LONDON, OH, October 18, 2024 – Next month, when Equine Affaire returns to the Eastern States Exposition, so does the Versatile Horse and Rider Competition! Sponsored by Chewy, this exciting competition pits approximately 25 pre-selected horses and riders against each other in the pursuit of $5,500 in cash and other prizes, as well as the coveted title of the Versatile Horse and Rider Champion.
The competition will take place on Friday, November 8, at 2 pm Eastern Time in the Coliseum at the Eastern States Exposition. Here’s how the competition works. One at a time, a horse and rider pair races the clock as they navigate over, under, and around a series of obstacles in the coliseum arena. The obstacles are designed to test the communication between horse and rider as well as each competitor’s horsemanship skills and athletic prowess. Past obstacles have included jumps, balloon arches, pushing a salt block with a polo mallet, weaving poles, opening and closing rope gates, using a lance to spear a suspended ring, and many others. Riders receive limited information on the course until the afternoon of the competition, when they perform a walk-through and receive final instructions on how to navigate the various challenges.
Tik Maynard will be the judge of this year’s competition. Based in Citra, FL, where he owns and operates Copperline Equestrian alongside his wife, Sinead Halpin Maynard, Tik Maynard is a 4* three-day event rider who has earned many accolades both in and out of the show ring. The master of ceremonies will be Noah Rattner, the official Voice of Equine Affaire. The top five riders will win cash and rosettes, while the fifth through tenth place riders will receive rosettes. The first-place winner receives $2,500 in cash, a Champion rosette, and the title of “Equine Affaire Versatile Horse & Rider Champion.” The second-place rider wins $1,500 and a reserve champion rosette; third place earns $1,000 and a rosette; and fourth place wins $500 and a rosette.
Who will win this year? You’ll have to attend to find out!
Equine Affaire is proud to begin introducing you to this year’s class of 2024 VHRC Competitors. In this press release, meet the first five competitors:
KELLY CONN
Horse: Xing The Delaware, 11-year-old Standardbred gelding
Foaled in 2013 at Kelly’s uncle’s farm, Xing the Delaware was supposed to be a racehorse – but fate had other ideas. When “George” didn’t make it to the races, he became Kelly’s project horse. She played with him and broke him to ride on his 3rd birthday. Today, George is 11 years old and stands at 16.1 HH. George and Kelly compete regularly in open dressage shows, and also enjoy driving, jumping, showmanship, and trail riding. According to Kelly, their greatest accomplishments are serving as ambassadors “for the best breed in the world, the Standardbred!” and receiving the 2018 New Jersey Standardbred Superior Achievement Award.
BRITTANY MAYER
Horse: My Sharoana’s Time to Shine, 20-year-old grade Quarter Horse mare
Brittany is a trainer and a riding instructor from Cumberland, Rhode Island, with a background in both English and Western disciplines. At the 2023 Massachusetts VHRC, she claimed first place aboard “Roanie,” and took second place with Coppy That. Brittany and Roanie have been a team for more than 13 years and enjoy showing Western pleasure, ranch versatility and English pleasure. When she isn’t in the show ring with Brittany, Roanie is used as a lesson horse and as a confidence booster for young horses to be ponied. Brittany hopes to have continued success this year, but most of all, she looks forward to tackling the challenging course again with her most trusted partner, Roanie.
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AMANDA MALONE
Horse: Amora, 7-year-old Norwegian Fjord mare
Amanda and Amora have been a team for six years. Amora came to Amanda as a starved one and a half year old filly. Fast-forward six years later, and they’ve trained or participated in ranch, trail, parades, driving, and more. Amanda says Amora is always willing to try new things and has taken many new people through mounted police clinics and trail rides. Amora is Amanda’s most trusted horse when she needs a calm, steady mount.
CARRIE LESTER
Horse: Yourkiddinmebrenna, 5-year-old American Quarter Horse mare
A veterinarian, a mother, and a wife, Carrie is enjoying “trying to live [her] dream of having a fancy horse” with Yourkiddinmebrenna. “Split” is reining-bred and spent her first two and a half years of life on Carrie’s parents’ 30-acre farm in Minnesota, growing up with space and grass. In November of 2021, Split came to Rhode Island to start her education. Carrie has performed the majority of Split’s training herself, with a little help from some friends. The pair enjoy reining and cow work.
CHRIS REINBOLD
Horse: Desi, 5-year-old American Quarter Horse mare
Chris is a retired dairy farmer from western New York. He has loved and ridden horses since he was a child and had a pony of his own that he rode all over the countryside. He bought Desi as a green four-year-old with the intention of training and selling her, but she proved to be such an incredible partner that he decided she was “the one” for him. Chris trained his “resale fail” himself from the ground up.
“She has impressed me with how intelligent she is. She has the most try of any horse I’ve ever swung a leg over,” Chris says. “Desi wants nothing more than to be loved and doted on and will fall asleep during her grooming sessions. She will be with me forever.”
Are you excited for this year’s Versatile Horse and Rider Competition yet? Plan to attend Equine Affaire on Friday, November 8, and watch the competition unfold in the coliseum. 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! Tickets are on sale now.