Woodstock pg 5 7-26-12
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- Category: Past Issues
Woodstock Fair
horse show
rarin' to go
WOODSTOCK – There is one phrase that is music to the ears of Christina Daigneault.
“I’ve heard many exhibitors say, ‘there is no better place I would rather be than the Woodstock Fair horse show,” Daigneault said. It’s no wonder. The Woodstock Fair, always Labor Day weekend, will once again present a four-day open horse show with over 250 classes of competition and exhibition held from Friday afternoon (Aug. 31) to Monday (Sept. 3).
The horse show, one of the largest multi-day horse shows in Connecticut, features three show rings of activity, 600-plus exhibitors, and nearly 400 horses stabled over the weekend as well as dozens of “day horses” who are brought in for single-day competitions.
The weekend begins with trail and driving classes on Friday afternoon followed by the fast-paced Gymkhana games for riders of all ages and experience level, including 3-barrel racing and pole bending. Saturday, Sunday and Monday are packed with classes for Hunter fences and flats, western and saddleseat disciplines and Daigneault’s personal favorite, the leadline. Youngsters, ages 6 and under, are invited to participate in the leadline, sitting atop their horse while an adult leads it through the ring and the child is judged on poise and presentation.
“All those eager faces all decked out in new show clothes takes my breath away,” Daigneault said. “I strive to make the early horse show experience an enjoyable one and create memories for the youngest group of our exhibitors.”
Saturday and Sunday evenings are reserved for the jumper classes and more than 20 classics.
New additions to the horse show this year are draft horse riding classes on Friday afternoon, a fun-and-games division and the Greg LaPlace Memorial Hunter Classic. The Memorial Classic is in honor of LaPlace, a well-known horseman, trainer and hunter judge from the area who died earlier this year.
Daigneault is also looking forward to the stall decorating contest which will have the theme “Autumn Magic” this year. Fairgoers are encouraged to stop by and view the interesting decorations in the stable area.