Back in the saddle: All American Quarter Horse Congress to begin Sept. 28 in Columbus
If you have any interest in horses, you will want to gallop, trot and possibly even race to the All American Quarter Horse Congress at the Ohio Expo Center.
The 54th installment of the event — which organizers bill as the largest single-breed horse show in existence — will get underway Sept. 28 and continue daily through Oct. 24.
Entrance to the Congress is free, although some high-profile events — including a cutting champions challenge (4 p.m., Oct. 3), professional bull-riding (7 p.m., Oct. 8) and freestyle reining (7 p.m., Oct. 9) — require paid tickets; many ticketed events sell out. Parking is also charged on a daily or entire-event basis.
More:New Albany's Hinson Amphitheater set to welcome outdoor concert-goers
Happy to be back
The Congress, which was not held last year because of the pandemic, is described by officials as a major annual contributor to the Greater Columbus economy.
“We attract over 650,000 people,” said Carey Cooper of the Ohio Quarter Horse Association. “We do an economic impact (analysis) every year, to see how much money the Congress generates for Ohio, Columbus, the greater central Ohio area, and in 2019, our number was $409 million.”
Cash and prizes amounting to $3 million are given away, and a trade show, starting Oct. 1 and running through the end of the show, will boast more than 200 exhibitors. In 2019, visitors hailed from all 50 states and eight foreign nations, Cooper said.
Last year, the absence of all of that activity left a hole big enough for a horse to jump through.
“It’s great to be back,” Cooper said. “Not having it last year ... did take a pretty big toll economically on the state, for not having the event, and our association.”
Gardening: Want to improve soil health? Try planting cover crops
Because the Ohio Expo Center is on state property, masks are not mandated for those in attendance, though the association will make them available for its own workers. Other safety measures will be taken.
“I personally ordered about 18,000 bottles of hand sanitizer,” Cooper said. “We’ll have those out to every one of our exhibitors. (For) anybody who would like those, we have those available.”
Sanitizing stations will be placed throughout the grounds.
Beyond the dollars-and-cents impact of the event, the Congress is an indisputable extravaganza of all things equine, with countless events held featuring the beauty and ability of the quarter horse — a breed so named for its signature speed.
“A quarter horse is just a breed of horse, just like a Dalmatian is a breed of dog,” he said. “The quarter horse is known for running the quickest quarter-of-a-mile.”
Lots of events scheduled
Horse lovers and novices alike can check out numerous events involving roping, barrel racing and mounted shooting.
During reining events, riders coax a horse to follow an intricate pattern; the competition involves horses changing pace, stopping or spinning as if on cue.
“It is a set pattern with a set number of circles, a set number of slides,” Cooper said. “The horse has to follow the pattern, and they get scored on how well they execute the pattern.”
Cutting events require horses to contend with a cow it has removed from a pack.
“A cutting horse is known for how well they move and cut cows,” Cooper said. “The cow’s whole purpose is to get back with the pack, because they like to be herded. ... What the cutting horse does is it pivots and moves and runs that cow back and forth.”
Horses will be for sale at the Congress Super Sale — presided over by an old-time-style auctioneer — on Oct. 16; Cooper said that 203 horses were sold at the last Congress in 2019. Anyone can bid to buy a horse.
For those who wish to buy something that doesn’t involve bidding, or require a stable and hay back home, the trade show offers everything from apparel, boots, jewelry and food.
Various vendors on-site, too
And if your definition of “horse power” involves automotive engines, you’re in luck, too.
“We have several automobile (and) truck dealerships that come in, and they sell units there on the lot,” Cooper said. “We have several horse trailer dealers that come in. ... We have a camping vendor.”
Perhaps the most popular of all is the ticketed bull-riding event on Oct. 8; no quarter horses are involved, but there’s plenty of entertainment value, anyway.
“Every year it’s a sell-out,” Cooper said. “It’s a huge event for the Congress. We have all the personalities: the bull-fighters, the clowns, the announcers. It’s a lot of family fun.”
It doesn’t take too much horse sense to see few annual events in the area offer as much to see and to do.
tonguetteauthor2@aol.com
All American Quarter Horse Congress
Where: Ohio Expo Center, Interstate 71 and East 17th Avenue
When: various times, Sept. 28 through Oct. 24; visit www.quarterhorsecongress.com for a full schedule
Admission: free, except for ticketed events; parking: single day — $25 per vehicle, or $15 on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays; entire show — $75 per vehicle
By the numbers
• 25,000 horse show entries
• More than 650,000 annual visitors
• $3 million in cash and prizes