LONDON, OH, March 28, 2023 — If you’re joining us in Ohio on April 13-16, 2023, for Equine Affaire, make sure you plan to attend the Versatile Horse & Rider Competition! This exciting tournament will feature 25 pre-selected horse-and-rider pairs as they tackle a challenging obstacle course and race the clock, all for $5,500 in cash and other prizes. The VHRC will take place in the US Equestrian Coliseum on Friday, April 14, at 1:30 pm, with awards to follow. In this post, meet five more of the riders in this year’s spring 2023 class of VHRC competitors. (And if you missed the first post in this series, click here!)

Dawn Chambers

Horse: Charge on Gunsmoke, 6 year old APHA gelding

Dawn Chambers of Chambers Horsemanship will be riding twice in this year’s competition! First, meet “Bandit.”  Dawn and Bandit, a black American Paint Horse gelding, enjoy working cattle, checking fences, working obstacles, and going on leisurely trail rides with family. Dawn says, “Bandit is truly an amazing horse, as he is so willing to please.”

Kristy Fouty

Horse: Dun Got It Goin On, 18 year old American Paint Horse gelding

Kristin and “Boo” have been together since 2007. Boo is a “been there and done that horse.” From open and 4-H shows to the ranch circuit, Kristin and Boo have tackled many disciplines, including pleasure, jumping, rodeo, and ranch. They’ve also earned a variety of champion and reserve champion titles from open and professional circuits, such as the American Ranch Horse Association and the Ranch Horse Association of Michigan. After placing in the top ten in the 2019 and 2022 VHRC, the pair are eager to return and tackle the Equine Affaire obstacle course again.

Franny Galvin-Hynes

Horse: Aspen’s Wild Grove, 5 year old American Mustang gelding

Franny Galvin-Hynes has been riding and working with horses since she was old enough to walk and, since then, she’s competed throughout North America in extreme cowboy, mustang challenges, and thoroughbred makeovers – but Equine Affaire is hands-down her favorite event to attend!

Aspen’s Wild Grove is a wild-born American Mustang who was gathered as an 8-10 month old by the BLM from Warm Springs, Oregon. Franny purchased Aspen for a Mustang TIP Challenge and has been working with him ever since. Naturally friendly and calm from the start, Aspen enjoys taking it back to his roots on long trail rides in all sorts of terrain and weather. He loves participating in parades, nothing fazes him, and he makes friends everywhere he goes – both horse and human.

In Aspen’s debut last year as a 4-year-old at Equine Affaire in MA, he and Franny proudly brought home the 10th place VHRC ribbon. Aspen and Franny are also the 2022 Ontario Extreme Cowboy High-Points Futurity Champions and Provincial Reserve Champions. When they’re not cowboy racing, Franny and Aspen enjoy cattle sorting, ranch roping, competitive trail, and occasionally hitting the local Hunter circuit.

Olivia Giuffrida

Horse: Tiny, 9 year old Clydesdale cross mare

Olivia has owned Tiny for four years. When the pair first came together, they were starting from scratch. Olivia says she didn’t have a clear direction for their journey together, but it was clear that they both liked trying new things and learning together. Three years later, they’re excited to be competing in the VHRC because versatility is one of the disciplines they enjoy most.

Horse: PVF Frosted Ace, 8 year old American Quarter Horse gelding

Brenda Hanson and “Ace” are returning to defend their titles as the 2022 OH Versatile Horse & Rider Champions. They also won the 2019 OH Versatile Horse & Rider Competition! Brenda and Ace have been together for nine years and enjoy ranch riding and obstacle courses. They’re seasoned veterans of the Versatile Horse and Rider Competition, having placed in the top five many times as well as winning a reserve championship in addition to their two championships.

Are you excited for this year’s Versatile Horse and Rider Competition yet? Plan to attend Equine Affaire on Friday, April 14, and watch the competition unfold in the coliseum, starting at 1:30 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!