The number of entries and spectators at the Olds Regional Exhibition's (ORE) annual Central Alberta Draft Horse Classic halter and hitch show were about on par with previous years, according to ORE event manager Tracy Gardner.
The seventh annual show took place during the Canada Day long weekend at the ORE grounds.
“This year's numbers are fairly consistent in terms of our total number of entries,” Gardner said during an interview with the Gazette.
“We had six entries in the six-horse hitch class, which is always our kind of premier showcase of the event,” she said, adding those entries came from B.C., Alberta, Ontario and Wyoming.
“It was a really, really strong showing.”
Gardner noted the show is free to the public, so that makes it a bit difficult to estimate turnout. However, organizers estimate 1,500 to 1,600 people attended the show during its three-day run. She said those figures are also on par with previous years.
“We're so at the mercy of weather. We had beautiful weather for most all of our shows and it was kind of bookended by some thundershowers. So I think overall, it was very good,” she said.
The downturn in the economy has not really affected the show, Gardner says.
“Our sponsorship portfolio was quite strong this year,” she said. “There's a lot of support from the draft horse industry, so a lot of those folks either invest through their businesses or through their personal draft horse operations, so there's tremendous support for the event.
“And even though the economy can be an excuse for a lot of companies or a reason for a lot of companies, we have been very, very privileged that we've had great support for the draft horse show – actually for all of our events at the exhibition, our sponsorship portfolio has been very strong over the last couple of years.”
Gardner was asked if the low Canadian dollar is spurring Americans to come up to Canada to take in the show.
She said it has attracted people from Wyoming and even further south – Colorado for example -- so it's hard to tell.
She says there's another factor that draws people from the U.S. and from as far as Ontario to Olds for the draft horse show.
“One of the benefits to our show is that we are able to be a great fit with (the) Calgary Stampede, so folks from Sunderland, Ontario were coming here. They were coming here for our show and for Calgary,” she said.
“That significant expense to make that journey -- with horses and staff and equipment and so on -- makes a great deal of sense when you can hit two shows rather than one.
“Right after Calgary, I think, is the Lloydminster show. It's kind of their own circuit, so it really does make for a worthwhile time to come to Alberta.”
This year, the six-horse hitch event was extra special.
“When the sixes were in the ring, three of those six-horse hitches have been previous Calgary Stampede champions, which is probably one of the highest honours we have in Canada, so that's pretty cool,” she said.
She said that was a point made by Bruce Roy, the official announcer for the Central Alberta Draft Horse Classic.
Gardner said so far, she knows of no plans to change the show, but that's a decision the organizing committee will make when it meets in September.
