Horse Lovers Heading to Albany for Expo

Get on and buck up

Every year horse lovers from Eugene and around Oregon head to Albany for the annual Northwest Horse Fair and Expo this weekend March 18-20. It’s an equine extravaganza that draws people in for the exhibitions and for the shopping.

This year the Expo, as area equestrians call it (if someone with horse manure on their shoe says “Are you going to the Expo?” you know just which one they mean), features hundreds of real live horses as well as the return of BreyerWest a model horse show with workshops on customizing model horses and free seminars.

Head into one of the big arenas to watch the horses in action, or wander into the barns to check out the breeds from mustangs to Friesians. You can also watch the Black Pearl Friesians in action.

Featured clinicians this year include Pat Parelli on natural horsemanship, Mark Bolender on mountain trail and Kristina Harrison on dressage.

Popular performances include the Rogue Mountain Archers (above) and and the Mane Attraction Rodeo Performance Team (below) and the shopping for horse tack, products, art and more.

You can catch a glance of a number of Lane County residents appearing at the Expo including Jaimie Lewellyn in the dressage clinic and Grace Perkins and “Alfie” who are “representing the western American Saddlebred” according to their trainer Rhea Turner of Kardia Equestrian Academy.

The Expo runs March 18 (10 am – 8 pm), 19, (9 am – 8 pm) and 20 (9 am – 6 pm) at the Linn County Expo Center 3700 Knox Butte Rd E, Albany, OR 97322, go to http://equinepromotions.net/northwest-horse-fair/attend/schedule/ for a full schedule, cost is $10 adv. $12 door $6 for kids 6-12, under 5 FREE.