Equine Affaire Press Room

Meet The Faces of the 2022 Versatile Horse and Rider Competition

In just a few weeks, 25 competitors and their mounts will race the clock and each other in the 2022 Versatile Horse and Rider Competition at Equine Affaire in Ohio! The competition will take place on Friday, April 8, 2022, in the Coliseum at the Ohio Expo Center. Competitors will navigate a challenging obstacle course under a time limit. For each obstacle, the judge awards performance points on a scale of 0-5 based on the horse’s attitude, the rider’s horsemanship, and the team’s overall performance. Times are translated into points, and points from each obstacle are totaled. The horse and rider team with the highest overall point score wins! Cash and other prizes will be awarded to the top four riders, while the top ten riders receive ribbons and prize packages. This year, all top ten riders will receive a special Farnam product prize package.

Ready to meet five of the talented competitors that will join the race at Equine Affaire?

Julia Mackey

Horse: Lakota, 15 year old American Paint Horse gelding

Julia and Lakota are from Pemberville, Ohio, and have been together for six years. They enjoy competing in county and open shows in Western, English, dressage, jumping, contesting, and pleasure. Julia says Lakota’s patience and loyalty have enabled her to try new disciplines. She’s excited to see how they’ll perform at the 2022 Versatile Horse and Rider Competition.

 

Franny Galvin-Hynes

Horse: Super Nova, 5 year old American Quarter Horse/Fjord cross mare

Franny has been riding since she was just three years old; now 20, she’s a seasoned competitor and loves training horses to compete. She got Nova as a yearling and trained the mare herself. In 2021, they showed on the Ontario Extreme Cowboy (OXC) circuit and finished the season by winning the 2021 OXC Maturity Championship. They love to do liberty, ride tackless, and perform tricks together, as well as jump and hit the trails with friends. Franny and Nova were accepted as VHRC competitors in 2020. Ever since that competition was canceled due to COVID-19, they’ve been looking forward to the opportunity to apply again. They’re extra excited to compete in 2022!

 

Carole Bower

Horse: Zahra, 22 year old Arabian/American Quarter Horse mare

Carole purchased Zahra when the mare was just 8 years old. At the time, she’d been used as a trail horse, but hadn’t been ridden for two years. Carole originally hoped to use Zahra as a riding horse for her family, but quickly realized the flighty mare needed some one-on-one time to prepare her for life as a trustworthy mount. Carole worked with Zahra to help desensitize her and teach her to give to pressure. Eventually, Zahra became a trusted show horse for both Carole and her daughter, as well as a favorite mount in Carole’s weekend riding program for the youth of inner-city Cincinnati. Carole and Zahra were originally selected to compete in the 2020 VHRC. They’re excited to be back and have the opportunity to display their skills, trust, and partnership in the 2022 competition!

 

Martin Schwartz

Horse: Show Me, “Sterling”, 12 year old Appaloosa mare

Martin and “Sterling,” owned by Guy Gene Cutshaw, are no strangers to the VHRC Competition. They won the reserve championship in the 2016 Ohio event, then came back to win the championship in both 2017 and 2018. In 2019, they earned 4^th place in Ohio and 6^th place in Massachusetts. Martin, Sterling, and Guy are delighted to return to the Ohio Expo Center to compete again this year.

 

Kristin Fouty

Horse: Dun Got It Goin On, “Boo,” 17 year old American Paint Horse gelding

Kristin and “Boo” have been partners for 15 years. In that time, they’ve competed in showmanship, trail, driving, jumping, Western dressage, roping, and rodeo events, as well as American Ranch Horse Association events. In the Michigan ranch show circuit, they won the Open reining in 2019 and 2020 and placed top 5 overall in the ranch trail. Kristin says that Boo is a well-seasoned gentleman with a great work ethic. They competed in the 2019 VHRC and were slated to compete again in 2020, so they’re looking forward to competing this year.

Excited for this year’s Versatile Horse and Rider Competition? Plan to attend Equine Affaire on Friday, April 8, and watch the competition unfold in the coliseum, starting at 1 pm Eastern Time. Learn more about the competitors for this exciting event by following along on our social media channels leading up to the event, and stay tuned after the event for results!

Meet the Faces of the 2022 Versatile Horse and Rider Competition

The excitement is building for the 2022 Versatile Horse and Rider Competition! The competition will take place on Friday, April 8, 2022, in the Coliseum at the Ohio Expo Center during Equine Affaire in Ohio. With $5,500 cash and other prizes at stake, including special prize packages from Farnam, it’s going to be one exciting race as 25 competitors and their mounts vie for the honor of becoming the 2022 Versatile Horse and Rider Champions! In this post, meet five of the talented competitors that will join the race at Equine Affaire.

Rachel Dicken

Horse: Rowdy, 7 year old Appaloosa gelding

Rachel Dicken hails from Kingston, Ohio. She brought Rowdy home as a weanling and trained him herself from the ground up, teaching him everything from cow work to sliding stops to loping up and down steep trails. Thanks to their shared history, Rachel and Rowdy enjoy a special partnership built on trust, and they look forward to showing as a team at the 2022 Versatile Horse and Rider Competition in Ohio.

Miranda Roesel

Horse: Shamrock, 8 year old American Quarter Horse gelding

Miranda and Shamrock are from Amelia, Ohio, and have been together ever since Shamrock was just three years old. The pair enjoy competing in ranch classes at open shows. They placed third in the ranch trail and fifth in the ranch riding at the 2021 NOHSA World Championship Show, and they also competed in the Versatile Horse and Rider Competition in 2019. When they’re not showing, they love going on trail rides together.

Miranda and Shamrock

Lindsey Partridge

Horse: Thunderous Affair, 5 year old Thoroughbred mare

Lindsey Partridge is from Pontypool, Ontario, and has been riding Thunderous Affair for two years. Thunderous Affair is America’s Most Wanted Thoroughbred from the 2020 class at the 2021 Thoroughbred Makeover. Lindsey and Thunderous Affair won championships in both Freestyle and Trail at the Mustang Makeover in Kentucky. They also won the reserve championship at the Florida Thoroughbred Transformation Expo in 2021. Lindsey and Thunderous Affair love riding bridleless and playing at liberty.

Julia Mazzarella

Horse: Nine Lives, 16 year old Thoroughbred mare

Julia Mazzarella grew up training in the hunters, jumpers, and equitation, and competed through the Intercollegiate level, culminating with a national championship in the Intercollegiate Open Over Fences in 2013. Julia began riding Nine Lives, aka Kitten, in 2014 and purchased her in 2015. Kitten was a green OTTB and Julia initially trained her for the jumpers, in which they have competed up to 3’ in both schooling and A-rated competitions. Upon moving to Ohio, Julia and Kitten tried their hand at eventing, and competed at several schooling competitions at the beginner novice level. Following several injuries for Kitten, including a fractured leg, the duo switched gears to dressage. Since 2020, the pair has competed through First Level at USDF rated shows. When not training for a competition, Julia and Kitten spend most sunny afternoons trail riding with Julia’s dogs. Julia and Kitten have stepped up to many challenges during their 8 years together and are excited to put their training to the test in the 2022 Versatile Horse and Rider Competition!

Amanda Malone

Horse: Ironwood Turbo, 16 year old Norwegian Fjord gelding

Hailing from Mathias, West Virginia, Turbo and Amanda have been a team for three years. Together, they’ve ridden in trail competitions, hunter paces, foxhunting, cattle drives, parades, and more. Amanda says Turbo is an inquisitive horse who loves to learn and try new things. The pair competed in the 2021 Massachusetts Versatile Horse & Rider Competition and have spent the winter training for this spring’s VHRC in Ohio. Amanda and Turbo are excited for the opportunity to compete in the Ohio Expo Center’s coliseum and put their training to the test!

Excited for this year’s Versatile Horse and Rider Competition? Plan to attend Equine Affaire on Friday, April 8, and watch the competition unfold in the coliseum, starting at 1 pm Eastern Time. Learn more about the competitors for this exciting event by following along on our social media channels leading up to the event, and stay tuned after the event for results!

LONDON, OH, February 16, 2022 – Say goodbye to virtual learning and hello to an in-person equine educational experience with Equine Affaire in Columbus, Ohio! After two years’ hiatus, Equine Affaire will return to the Ohio Expo Center on April 7-10, 2022, with a full schedule of educational clinics, sessions and demonstrations. Whether you’re a new rider anxious to learn the ropes or an experienced equestrian hoping to hone your skills, there’s a session available for you at Equine Affaire. This year, Equine Affaire is delighted to feature Craig Cameron (general training & horsemanship), Warwick Schiller (general training & horsemanship), Lynn Palm (general training & horsemanship), J.R. Robles (colt starting & reined cow horse) and Jim Thomas (general training & horsemanship), along with a multitude of discipline-specific clinicians.

Seize your opportunity to join North America’s premier equine exposition and equestrian gathering and learn all you can about everything to do with horses, from better riding and handling to improved ground control and manners to health and management. Tickets are on sale now at equineaffaire.com. General admission covers all clinics, sessions and demonstrations, plus entry to the trade show, all themed pavilions, multiple competitions and tons of interactive exhibits and immersive experiences. Tickets are just $15 per day for adults or $50 for a four-day pass. Tickets for children, ages 7-10, are $8 per day. Children six and under are admitted for free. Bring your whole family or friend group and get ready to learn!

Craig Cameron’s motivational and entertaining speaking style focuses on the training principles of patience and understanding. A life-long rancher, working cowboy and horse trainer, Craig Cameron has developed a keen understanding of the Western lifestyle and discipline. After years of bull riding on the professional rodeo circuit and successfully operating his cattle business, Cameron decided to give something back to the horse by devoting his time and talents to training horses. By honing his horsemanship skills and conducting clinics throughout North America and beyond, Cameron has become a household name in the horse industry. His work has earned him the prestigious American Cowboy Culture Working Cowboy of the Year award. Currently Cameron can be found hosting a horse training program as well as his Extreme Cowboy Races on RFD-TV and at equine venues throughout the country and working on his Double Horn Ranches in Bluff Dale, TX, and Lincoln, NM.

Jim Thomas has spent his entire life surrounded by horses, but it wasn’t until his retirement from the U.S. Army in 2007 that he began training horses full-time. That same year, he competed in his first Extreme Mustang Makeover, which became a pivotal point in his horsemanship journey. After training that mustang, Thomas earned a reputation for being able to work with wild or difficult horses. He has trained almost 100 mustangs since then and continues to compete in the Extreme Mustang Makeover every year. Outside of working with horses and riders of all disciplines on his ranch in Pittsboro, NC, Thomas conducts clinics, writes articles for Southeast Equine and Carolina Hoofbeats and is currently working on a book. He has also served in various positions as a North Carolina Horse Council Executive Board Member and is a member of the Chatham County Equine Advisory Board.

Like many trainers, J.R. Robles grew up with a passion for horses. Though he put his passion on hold to attend the University of Oregon and earn a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology, his education ultimately influenced his training methods. Robles researched why certain people were more successful in life than others — namely due to opportunity, education, and having the right connections — and implemented those ideas into the world of horses. Out of his J. R. Horse Training in Newberg, OR, Robles specializes in colt starting, western dressage, reining and working with “problem” horses. After being exposed to horse trainers who used a lot of old school cowboy training methods, which seemed more cruel than effective in his eyes, Robles became fascinated with natural horsemanship, and now uses it as the driving teaching method in his training. When he’s not training or teaching clinics, Robles enjoys competing in colt starting competitions. Robles was named the Colt Starting Reserve Champion during the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo in 2016.

For 50 years, Lynn Palm has championed the partnership of horse and rider. An international clinician, she travels extensively from her facilities at Fox Grove Farm in Ocala, FL, where she and her husband, Cyril Pittion-Rossillon, teach the fundamentals of their Palm Equestrian Academy. Palm is an American Quarter Horse Association judge and holds her USEF R Western Dressage judges license. Continuing to compete in both United States Dressage Federation and Western Dressage Association of America shows, her competition record is second to none. Palm was a special guest performer at the 1996 Olympics and was named 2000 AQHA Female Equestrian of the Year by the Women’s Sports Foundation. In 2003, she was the recipient of Equine Affaire’s Exceptional Equestrian Educator Award, and she was titled Horsewoman of the year in 2007 by the American Quarter Horse Association. Palm presented as a clinician and entertainer at the 2010 World Equestrian Games and the 2017 FEI World Cup Finals.

Though he grew up riding Quarter Horses in Australia, Warwick Schiller has called the United States home for almost thirty years. An accomplished reining competitor, Mr. Schiller has multiple championship titles in the United States and Australia, including being a member of the 2010 and 2018 Australian Reining Teams at the World Equestrian Games. In addition to training his own horses, Mr. Schiller is passionate about working with riders from all disciplines to help them improve their communication with their horse and create deep, authentic relationships that result in relaxed, connected and present horses and humans. He does this through his online video library, his YouTube videos and his Journey On Podcast. Since beginning his YouTube channel in 2011, Mr. Schiller has become a worldwide horse training educator. The Warwick Schiller Performance Horsemanship Online Video Library now hosts more than 500 videos and 300 hours of training footage with more than 20 million views. Though his home base is in Hollister, CA, Mr. Schiller spends a lot of time on the road, as he conducts clinics throughout North America, Australia, New Zealand, and Europe.

In addition to these featured clinicians, look for sessions from:

• Jeff Cook (hunter/jumper)
• Liz Austin (dressage)
• Stephen Hayes (dressage)
• Kevin Oliver (reining and trail)
• Kristin Weaver-Brown (barrel racing)
• Lynn Palm (Western dressage)
• Bob Giles (driving)
• Luke Gingerich (liberty and bridleless riding)
• Simon Cocozza (core strengthening & yoga for horses)
• Gary Lane (easy gaited horses)
• Stephanie Lockhart-Hayes (working equitation)
• Jerry Paulsen (equine-assisted activities)
• Jenny Vidbel (liberty)
• Maggie Herlensky (sidesaddle)
• Fred Win (para equestrian)
• Paul Garrison (mules)
• 6^th Ohio Mounted Buglers & 2^nd Cavalry Brigade (mounted cavalry)
• Mini Doves (miniature horse drill team)
• The Young Guns Drill Team (drill team)
• And many others…

For additional information about Equine Affaire, including a full schedule for the weekend, host hotels and more, visit equineaffaire.com or call the Equine Affaire office at (740) 845-0085 between 9 am and 5 pm EST, Monday through Friday. You can also follow Equine Affaire on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram via @equineaffaire. We’ll see you in Ohio!

LONDON, OH, February 7, 2022 – If there’s one thing better than attending Equine Affaire, it’s participating in Equine Affaire! Elevate the equestrian experience for tens of thousands of your fellow horse lovers by bringing your own horses to act as living Horse & Farm Exhibits at Equine Affaire in Ohio. This year’s event will take place in-person at the Ohio Expo Center in Columbus, Ohio, on April 7-10, 2022. As the nation’s premier equine exposition and equestrian gathering, Equine Affaire is the perfect place to display your horses, feature your farm or showcase your sale horses. Many attendees cite the Horse & Farm Exhibits as one of their favorite places to visit, especially for viewing horses of different breeds and looking for horses for sale, stallions or trainers. There’s no better place to network with potential customers in the horse industry than Equine Affaire. If you’d like to participate, act now – stalls are selling fast!

Participating in the Horse & Farm Exhibits is easy and affordable. A Horse & Farm Exhibit consists of a 10×10 stall in the Gilligan complex. Inline stalls are $150; end stalls on a center aisle of the barn are $175; and end stalls on an outer aisle of the barn are $200. Every stall includes a one-line listing of stall number, farm name, horse breed and phone number (or website) before the event on equineaffaire.com and at the event in the official event program. Applications and payment are due by 2/28. Exhibiting in the Horse & Farm Exhibits requires a minimum commitment of three days. If you are interested, you can also participate in the Breed Pavilion, which is an educational exhibit designed to showcase breeds of horses.

If you have horses for sale, consider purchasing a For Sale stall! For Sale stalls are just $150 for a 10×10 inline stall in the Gilligan Complex. Each stall comes with a “For Sale” sign to post and a free listing before the event on equineaffaire.com. Owners must commit to exhibiting sale horses for at least two days of the event; if the horse is sold, another horse may be substituted. Potential buyers, age 18 and over, may test ride at the event with the proper releases.

Both sale stalls and Horse & Farm stalls come with one 4-day adult ticket ($50 value). Tack stalls may be purchased for $100 each. For more information and to apply for your stalls, contact Karin Brennan at (740) 840-0085, ext. 112, or kbrennan@equineaffaire.com. You can also visit equineaffaire.com for more information.

Ready to plan your trip to Equine Affaire? Tickets are on sale now at equineaffaire.com for both Equine Affaire and for Fantasia, Equine Affaire’s signature musical celebration of the horse. Check out our list of host hotels on equineaffaire.com (select the Ohio event, then “Attend” and “Host Hotels”) to find the perfect hotel room for you. When making reservations, make sure to mention that you’re attending Equine Affaire to receive a special discounted rate. To learn more about Equine Affaire, visit our website, www.equineaffaire.com. You can also call our main office at (740) 845-0085, 9:00 am to 5:00 pm EST, Monday through Friday, and follow Equine Affaire on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram via @equineaffaire.

Equine Affaire gratefully acknowledges its generous sponsors, including Absorbine, sponsor of Fantasia; Farnam, sponsor of the Courtesy Shopping Bag; Rod’s Western Palace, sponsor of the Rod’s Arena; US Equestrian, sponsor of the US Equestrian Arena; and Wahl, sponsor of the Wahl demo ring.

SPRINGFIELD, MA, February 3, 2022 – Equine Affaire proudly announces the winners of the 2021 Equine Affaire Raffle. Prior to the 2021 Equine Affaire in Massachusetts, attendees and fans had the opportunity to enter a raffle via equineaffaire.com to win prizes from Smartpak, Kong, Farnam and Equine Affaire. When the raffle ended, twenty-eight lucky horse lovers won a variety of fun prizes, including gift certificates from Smartpak, equine hanging kits from Kong, product buckets from Farnam and pairs of single-day tickets to the 2022 Equine Affaire in Massachusetts! If you missed your opportunity to win in Massachusetts, keep reading for details about how to enter the 2022 raffle at Equine Affaire in Ohio.

Elevating the equestrian experience since 1994, Equine Affaire is known as the nation’s premier equine exposition and equestrian gathering. On November 11-14, 2021, tens of thousands of horse lovers converged on the Eastern States Exposition in West Springfield, Massachusetts, to celebrate the horse and everything that it represents. The event was special in more ways than one because it was the first live and in-person event for Equine Affaire since the fall of 2019. More than 1,200 attendees also entered the raffle in the hopes of winning one of 28 prizes.

Five $100 gift certificates from Smartpak went to Penny Blomgren of Brimfield, MA; Lisa Byers of Winslow, ME; Emma Patcyk of Lockport, NY; Teale Brown-Moore of Plymouth, NH; and Donna Lofink of Johnsonville, NY. Leah Brodie of Maynard, MA; Sara Rietsch of Grand Blanc, MI; and Lisabeth Goodheart of Seekonk, MA, were the lucky recipients of a Kong Equine Hanging Kits! Farnam presented ten winners with Farnam Product Buckets, each filled with $75 of Farnam horse care products. The winners were Karen Allen of West Gardiner, ME; Norma House of Hartford, ME; Amanda Mount of Moodus, CT; Jennifer Sandberg of Fairfield, CT; Alice Brown of Tolland, CT; Nancy Partridge of Windham, NY; Madlyn Waskiewicz of Bristol, RI; Lauren Higham of LaGrangeville, NY; Deb Bailey of New York, NY; and Julianna Deuschle of Columbus, OH. Finally, ten winners received a pair of single-day tickets to the 2022 Equine Affaire in Massachusetts: Cathy Gluck of Moosup, CT; Glen Foley of Barre, MA; Rachel Terrill of Prattsville, NY; Nichole Rebelo of Pawtucket, RI; Justin Obremski of Granby, MA; Andrew James of Lewiston, ME; Ellen Roosen of East Falmouth, MA; Holly Scribner of Newfield, ME; Sara Keating of Westport, CT; and Elizabeth Newman of Walton, NY.

Would you like to be a winner in 2022? Equine Affaire will return to the Ohio Expo Center in Columbus, Ohio, on April 7-10. Prizes for the 2022 raffle will include gift certificates from Smartpak, prize packages from Outback Survival Gear, equine hanging kits from Kong Equine and pairs of single-day tickets to the 2023 Equine Affaires. Enter now at equineaffaire.com (Select the “Ohio” event, click “Participate,” then “Ohio Free Raffle.”) Bookmark equineaffaire.com today to learn about everything you need to know to go to Equine Affaire.