Hold your horses – for plenty of fun and action at Heartland Horse Expo 2010 at Stettler Exhibition Grounds this weekend, June 4 to 6.
“Our main goal for this event is to showcase and promote the horse industry in the Stettler area,” said Ted Nibourg, president of Stettler and District Agricultural Society which hosts the event.
“We hosted a horse congress in 2005 but not to the extent of the number and variety of activities that we will have this weekend.”
“We have a variety of events for spectators of all ages and interests,” said Nibourg.
Events will be staged indoors and outdoors throughout the weekend.
Several exhibitors will be featured in the horse trade show Friday night from 5 to 9 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Ranch roping, ranch horse and mounted shooting competitions are expected to be big draws for the weekend along with open youth gymkhana, jackpot barrel racing, demonstrations and clinics for English and western events, cowboy church service and entertainment by local cowboy poet Vic Stuckey and the Keister family fiddlers.
Novice and open classes will be featured in ranch roping Saturday at 11 a.m. outdoors with the emphasis on low-stress stock handling for both the cattle and the horse, with time a low consideration.
Riding horses, the shooting competition will be another big hit Friday and Saturday at 5 p.m. and Sunday at 11 a.m. as cowboys will attempt to burst a set of balloons down a course using regulation pistols with blank shells in a timed event scored on speed and accuracy.
Other competitions scheduled include open youth gymkhana on Sunday at 9 a.m., and jackpot barrel racing Sunday at 2 p.m.
A ranch horse competition will be another special event on Saturday at 2 p.m. followed by a sale at 7 p.m.
“Basically, it’s proving to be a very popular event and a good outlet for ranch horses that are well-broken and seasoned,” said Nibourg.
“They will compete in ranch-type events and they will have a lot of miles on them.”
The top three horses will earn a buckle and prizes.
Jerry Sinclair, Doug Duke and Nathan Neufeld will be the judges for the competition.
For the sale, buyers will bid for quality horses.
“They’ll get what they pay for – reasonably priced but not inexpensive,” said Nibourg.
“People buying these horses won’t necessarily use them for ranch work, they will use them for team roping, ranch roping, trail riding, and barrel racing.”
For more information, phone the agricultural society office at 403-742-6288.