Washington State Horse Expo returns to Clark County Event Center March 4-6

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The 11th annual Washington State Horse Expo is scheduled for the Clark County Event Center on March 4-6.

The expo is one of the top equine events in the Northwest and attracts horse enthusiasts from all over the Western United States. The Horse Expo features national experts, first-class entertainment, premier vendors, plenty of shopping, and kid-friendly activities. 

Meet the clinicians featured at this year’s Horse Expo:

Nationally ranked clinicians will present live demonstrations and host seminars. 

Richard Winters: For almost four decades, Richard Winters has been pursuing and perfecting the art of horsemanship. Among his many accolades, Winters won the NRCHA World Championship in 2005 and took top honors at the Road to the Horse Colt Starting Championship in 2009. In 2017, Winters accepted the invitation to be the “director of horse program” at the historic and prestigious Thacher School in Ojai, California where he served as the horse program director for two years.

Megan Pugh: Megan Pugh began riding seriously at the age of 12 and has since trained with and ridden under the direction of Conrad Schumacher, Lilo Fore, Debbie McDonald, Carrie Harnden, Sue Curry, Reta Conner, Christophe Theallet and Alfredo Hernandez. Pugh has ridden dressage from training through to Grand-Prix. She is also a trainer and teacher, who has completed the USDF L program and is continuing and pursuing the judging ladder. She is the founder of Turning Point Equestrian, a successful training and lesson program. 

Steve Rother:  Steve Rother is one of the country’s top horsemanship clinicians. Rother has traveled across the country over the span of decades building his knowledge of horses and finding ways to impart that wisdom to the hundreds of people who look to him for guidance each year. Rother has created many horsemanship programs that help any horse and rider build their confidence together. His Excel with Horses program has helped people create stronger relationships with their horses and gives people the tools they need to work through any problem they may encounter. 

Robert Eversole: Internationally recognized clinician, keynote speaker, riding instructor, and author of the best-selling book “The ABCs of Trail Riding and Horse Camping,” Robert Eversole coaches horse owners of every experience level on how to enjoy trail riding and camping with equines. Known as “the TrailMeister,” Eversole’s passion is providing educational and entertaining clinics to help horse owners move past their fears and on to their ambitions and dreams of trail riding and horse camping. TrailMeister clinics are filled with practical, workable information that every rider and camper can use. 

Caeli Cavanagh: Caeli Cavanagh’s love of liberty work started with the North American Apassionata tour, where she performed with Icelandic horses and loved to watch the liberty teams in the show. Upon returning home, Cavanagh developed her own style and techniques of liberty training based on equine learning theory and behavior. She has performed in various exhibitions across the United States and has been a featured performer at large expos in Iceland. In her riding career, Cavanagh was the third American to attend Holar University College’s bachelor’s degree program in riding and riding instruction, as well as one of only three Americans with a Level 3 International Training and Teaching Certification from FEIF, the international Icelandic Horse association.

Other entertainment: 

On March 5, spectators will be treated to performances during the 2022 Saturday Night Extravaganza featuring the clinicians and special guests at 7 p.m. in the Exhibition Hall. Seating opens at 6 p.m. Admission requires a separate ticket in order to see the Extravaganza. They can be purchased online at clarkcoeventcen

ter.com.

Jessica Abatie will be at the show. Abatie has worked with some of the best in the business in several areas of horsemanship and has recognized the importance of timing not only in starting colts, but to liberty and timed events as well. Some of Abatie’s top achievements have led her to the top in Western Horseman of Oregon, extreme cowboy racing, makeover competitions, barrel races and Omoksee’s, where she has won a multitude of titles, saddles and arena records. 



​​Internationally known duo Morgan  Wagner  and  Endo demonstrate more than riding and liberty  as  they  have  mastered  the  art of teamwork. Endo is a 21-year-old Appaloosa who lost both eyes due to Equine Recurrent Uvietis (ERU). He lives a happy, full life despite completely losing his vision. He has starred in a live theater show, performed his liberty work all over the country at events, won a national title at the highest level, and has a huge global following on his Facebook page. Endo and his trainer Wagner will perform his story through liberty work at the Saturday Night Extravaganza, along with daily Endo demonstrations. They will also visit the Kid’s Corral to share goodies like a coloring page. The Gypsy Chyx will also be at this year’s Horse Expo. The small group of “Gypsy” women has become friends through their common love and passion for the wonderful and unique Gypsy and Drum horse breed. Both are a relatively new breed to the United States and were first imported into the country from the United Kingdom in 1996. They will perform at the expo. 

There will also be a draft horse exhibition at the Horse Expo. Draft horses were bred to be working animals for pioneer-era industries like agriculture, large-scale excavation, mining, logging, road construction and building of railways. The average draft horse weighs approximately 2,000 pounds and stands about 6 feet high. Draft horses also served extensively during both World War I and World War II to transport larger guns and heavy wagons. The horses can be seen at the Dr. Jack Giesy Equestrian Arena.

Another event will include the Rother Ranch Race, which is part trail course and part race.

The Preliminary Race Round 1 will take place at 11 a.m. on Friday, while the Preliminary Race Round 2 will take place at 11 a.m. on Saturday. The Final Race Round, which features the top 10 riders from the preliminary race rounds, will take place at 10:30 a.m. on Sunday. 

A new addition this year includes the expo’s first mechanical bull contest. Contestants will pay a $20 entry fee to test their bull riding skills. Cash prizes will be awarded to the top three finishers. The contest runs from 6 to 8 p.m. Admission to the expo is free after 5 p.m. 

During the expo, Beaches Restaurant will serve food and beverages out of the Expo Chuckwagon, DJ Glenn will supply the music, and the vendor marketplace will be open for shopping. The Marketplace at the Expo features dozens of vendors selling products and services for equines, and includes farm equipment, educational materials, tack, accessories, clothing, home goods, and more.

The marketplace will run throughout the horse expo, which is scheduled to go from from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday, from 9 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Saturday and from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday. 

To purchase tickets to the expo, go online to clarkcoeventcenter.com.