Springfield, IL – Illinois Horse Fair (the All-Breed expo March 5 – 7 at the state Fairgrounds, Springfield) is known for presenting new and different products, services and educational opportunities for both recreational and professional horsemen. More than 10,000 horse people attend every year. Sponsored by Purina Mills, Midway Trailer Sales and John Deere, this year promises to be exceptional, according to Joy Meierhans, Horse Fair manager.

"We've been trying to book Tommie Turvey and his Night of Amazing Horses show for Illinois Horse Fair for five years,” Meierhans said.

Turvey’s “extremist” shows at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday nights include Roman Riding, Chariot Racing, Bridleless Riding & Liberty, and rib-tickling comedy routines.

A quick look at Turvey’s antics is on You Tube. Type in Night of Amazing Horse in the search field or go direct to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hu_ZjM21AGA

In addition to the evening show, Turvey will do six training demonstrations during the day that will be fun for everyone, including Training Horses for the Movies (Friday), Bridleless Riding & Liberty Training (Saturday), and Advanced Trick Training (Sunday), which really is about gaining a horse's trust so he'll let you turn him upside down! Yes, Turvey really does that with a horse!

Headline clinicians include RFD-TV’s Julie Goodnight and Ryan Gingerich, along with Ray Hunt protégé Mark Schwarm. Horse Fair features more than 140 vendors selling all things equestrian, breed/sport demonstrations, HorsesForSale aisle, Stallion Row and Parade, and more trailers on site than any other event in the state.

Among the “new” offerings Meierhans cites is a Cowboy Mounted Shooting Clinic by National “Colt Eliminator” Top Ten Cowboy Rick Meyer, who will introduce riders to the “fastest growing equestrian sport in the nation,” including how to get started, horse suitability, selecting the right guns and holsters, required tack and dress, making horse and rider a team, and course management. The $150 clinic fee covers two-hour group sessions Saturday and Sunday.

People interested in participating in the riding clinics or other aspects of Horse Fair can get full details and application forms at www.HorsemensCouncil.org.

Here is Meierhans’ list of other new and different Horse Fair sessions:

Fairgoers can see what the vet sees when Merial Pharmaceuticals scopes for gastric ulcers. A fiber-optic scope view will be projected onto a screen showing inside the horse’s nasal passages, airways and stomach as the vet searches for signs of stomach ulcers. Owners who want a qualified horse scoped will pay a $25 appointment fee. (The procedure normally costs $250 or more). Qualifying details (horse must be in training or travelling), prep procedures and an application form are on the Horse Fair web site. Qualified horses will be scoped in the Carriage Room every other hour starting at 11am on Saturday and Sunday. Merial is allowing for four scopings per hour – a total of 28 scopings at Horse Fair.

Trail riders won’t want to miss RFD TV’s Ryan Gingrich’s arena demo on Trail Riding Problems and How to Fix Them; or Back County Horseman Bob Wagner’s Saturday session on cooking in a primitive camp environment. Wagner’s appearance at Horse Fair is courtesy Illinois Quarter Horse Assn.

Animal Communicator Brooke Baxter from Four Legs & a Soul will help horsemen bring balance into their relationship with their animals by fostering a partnership of respect, trust and compassion, providing the tools to communicate more clearly, solve problems more effectively, compete more happily and co-exist more fully.

Two new “So You Want to Be….” presentations are on the seminar schedule. Anyone contemplating life as a large animal vet will want to hear Marcia Thibeault, equine veterinarian and award-winning author (the American James Herriott), for an insider’s look at the steps required to succeed in vet school and in veterinary practice. Young women – and their mothers – can get an insider’s look at becoming a rodeo queen from the current and two former Miss Illinois Rodeo queens.

Riders wishing to advance will want to watch RFD-TV’s Julie Goodnight’s arena demos on collection and refinement in cueing and rein aids, leg aids and lateral maneuvers. Novice riders, parents and first time horse owners will want to catch her presentation on basic safety issues around the barn, arena and on the trail. She’ll also cover the basics of horse selection, safety rules and safety equipment.

Watching an accomplished trainer start a colt fascinates all horsemen so it’s back on the schedule after a two-year hiatus from Horse Fair. Mark Schwarm will be the man in the round pen on Saturday and Sunday mornings in the Livestock Center arena. As a protégé of the late Ray Hunt, attendees will likely recognize the master horseman’s influence as Schwarm works with the youngster.

Julie Cyra’s classroom presentation always gets high marks from attendees, but this year she’s also making it an arena demo – Physics of Saddle Fitting Part II – a before-and-after demonstration using three horses and riders with their current saddles, which Julie will critique as to fit and function. Julie will then outfit them with a properly fitted saddle so everyone can see the difference.

The folks from Competitive Mounted Orienteering (CMO), a growing equestrian sport described as a treasure hunt on horseback, invite fairgoers to see how it works by taking an UNmounted Orienteering Challenge. Participants will be given instruction on how to use a compass (if you don’t have your own they’ll loan you one), and challenged to use it to follow clues and find five CMO stations located on the Horse Fair grounds.

For the complete Horse Fair schedule, visit www.HorsemensCouncil.org. Riders interested in having horses considered for training clinics, demos or endoscopy also will find details on the site. Advance tickets to Horse Fair and the Tommie Turvey evening shows can be ordered on line with a credit card or by calling the HCI office at (217) 585-1600.

For information on exhibiting at Illinois Horse Fair, contact Joy Meierhans, Horse Fair manager, at (630) 557-2575 or JM@TheMeierhans.com.

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