You will find all the pretty horses at the Old Spanish Trail Arena this weekend. The Moab Horse Show, which has been featuring horses since the mid-1950s, will feature a wide variety of horses at their fall show.
“Anyone that would come would see a big variety of horses,” said Kathy Wilson, one of the organizers of the Moab Horse Show.
It’s more than a beauty contest: The horses are judged on ability and temperament.
One of Wilson’s favorite classes to watch at the horse show is the cow run.
“They put a cow in the arena and the horse has to run the cow up the arena,” Wilson said. The horse is judged on how they engage with the cow, and less upon the work of the rider. Judges are looking for natural cow sense and natural cow working ability without excessive reining or spurring.
“Last spring on Saturday afternoon we had thirty working cow runs,” Wilson said.
There is also the trail class, where horses are given obstacles and show their ability to maneuver and adjust gait.
While all it is an open horse show and all breeds are welcome, this is an approved American Quarter Horse show.
People who exhibit at an American Quarter Horse show earn points that turn into awards or cash at the end of the year. By competing at an AQHA show, exhibitors and horses also can qualify for the AQHA or American Quarter Horse Youth Association World Championship Shows, the premier events in the entire equine industry.
“We welcome all American Quarter Horse owners as well as anyone who has a passion for horses,” said Bill Brewer, AQHA Executive Vice President. “AQHA shows are fun and anybody who has ever wanted to get involved with horses or compete at an AQHA show is encouraged to come.”
Wilson expressed her appreciation for the temperament and intelligence of the quarterhorse and how that is a focus of the show.
“You look at the history of the American Quarterhorse and they have really great minds,” Wilson said. “Most of the classes show their intelligence. You can’t find a better mind than a quarterhorse.”
Mini-horses will also be featured with a variety of classes. There is a cart class, where the mini-horses are hooked up to a cart and judged on their ability to pull. There is also a jump class, where the mini-horses are put on a lead and the horses are scored on how they maneuver the jumps.
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