43
Northern Ohio Quarter Horse Association annual show this weekend
By ELISE McKEOWN SKOLNICK
CANFIELD
Riders, their families and their trainers settled into the Canfield Fairgrounds on Saturday for a weekend of horse showing.
The Northern Ohio Quarter Horse Association conducts a show the last weekend in September every year, said Bill Kelly, second vice president.
The show typically has about 1,200 entries on 150 horses, Kelly said. Included in the show are categories for both youths and adults. Participants come from as far away as West Virginia and New York to compete.
They participate in events such as halter, showmanship, horsemanship, western pleasure and English hunter under saddle.
The event promotes the quarter horse breed, as well as sportsmanship, and showcases the versatility of the horses themselves, Kelly said.
“Also, it’s family time,” he added. “You’ll have entire families that are here. Even if it’s one parent or one child that’s showing, it brings everybody together.”
Sydney Hoffa, 15, of Massillon has been showing since she was 9, two years after she started riding. She competes every other weekend, and her family attends with her.
Her mother, father and grandparents are always there to support her.
“It feels really good” to have that support, she said.
Riding her horse, George, Hoffa competes in showmanship, horsemanship and other categories.
“It’s something I’ve grown up with, and I love it,” she said.
She competes in all of the shows on the American Quarter Horse circuit in Ohio and is involved with her high school equestrian team.
Her mother, Teresa Hoffa, said she likes watching her daughter show and also thinks it’s good for her.
“It teaches responsibility,” she said. “It teaches her she has to be very diligent about practicing and taking care of an animal.”
It’s also a good lesson in sportsmanship, “because it’s great to win, but sometimes you lose,” she said.
Lauren Hull, 15, of Canfield also loves riding and competing.
She started riding when she was 6, and has been competing for eight years.
“It’s so much fun and it’s so unique,” she said.
“Everybody else plays basketball or volleyball or something like that. I show horses, and it’s just a lot of fun.”
Her mother attends with her, and Lauren enjoys those times.
“It’s a good bonding experience,” she said.
She acknowledged she spends her weekends differently than many teens.
But “it’s never a bad time to ride a horse,” she said.
“They teach you a lot of responsibility and a lot of life lessons, and I wouldn’t trade it for the world.”
The show also includes the Northern Ohio queen contest, where girls vie for the title by completing interviews, a written test and participating in a horsemanship class to demonstrate their skills.
The show continues today.