From The Horses Mouth - September 13, 2007

By: Doug May

For most of us, Labor Day weekend is a time to barbeque, visit with friends and family and take that one last break before school. But for a few us it is a horse show weekend. For the Jackson County horse enthusiasts it means a Palomino Horseshow weekend at the Jackson County Ag center. Every year around mid-April, Memorial Day, Labor Day and the 1st weekend of November, Northwest Florida Palomino Association (NFPA) hosts horse shows, sanctioned by Palomino Horse Breeders of America (PHBA.) PHBA’s international office is located in Tulsa, OK.

The international organization tracks, records and registers all palomino horses that meet registration requirements. The NFPA Show is one of many PHBA shows held Labor Day weekend and one of several hundred shows held annually across the country. Several Palomino horses compete at these shows, in various classes, not only for prizes given in recognition of their placement at the show, but also for national titles awarded annually. Several Horsemen attended the NFPA Labor Day Show trying to earn the aforementioned national titles. Youth Morgan Burns of Tallahassee, Fl attended this show and is currently leading the race for the national title of high point 13 and Under Horse in the nation. Katie May of Greenwood, Fl attended the show as well and is in the race for top ten western pleasure horse in the nation. Yours truly also competed this weekend and is in the running for High point Jr. Western Pleasure Horse in the nation; currently holding second place.

In addition to the prizes these horses win, the value of each animal increases with every accomplishment. This Labor Day crowd started gathering Thursday and Friday for a pizza party that would kick off the show on Friday night. The show started Saturday morning with halter classes, followed by English and western riding classes and ending with the timed events. Thirty-six horses and close to 100 horse loving people made for a great day. Exhibitors from North Carolina, Georgia, Alabama and Florida represented the southeast. Saturday afternoon ended with a cookout, provided by Jimmy and Patria Maulden and attended by exhibitors as well as local Jackson county residents. Sunday concluded the show weekend. NFPA will host its final 2007 show November 3-4 again at the Jackson Ag Center; admission is free, but I will warn you, once you come and visit you will want to own a palomino horse and exchange your spectator hat for an exhibitor’s hat. For more information on NFPA, log onto www.northfloridapalomino.com. For more information on PHBA, log onto www.palominohba.com.

Horse shows are just one way we can appreciate the wonderful creatures known as horses. Email me at professionalhorseman@hotmail.com if you have any questions or just wish to share with us how you enjoy time with your horse. Questions from last months "From The Horses Mouth" TE asked: Is it better for a horse to be stabled or left outside? Look for this answer in my next column.