COLUMBUS, Ohio — The All American Quarter Horse Congress, billed as the world’s largest single-breed horse show, has returned to Columbus this fall, bringing more than 4,000 horses and their competitors from across the globe.
The event, now in its 58th year, spans 30 days at the Ohio Expo Center and draws exhibitors from all 50 states and about eight countries. Alongside competition, the Congress features 20 acres of shopping with more than 200 vendors. The annual show also attracts more than half a million visitors, making it one of central Ohio’s largest events.
Kelli Diaz, the president of the Ohio Quarter Horse Association, said the event is about more than trophies and titles.
“It’s such a positive place to be,” Diaz said. “We’re just a big family doing what we love.”
Justin Billings, CEO of the association, said the scale of competition is reflected in the prizes and the number of competitors.
“There are about 400 trophies behind me awarded to the champions of each one of our competitions,” Billings said. “They represent the hopes and dreams of the 25,000 entries entered in this year’s horse show.”
For Diaz, who has attended since she was 6 years old, the Congress is both a family tradition and a community gathering.
“If you’ve never been here before. It’s an experience unlike anything you’ll ever experience,” Diaz said. “If you have been here before, it’s even better than it’s been in the past. And every year we think we’re going to peak and we don’t. We just get a little bit better, a little bit stronger and a little bit bigger.”
This weekend, the Futurity finals will award a $100,000 prize, one of the largest at the show. For many long-time participants, the meaning of the Congress goes beyond money.
“This is, part of my fabric,” Billings said. “It feels like family to me being at the Congress. It’s where I grew up. It’s where I feel at home. And, I enjoy it. It wouldn’t be October if it weren’t for the Quarter Horse Congress and the opportunities here.”
Saima Khan
Source link