By Judy O'Brien Van Put
SULLIVAN COUNTY – February 26, 2002— Here’s a great way to beat the winter blues.
On Friday, the Tri-State Horse World Expo opens its doors at the Garden State Exhibit and Convention Center in Somerset, New Jersey. This year’s show is an equine extravaganza, featuring a retail trade show, educational seminars, exciting mounted demonstrations, and much, much more!
Patrons will be able to browse and shop as more than 150 vendors display and sell everything imaginable for the horse enthusiast of all ages and every discipline. Seminars and clinics on various topics will be presented continuously in the Main Seminar Hall and the Main Arena by nationally known trainers, authors and speakers.
Some of the highlights include Classical Dressage with Frank Grelo; GaWaNi Pony Boy on Evaluating a Horse for Purchase; How Horses Think and Conversation with a Horse; Kenny Harlow on Training with Trust, Despooking a Horse, and Ground Manners; Don West on Equitation for Pleasure/Trail Riders, Saddle Fit, and Riding in Balance and Harmony; Jane Savoie on Lateral Work, Your Attitude Determines Your Altitude, and Putting the Horse in Front of the Driving Aids and the Olympic USET’s own Bruce Davidson on Exercises to Prepare your Horse to Compete, Eventing, How to Get Started and How to Advance in the Sport, and What to Look for In a Competition Horse.
Charles F. Wilhelm, founder and owner of C.W. Training Center, will discuss No Magic Gadgets, Sacking Out and Crossing Objects, Emotional Control, and It’s Never, Ever the Horse’s Fault; Peter Stone will present Your Horse Could Be a Model Horse and Jochen Schleese will discuss How a Properly Fitted Saddle can Affect Your Performance.
Among the other seminars will be a class by James Tackett on Better Fencing, Options and Safety Issues, and Kathy and Allen Schwartz of Days End Farm will present Humane Issues in the Horse Industry.
Each day begins with opening ceremonies, with a mix of horsemanship and patriotism – the sounds of the National Anthem and a display of drill team horsemanship featuring Friesian and Andalusian horses. Friday’s show opens at 12:15 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday shows begin at 9:15 a.m.
In addition, each day will feature a Parade of Breeds – which provides exciting and educational demonstrations highlighting the versatility and beauty of the equine. The demonstrations will feature many different breeds to be shown throughout the day.
Finally, there will be an open panel discussion with the experts daily – on Friday evening at 7 p.m. with GaWaNi Pony Boy, at 5 p.m. Saturday with Frank Grelo, Bruce Davidson, Jane Savoie and Randy Lowell on Dressage, and at 3 p.m. Sunday with GaWaNi Pony Boy, and Open Forum question and answer period.
Hours for the Tri-State Horse World Expo are Friday: Noon to 9 p.m.; Saturday: 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. and from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday. Daily admission is $10 for adults, $5 for ages 10 to 14, and free of charge for children under 10-years-old.
Acres of free parking are available. For more information, you can visit at www.horseworldexpo.com.