association breed presentation, 1:30 p.m. Saturday, coliseum; 1;30 p.m. Sunday, Wiley Arena
Commonwealth Dressage and Combined Training Association exhibition of cross-country, stadium jumping and dressage, 1:30 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. Sunday, hilltop area
Virginia Arabian Horse Association breed presentation, 2 p.m. Saturday, coliseum; 2:30 p.m. Sunday, Wiley Arena
American Saddlebred Horse Association of Virginia breed presentation, 2:15 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, coliseum
State 4-H equestrian programs, 2:30 p.m. Saturday, coliseum
Virginia Racking Horse Association breed presentation, 2:30 p.m. Saturday, Wiley Arena; 2 p.m. Sunday, coliseum
United States Pony Club exhibition of dressage, jumping and games, 2:30 p.m. Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday, hilltop area
Virginia Quarter Horse Association breed presentation, 2:45 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, coliseum
Virginia Welsh Pony and Cob Association breed presentation, 2:45 p.m. Saturday, Wiley Arena; 2:30 p.m. Sunday, coliseum
Rocky Mountain Horse Association breed presentation, 3 p.m. Saturday, Wiley Arena; 1:15 p.m. Sunday, coliseum
Averett College Riding Program, 3:15 p.m. Saturday, coliseum; 12:45 p.m. Sunday, Wiley Arena
Northeast Peruvian Horse Club breed presentation, 3:15 p.m. Saturday, Wiley Arena; 10:45 a.m. Sunday, coliseum
Pinto Horse Association breed presentation, 3:30 p.m. Saturday, Wiley Arena; 10:30 a.m. Sunday, coliseum
North American Single-footing Horse Association breed presentation, 3:45 p.m. Saturday, Wiley Arena; 11 a.m. Sunday, coliseum
Northern Virginia Region Eastern Amateur Arabian Horse Club presentation, 4 p.m. Saturday, Wiley Arena; 11:15 a.m. Sunday, coliseum
American Indian Horse Registry presentation, 4:15 p.m. Saturday, Wiley Arena; 1 p.m. Sunday, coliseum
Iberian Warmblood Association presentation, 4:30 p.m. Saturday, Wiley Arena; 10 a.m. Sunday, coliseum
Cleveland Bay Horse Society breed presentation, 1:45 p.m. Saturday, coliseum; 1:15 p.m. Sunday, Wiley Arena