EQUINE AFFAIRE IN MASSACHUSETTS CELEBRATES 25 YEARS
North America’s premier equine exposition and equestrian gathering returns November 9-12, 2023
Twenty-five years can seem like a long time,
but equestrians know better than anyone else how fast time flies when you’re having fun – especially when you’re spending it with the people and the horses you love. This month, Equine Affaire, Inc, is proud to celebrate an important milestone in its long history of bringing horses and people together to elevate the equestrian experience. On November 9-12, Equine Affaire will celebrate the twenty-fifth anniversary of its event in Massachusetts at the Eastern States Exposition in W. Springfield, MA.
Equine Affaire is a four-day horse expo filled with clinics, competitions, activities, a massive trade show, and much more. The event was founded in 1993 by Eugenia Snyder, a passionate horsewoman with a varied background that included experience in marketing and event production. Snyder and her team launched the company’s flagship event in Ohio in 1994. Buoyed by the enthusiastic support of the horse industry, Equine Affaire introduced its second event in 1998 at the Eastern States Exposition in W. Springfield, MA.
“Equine Affaire is an event where people can come together from a variety of backgrounds to celebrate their mutual passion for the horse,” says Coagi Long, president of Equine Affaire, Inc.
“They can learn from each other and network, shop, be entertained, make new friends, create lasting memories, find a new horse, and so much more. When you bring people together from all over the world to share about something they love, that can spark new ideas, new connections, and mutual respect.”
More than two decades later, Equine Affaire in Massachusetts continues to delight, educate,
and entertain horse lovers of all ages. According to Coagi Long, a longtime employee who purchased the company in 2018, that’s because it’s an event that presents endless opportunities for horse people.
This year’s event in the Bay State will offer a combination of all the features people have come to know and love about Equine Affaire, plus new and exciting events that are guaranteed to become favorites.
WHAT CAN YOU SEE AND DO AT EQUINE AFFAIRE?
Equine Affaire has built its reputation on the pillars of equine-related education and entertainment, and this fall’s event will feature hundreds of educational sessions, clinics, and demonstrations with some of the industry’s most talented horsemen and horsewomen.
Attendees can enjoy learning live and in person from general horsemanship and training clinicians Mike Major, Julie Goodnight, Jason Irwin, Brandi Lyons, and Chelsea Canedy. Devotees of various disciplines will enjoy clinics with Phillip Dutton (eventing), Steffen Peters (dressage), Cynthia Hankins (hunter/jumper), Brendan Wise (hunter/jumper), Greg Robinson (ranch horse versatility), Jeanne McDonald (dressage), Mark Bolender (mountain trail), Stacey Giere (driving), Bronwyn Irwin (pole bending), Lynn Newton (Western dressage), Carl Bledsoe (easy gaited horses), Jim Masterson (equine bodywork), Marty Whittle (rider biomechanics), Copper Hill Vaulting Team (vaulting), and many more.
Many of these clinics will include riders from the local area and beyond, who applied with their horses through Equine Affaire’s educational Ride With a Pro clinic program. Before each event, Equine Affaire opens the application process for riders and horse owners to participate by submitting written applications and videos. Clinicians select the participants for their sessions based on their needs for a particular clinic or demo. Sponsored by Fairhill Saddlery, the Ride with a Pro clinic program is an affordable way for riders to give themselves and their horses the gift of advanced instruction by some of the nation’s best instructors, coaches, clinicians, and competitors. To learn more about participating in a clinic at a future Equine Affaire, visit equineaffaire.com.
In addition to clinics, attendees will enjoy browsing and shopping at the largest horse-related trade show in the East. Whether you’re shopping for yourself or a friend, seeking to outfit one horse or a dozen, wanting to try out brand new products, or looking for your faithful favorites, you’re virtually guaranteed to find what you want, need, or just-gotta-have at Equine Affaire! Hundreds of vendors will be on site with products for shoppers to check out, try on, taste, touch, and see. The trade show is also home to the Marketplace Consignment Shop, where attendees can consign their gently-used equine tack and equipment or browse for bargains on used goods.
And if you’re new to the horse world, Equine Affaire is the perfect introduction to horses. Check out the Equine Fundamentals Forum for awesome anatomical displays, educational posters and hands-on exhibits, fun activities, and lots more. The EFF is also home to lots of fun kids’ activities, such as arts and crafts and the Stick Horse Rodeo, which happens daily at 3 pm.
Once you’ve learned the basics in the EFF, make sure to visit the Breed Pavilion and the Horse & Farm Exhibits. In these areas, you can interact with horses of all different breeds, sizes, shapes, and colors, plus chat with their owners and companions to learn about breed associations, riding organizations, local horse facilities and farms, and lots more. The Horse & Farm Exhibits will also feature horses for sale, as well as horses available for adoption through the ASPCA Right Horse and Equine Affaire’s Adoption Affaire.
Equine Affaire will also feature two competitions. First, the Versatile Horse and Rider Competition will take place on Friday, November 10 in the Coliseum. Sponsored by Chewy, this exciting event features up to 25 pre-selected horses and riders who race the clock to tackle an obstacle course. The obstacle course varies from year to year, but every obstacle is designed to test the communication between horse and rider and the versatility skills, and athleticism of both parties. The application process for the Versatile Horse and Rider Competition opens before each event at equineaffaire.com.
Next, as part of Equine Affaire’s 25th anniversary celebration, a brand-new event is coming to Equine Affaire on Saturday, November 11. Sponsored by Boot Barn, the Great Equestrian Fitness Challenge is a fun and exciting competition open to all Equine Affaire attendees – no horses needed! Attendees can sign up on site to participate in one of three events: the Barn Chores Marathon, the Bouncy Pony Race, or the Horse Nugget Relay. Ifa Simmonds of Equestrian Fitness Academy will emcee the event and prizes will be awarded to the top ten participants in each event. During Equine Affaire, attendees can sign up on site at the announcer’s table outside the Mallary South Arena.
The Drive a Draft experience, offered in collaboration with Whispery Pines Percherons, is the perfect avenue for visitors who want to get hands-on with horses. With expert guidance from Sam and Kellie Rettinger, participants can learn to drive a single Percheron or a pair of Percherons from the ground on Friday, Saturday, or Sunday at the event. You can sign up for this activity on site by visiting the Whispery Pines Percherons stalls in the C-barn during the event.
If you are a veteran, active-duty service member, or a first responder, consider bringing your
whole family to participate in A Horse for Heroes, offered by Operation Horses and Heroes.
This special activity is the perfect way to celebrate Veterans Day – and to experience the beneficial effects of time spent with horses in an all-new way. Interested parties can sign up on site at the event by visiting the office in the C-barn.
Finally, the best way to crown your perfect day at Equine Affaire is by spending a sparkling evening at Fantasia, Equine Affaire’s musical celebration of the horse. Fantasia will take place on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday evenings in the Coliseum. Sponsored by Absorbine, this magical event is a two-hour showcase that features a medley of inspiring performances by some of the nation’s most talented equestrians and horses. Performers will include the Friesian Heritage Drill Team, liberty performer Melissa Barnett, the Pegasus Trick Riders, the Young Guns drill team, an incredible driving display by the Whispery Pines Percherons and Scott Seymour’s Morrisville Belgians, a Wild West performance by Loop Rawlins, and much more! Tickets for Fantasia sell out during the event, so make sure to purchase yours in advance by visiting equineaffaire.com.
HOW IS EQUINE AFFAIRE CELEBRATING ITS 25th ANNIVERSARY?
In addition to the brand new Great Equestrian Fitness Challenge, the staff of Equine Affaire
are proud to roll out a host of fun and exciting features to make this event extra-special.
In honor of our 25th anniversary, Equine Affaire will be distributing a limited supply of vouchers
The Equine Affaire Exceptional Educator Award is used to recognize presenters and clinicians who have demonstrated an extraordinary dedication to providing top-tier education to audiences and riders at Equine Affaire. Throughout Equine Affaire history, the Exceptional Educator Award has been conferred only a handful of times. In fact, the last recipient of the Educational Educator Award was Julie Goodnight in 2008! We’re delighted to announce that we’re bestowing the Exceptional Educator Award on one hard-working and talented clinician at this year’s event. Who will it be? You’ll have to come to Equine Affaire to find out!
Every year, Horse Week unites the equine industry for the free equine streaming event of
The free Equine Affaire raffle isn’t new, but it’s absolutely jam-packed this year with incredible prizes from trusted companies like Dubarry of Ireland – USA, Back On Track, October Design Equestrian Décor, Blue Seal-Sentinel, US Equestrian, and Equine Affaire. It’s free and easy to enter, and you need not be present to win. Make sure to enter online before November 13, 2023, for your chance to win big!
HOW CAN PEOPLE LEARN MORE AND ATTEND?
Tickets for Equine Affaire and for Fantasia are available online now at equineaffaire.com. General admission tickets are $18 for adults per day and $55 per four-day pass. Admission tickets for children (ages 7-10) are $10 per day. Children six and under get in for free! General admission tickets provide entry to the trade show (spread out across four buildings), all themed pavilions, the Versatile Horse & Rider Competition, the brand-new Great Equestrian Fitness Challenge, and all clinics, seminars, and demonstrations. General admission tickets will also be available for purchase at the gates, cash only. Please note that separate tickets are required for admission to Fantasia for both children and adults, and range in price from $16 to $27. Fantasia tickets will be available online and at the Equine Affaire Information Booth during the event until they sell out.
Hours for Equine Affaire, including the clinic schedule, trade show, barns, and themed pavilions, are 9 am through 7 pm, Thursday through Saturday, and 9 am to 5 pm on Sunday. The doors to the Coliseum will open at 6:45 pm each evening, and Fantasia will begin at 7:30 pm each night. Please note that the Eastern States Exposition charges for parking!
Created by equestrians for equestrians, our four-day horse expo has been elevating the equestrian experience in the Bay State since 1998. That means during the last twenty-five years, Equine Affaire has provided equine-themed education, entertainment, networking opportunities, and more to hundreds of thousands of horse lovers from all over the world. This November, bring the whole barn family and come to W. Springfield, MA, to enjoy an extra-special edition of North America’s premier equine expo and equestrian gathering.
“There’s truly something for everyone at Equine Affaire, because it’s a place where we all can come together to celebrate the horse,” Coagi says.
Article submitted by Allison Armstrong Rehnborg, Marketing Coordinator At Equine Affaire
Allison Rehnborg started her journey with Equine Affaire in 2018 as a freelancer, providing a variety of services including copywriting, videography, and hosting the official Equine Affaire podcast.
In 2022, she moved into a full-time position as the company’s marketing coordinator. In that role, she manages Equine Affaire’s social media presence, coordinates advertising, produces, edits, and hosts the podcast, writes press releases and copy, creates promotional videos for both events, and more.
A lifelong horse lover, Allison earned her master’s degree in equine science with a concentration in industry management from Middle Tennessee State University in 2012. Today, she is an award-winning equine journalist and enjoys writing and taking photographs for a variety of equine industry publications. As a member of Equine Affaire’s remote staff, Allison lives near Nashville, Tennessee, with her husband and daughter, and enjoys caring for several pets, including her senior horse, Ginger.
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