Equine Affaire’s History & Mission

The mission of Equine Affaire, Inc. is to produce events designed 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

A BRIEF HISTORY OF EQUINE AFFAIRE—NORTH AMERICA’S PREMIER EQUINE EXPOSITION AND EQUESTRIAN GATHERING:
Equine Affaire, Inc. was founded by Eugenia Snyder and incorporated in the State of Ohio in 1993 with the goal of creating a first-class, education-oriented horsemen’s exposition in which horse people representing all breeds of horses and all equestrian disciplines would convene in a non-competitive environment and share their passion for horses. Equine Affaire was initially produced at the Hara Arena Complex in Dayton, OH, in 1994, 1995, and 1996. The event quickly outgrew the facility and was relocated to the Ohio Expo Center in Columbus in 1997 where it has been produced on an annual basis ever since.

A second Equine Affaire was introduced at the Eastern States Exposition in W. Springfield, MA, in 1998, and a third was initiated at Fairplex in Pomona, CA, in 2001, and held for ten years. A fourth Equine Affaire was produced at the Kentucky Fair & Expo Center in Louisville in 2005. Since 1994 the professional management staff of Equine Affaire, Inc. has produced 66 highly successful events that have served the horse industry and horse people nationwide for 30 years. In 2023, Equine Affaire proudly celebrated the 25th anniversary of its event in Massachusetts, and in 2024, Equine Affaire is excited to celebrate the 30th anniversary of its event in Ohio.

Equine Affaire is truly national and international in scope. Attendees and event participants have traveled to the events from all 50 states, from throughout Canada, and from South America, Europe, and Asia. Over the years more than 50 breeds of horses have participated in Equine Affaire, and most have been represented by their national breed associations. All major equestrian sports from dressage, reining, cutting, jumping, driving, eventing, and barrel racing to team penning and sorting, distance competition, western dressage, trail, polo, and sidesaddle have been featured at Equine Affaire and represented by their national and/or regional associations.

Equine Affaire’s legendary educational programs and stellar lineups of clinicians have formed the cornerstones of the events since the very first expo. Since 1994 hundreds of Olympians, WEG and Pan Am Games champions, World and National Champions, equestrian TV personalities, authors, judges, course designers, and other respected trainers, coaches, competitors, and equine professionals have presented sessions at one or more Equine Affaires and shared their expertise with hundreds of thousands of horse people from all walks of equestrian life. Equine Affaire has developed a well-deserved reputation for securing and featuring top competitors and coaches to whom access would not otherwise be available—and for assisting in launching the careers of many aspiring trainers and teachers.

In an industry in which there are now numerous “horse fairs” of all sizes and calibers, Equine Affaire has achieved a level of success which, by all relevant criteria, sets it apart from other all-breed, all-discipline equine expos in North America. The events produced each year by Equine Affaire’s professional production team continue to be North America’s premier equine expositions and equestrian gatherings and the standards by which other horse expos are both developed and judged.

BEING GRATEFUL AND GIVING BACK
The dedicated staff of Equine Affaire, Inc. are very grateful to the countless thousands of horse people and horse businesses who have attended, participated in, and sponsored the events over the years. Their support has helped Equine Affaire, Inc. achieve the four-part mission stated above and continue to grow and offer more events and more features. In turn Equine Affaire, Inc., has been proud to support a wide variety of worthwhile organizations that make the world a better place for humans and horses alike.

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