Mounted Games Across America is a popular demonstration at Horse World Expo each year.
Horse World Expo returns to the Farm Show Complex, Harrisburg, PA February 28-March 3. The mid-Atlantic region’s largest equestrian expo features seminars, vendors and ample equestrian entertainment. Highlights are the Rescued to Stardom competition, the Trail Champions Challenge, Parade of Breeds and Stallion Avenue, Equi-Tainment, Mounted Archery, Mounted Games, Carriage Racing, and Barrel Racing.
A number of clinicians are new this year.
Candice King is a world class Grand Prix show jumper who has garnered multiple FEI titles and awards over the past two decades. She has represented the USA on multiple Nations Cup teams and was also the top ranked US rider at the 2001 World Cup Final in Gothenburg, Sweden. Since winning the coveted 2001 Queen Elizabeth II Cup at the CSIO5* Hickstead in England, Candice has continued to rack up top placing Grand Prix finishes nationally and internationally. She was short listed for the 2006 World Equestrian Games, was a member of the second place U.S. team at the 2013 Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup at the CSIO5* Spruce Meadows and was a member of two winning FEI Nations Cup teams in 2015. Candice was also the winner of Venice Grand Prix, Princeton Grand Prix 2018.
Cliff Schadt is co-owner of Alamar Equine along with legendary Grand Prix jumper rider Candice King. His background of western principles and tradition coupled with modern showjumping makes for a program capable of taking a young horse from its first ride to attaining success at the top of the showjumping sport. Besides developing young jumpers Cliff has a busy clinic schedule as well as developing and showing cow horses.
Michael Gascon is a preeminent competitor, trainer, colt starter, and clinician for both gaited and non gaited horses, he is known as the “Gaited horse specialist". He draws from over 400 years of family horse knowledge and tradition, from five generations of professional horse people on both sides of his family.
Professional trick rider Kelsey Lauberth heads the Trixie Chicks Trick Riders. She has a Masters in Equine Education from William Woods University, Missouri.
Tom Seay is Executive Producer, Host and Trail Master of the RFD-TV show, Best of America by Horseback. He has conducted long distance trail rides from Savannah, GA to the Pacific Ocean and from the Canadian border to Mexico, as well as shorter rides in all areas of the United States, many with history themes.
Olympic eventer and Bruce Davidson protegee Stephen Bradley won England’s prestigious Land Rover Burghley CCI4*, becoming one of only two Americans to do so. Stephen also won Canada’s Checkmate International CCI3* an unprecedented three times in a row. He is a two-time Pan American Games Gold medalist and was named Equestrian Athlete of the Year by the U.S. Olympic Committee. He is a Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event Champion, and has been named to one U.S. Olympic team, one World Equestrian Games (WEG) team, and has been short listed for three of five U.S. World Equestrian Games teams, and four of five U.S. Olympic teams.
Dressage trainer Felicitas Von Neumann-Cosel placed first in her native Germany when completing her “Reitlehrer” (federally certified instructor) certification. She also graduated with the highest score ever awarded up to that time following the restructuring and improvement of the program in 1982 by the German government. Felicitas has also served as a USDF examiner for the Instructor’s Certification Program in the United States. Since arriving from Germany in 1984, Felicitas has managed First Choice Farm, Lisbon, MD, and trained many horses to Grand Prix level.
Also new for 2019 is Brandi Lyons, daughter of nationally recognized trainer John Lyons. Returning clinicians include Australian natural horseman Guy McLean, and English and western performance horseman Richard Shrake to name just a few.
Rescued to Stardom
In November, ten horses (and some alternates) began their quest to win the Rescued to Stardom contest. The contest is for unbroke horses, three years old and up, owned by a 501 c.3 rescue. Their under saddle training began on November 26 and continues through the start of the Expo. In March, each competitor will attend Horse World Expo in Harrisburg, PA and compete by presenting an in-hand freestyle on Friday March 1 and then the final competition, in the form of an under-saddle freestyle on Saturday March 2. After the Expo, horses will be available for adoption.
The ten participating horse rescues introduced their horses on social media and have earned points based on the number of likes on that and subsequent posts. Voting earns points toward the win; individuals can follow the journey of these very special horses on https://www.facebook.com/RescuedtoStardom/. Like and follow the page for the latest news.
The contestants are:
- Gentle Giants Draft Horse Rescue, Mt. Airy, MD, gentlegiantsdrafthorserescue.org, training Sundance, a four year old Quarter Horse Cross gelding trained by Shelby Piovaso. Alternate is Daisy, a four year old Kentucky Mountain Horse mare trained by Shanley Benetz.
- Gerda's Equine Rescue, Inc., Port Jefferson, NY, gerdasequinerescue.org, training Tee Dee Who aka "Teddy", a three year old Paint Horse gelding trained by Mary Elana Moran. Alternate is Pring, a five year old pinto mare. Facebook page is Gray Rider Horsemanship: From Kill Pen to Cavalry
- Heart of Phoenix Equine Rescue Inc., Shoals, WV, wvhorserescue.org, training Mardis Gras, a six year old Mustang trained by Erin O'Neill. Facebook page is Legacy Sport Horse. https://www.facebook.com/Legacy.sport.horse/
- Hope's Haven Rescue / Youth Camp, of Bainbridge, PA, hopeshaven4life.org, training Grace, a ten year old Paint mare, trained by Ida May Hornberger.
- Izzy's Love Equine Rescue, Emmitsburg, MD, izzysloveequinerescue.org, training Little Annie, a three year old quarter horse mare, trained by Izzy Dempsey and supervised by Erin O'Neill.
- Maryland Fund for Horses in cooperation with Last Chance Animal Rescue of Middleburg, MD, mdfundforhorses.org, training Mr. Natural, a six year old quarter horse gelding trained by Jimmy Wagner. Facebook page is Jimmy Wagner Horsemanship.
- Omega Horse Rescue and Rehabilitation Center, Inc., Airville, PA, omegahorserescue.com, training RPM, an eight year old quarter horse-type gelding, trained by 2018 Rescued to Stardom winner Jeffrey R. Michael. Facebook page is Split Creek Equine Solutions.
- PA SPCA of Philadelphia, PA, pspca.org, training Candy, an eight year old Morgan mare trained by Heather Klingerman. Alternate is Sakari, a 15 year old draft/quarter horse mare.
- Rocky's Horse Rescue & Rehabilitation, Thurmont, MD, rhrr.org, training Cricket, a five year old Paint/Draft-cross mare trained by Christina Grogan.
- Standardbred Retirement Foundation, Cream Ridge, NJ, adoptahorse.org, training Rock N Ride aka "Roll", a six year old Standardbred mare.
Theatre Equus, held Friday and Saturday nights, March 1 and 2, will feature Guy McLean and an exciting cast of equine entertainers. In addition to crowd favorite, Guy McLean, performers include David Donnert, Trixie Chicks Trick Riders, Luke Gingerich, Lindsey Partridge and Sylvia Zerbini, among others. Theatre Equus is a separate ticket sold at horseworldexpo.com, on on-site if available.
The Official Program will appear in the March issue of East Coast Equestrian. Complete information is at horseworldexpo.com.