FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Stephanie Campbell, Marketing Coordinator
(740) 845-0085 ext. 103
scampbell@equineaffaire.com
www.equineaffaire.com
Photos available
Equine Affaire: Four Days Filled with So Many Possibilities
London, OH (October 5, 2015) – If you love horses, you owe it to yourself to put
Equine Affaire on your calendar for November 12-15 at the Eastern States Exposition in
W. Springfield, MA. Imagine what you could do with four days to devote to your passion
for horses. Immerse yourself in clinics, seminars, and demonstrations by top trainers.
Explore breeds and riding disciplines you’ve only read about or seen online. Browse
hundreds of vendors at an equine marketplace filled with equestrian treasures. Sit back
to enjoy fabulous entertainment including Equine Affaire’s signature musical celebration
of the horse—the Fantasia-- and the ever-popular Versatile Horse & Rider Competition.
Meet and mingle with equestrian stars from throughout the worlds of equine competition
and media—and enjoy a special season-end getaway with family and fellow horseloving friends.
You can do all that and more at the 2015 Equine Affaire this November—and you won’t
have to break the bank to afford it.
Immerse Yourself in Education
Whether you’ve spoken “horse” since childhood or discovered your passion for horses
later in life, you’ll find sessions to help you and your horse along the road to better
horsemanship and performance and a winning relationship. Equine Affaire’s broad
spectrum of hundreds of clinics, seminars, and demos will be presented by many of the
nation’s premiere coaches, competitors, trainers, TV personalities, authors, judges, and
other industry experts.
There will be something to satisfy almost every equestrian taste in the lineup of
presenters who will share their knowledge and expertise at the 2015 Equine Affaire.
Clinicians will include some of the most popular presenters from previous events—as
well as many individuals who will be new to Equine Affaire. This year’s roster of talent
includes experts who will offer a range of horse training philosophies and techniques
and hail from a wide variety of competitive arenas.
Sessions on general horse training and horsemanship topics of interest to all horse
people will be presented by Ken McNabb, Kerry Kuhn, Julie Goodnight, Dan James,
Chris Irwin, Warwick Schiller, Susan Harris, and Caroline Rider. Each of these
individuals will focus on understanding and communicating with horses, building rider
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confidence, improving horsemanship, addressing training issues, and enhancing the
horse-rider partnership.
Olympians, World and National Champions, Hall of Fame Inductees and other highlyaccomplished horse people representing a myriad of disciplines will convene in W.
Springfield, MA, to present clinics throughout all four days of Equine Affaire. They will
include Phillip Dutton (eventing), Doug Milholland (reining), Michael Barisone
(dressage), Sharon Camarillo (barrel racing), Lendon Gray (dressage), T.R. Potts
(western pleasure, trail, and hunter under saddle), Bernie Traurig (hunters and
jumpers), Paul Maye (driving), Chris Cassenti (English pleasure and saddleseat
equitation), Anita Howe (easy gaited breeds), and Sylvia Zerbini (liberty horses). More
than 200 clinics, seminars, and demos will be presented in five venues—making a little
advance planning on “what to attend when” a must!
Introducing the Equine Fundamentals Forum
If you’re new to the horse world or still developing your basic skills as a horse person,
you’ll find plenty of useful information at Equine Affaire’s new Equine Fundamentals
Forum in the Mallary South. The all new forum will feature a demo ring where experts
who are quite savvy about horses will share their knowledge on a wide range of
“fundamental” topics of use to new riders and horse owners young and old. The forum
will also showcase informative and hands-on interactive displays about horses, horse
health, and horse management. Youth activities including a trivia quest, stick horse
making, and a stick horse rodeo will also be featured to entertain the youngest horse
aficionados at the show.
Shop for All Things Horse Related
If it’s something horse-related that you want, you’ll find it in Equine Affaire’s legendary
trade show—the largest equine-oriented shopping opportunity in the East. You’ll
discover hundreds of the nation's leading equine and equestrian retailers,
manufacturers, service providers, and organizations in five exhibit halls and the outdoor
areas in between.
Looking for tack or grooming supplies? Check. How about riding apparel and gifts?
Check again. Is it time for a new trailer, tractor, or arena drag? You can evaluate them
in person instead of online. Do you need new fencing? Check out all of the options in
one convenient location. Maybe you’re planning a new barn, or renovating an older
stable? There are vendors for that, with informed representatives to answer your
questions and offer advice. Research riding vacations and equestrian college and
university programs, evaluate all types of feed and supplements, and find jewelry and
books, art, photography, and all of your equine and equestrian must-haves in a trade
show that offers acres of superb shopping.
Experience the Fantasia . . . sponsored by Absorbine®
Equine Affaire’s signature musical celebration of the horse, the Fantasia, will be the
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perfect ending to a perfect day at Equine Affaire. Gather with family and friends to enjoy
the beauty, grace, and diversity of dozens of horse breeds, the athleticism and skill of
many equestrian disciplines, and the extraordinary talent of some of the foremost
professional equestrian performers in North America – all honoring the special
connection we share with horses.
The Fantasia will take place at 8:00pm on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday (November
12-14) in the Eastern States Exposition coliseum and be an evening of great
entertainment for horse lovers of all ages. “This year’s show will incorporate many of
the elements that Fantasia-goers have come to expect at the event including Grand Prix
freestyle dressage, freestyle reining, driving, horses at liberty, and drill team
performances--but all with a new twist,” explained Eugenia Snyder, President of Equine
Affaire. “The Knights of Iceland will bring their unique energy from the land of ice and
fire, and we’re thrilled to be able to feature once again the incomparable Sylvia Zerbini
with her team of eight Arabians working at liberty.
“We are especially excited to feature two performances from “Gladius-The Show”
produced by Big Horse Productions of Las Vegas, NV, that will include their
professional aerialists and vaulters and Roman riding of a team of eight Belgians. Dan
James of Double Dan Horsemanship will also showcase his remarkable riding and
entertainment talents with a brand new act developed especially for this year’s Fantasia.
There will be plenty of sensational equine entertainment at the 2015 Fantasia---and
plenty of reminders of why we find horses so intoxicating.”
The 2015 Fantasia promises to be an evening of extraordinary entertainment you will
not want to miss. A separate ticket is required, and ticket prices range from $12 to $24
(plus a $2.75 shipping/handling/selection fee per ticket). Advance tickets for the
Fantasia are available online (where you may consult a seating chart and select your
seats) or by calling Equine Affaire at (740) 845-0085 weekdays from 9:00am-5:00pm
Eastern. Tickets for this popular event sell quickly, and advance ticket sales end
October 25th. Any tickets not sold in advance will be available for purchase at the
Information Booth in the Better Living Center beginning at 9:00am on Thursday,
November 12th at Equine Affaire.
Catch all of the action at the Versatile Horse & Rider Competition …sponsored by
Nutrena®
Equine Affaire’s ultimate test of horsemanship, the Versatile Horse & Rider Competition,
returns this November! Up to thirty preselected horse and rider teams will compete for
$5500 in cash and other prizes and the coveted title of Champion on Thursday and
Friday, November 12th and 13th, during Equine Affaire.
The Versatile Horse & Rider Competition—aka “VHRC”—will be a timed and judged
race through an obstacle course created to test communication between horse and rider
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as well as each competitor’s horsemanship skills and athletic prowess. The qualifying
rounds of the competition will take place on Thursday morning, and the top 10 horse
and rider teams will advance to the Finals on Friday afternoon in the coliseum at the
Eastern States Exposition. .
“The Versatile Horse & Rider Competition is a true test of horsemanship for those who
are willing to put their riding skills on the line—and a whole lot of fun for horse people in
the audience who mentally work through the course with each team—thinking about the
best approach to an obstacle and empathizing with the contestants as their horses
succeed at some obstacles and fall short at others,” explained Eugenia Snyder. “The
VHRC is not only an exciting competition to watch, it also has a strong educational
element. You get to watch great horses and talented riders tackle real riding challenges,
and you inevitably learn a lot simply by observing different approaches to the same
obstacles and the horsemanship skills of dozens of outstanding riders on horses.”
Be sure to get to the race early to get a good seat. You’re likely to be sitting on the
edge of that seat as you take in all of the action!
Explore Horse Breeds and Riding Disciplines
Visit Equine Affaire’s Breed Pavilion in the Stroh Building and the nearby Horse &
Farm Exhibits located in C-Barn where horse owners and breeders and
representatives of various national, regional, and local breed associations will provide
helpful information and answer questions. Dozens of horse breeds from ponies to drafts
and stock horses to sport horses will be on exhibit and presented in hand at Equine
Affaire. Under saddle demonstrations of the breeds will also be conducted
throughout the weekend in the main clinic arenas, offering you a chance to understand
the conformation, movement, and temperament of different breeds as well as the many
different riding disciplines at which they excel.
The Horse & Farm Exhibits in C-Barn will showcase individual horse farms, stables, and
training and breeding facilities from throughout New England and provide opportunities
to network with horse owners, trainers, and facility managers about horses for sale,
stallions at stud, training services, and boarding facilities.
Equine Affaire 2015: A Great Value for Horse Lovers!
Equine Affaire will be up and running from 9:00am-7:30pm on Thursday-Saturday,
November 12-14, and from 9:00am-5:00pm on Sunday, November 15th. You can enjoy
all that Equine Affaire has to offer—the clinics and seminars, the shopping, the specialty
pavilions, and the Versatile Horse & Rider Competition for the price of a single-day or
multi-day general admission ticket. Adult admission is only $15/day (and includes a free
event program) and youth (age 7-10) tickets are only $8. A four-day adult pass is just
$50--a savings of $10 from the daily rate. Kids 6 and under attend for free.
Advance tickets to Equine Affaire are available for purchase through October 25th
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online at equineaffaire.com or by phone at (740) 845-0085 Monday through Friday
from 9:00am-5:00pm Eastern using. Tickets will go on sale at 8:30am at event
entrances each show day; cash only at the gates.
Equine Affaire makes your trip even more affordable with special room blocks and
discount rates at dozens of area host hotels. But make your hotel reservations soon—
room blocks and special rates at our host hotels will expire in early to mid October.
Camping with hookups is available right at the Eastern States Exposition on a firstcome, first-served basis beginning at 5:00pm on Wednesday, November 11th.
Everything You Need to Know to Go
Round up your horse-loving friends and barn mates and plan your getaway.
Equineaffaire.com contains everything you need to know to make your visit a fun and
successful one. Click on the Massachusetts event and follow tabs for: admission details,
directions, hotel information, a complete roster of presenters, daily schedules, maps,
facility information, and tips for making the most of your Equine Affaire experience. And
if you’re not Web-savvy, not to worry: call Equine Affaire at (740) 845-0085 and speak
to a member of our friendly, horse-loving staff, Monday-Friday 9:00am-5:00pm Eastern.
Generous Sponsors Make Equine Affaire Affordable
Equine Affaire’s exceptional program of educational activities and entertainment and the
event’s modest admission fees are made possible through generous sponsorships by
dozens of equine-related companies and organizations. We all extend our gratitude to
Absorbine®, Ariat, Farnam, Horizon Structures, Wahl Clipper, Cosequin®, Nutrena®,
Southern States Cooperative, and the dozens of other companies who have endorsed
the educational mission of Equine Affaire through their sponsorships. Our helmets, hats,
and derbies are off to you!
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