Top national clinicians join equine educators and 140 vendors offering all things for the equestrian – from recreational horsemen to professionals – at the 21st annual Illinois Horse Fair.

Produced by Horsemen's Council of Illinois (HCI), the all-breed expo annually attracts more than 10,000 horsemen.

In addition to learning training techniques from experts, Horse Fair gives attendees access to unique HorsesForSale aisles, breed and sport demonstrations, Stallion Row and Parade and the All-Youth Horse Judging Trials.

New this year will be Tommie Turvey's Night of Amazing Horses show on Friday and Saturday night. Trainer/showman Turvey and his troop thrill audiences with Roman riding, chariot racing, liberty acts and rib-tickling comedy born of experiences to warm the hearts of every horse owner.

Horse Fair's featured clinicians are RFD-TV's Julie Goodnight and Ryan Gingerich. Joining the pair are Tommie Turvey and Ray Hunt protege Mark Schwarm. Back for the second year will be the popular Liz Graves gaited riding clinic.

Julie Goodnight has more than a quarter-century of horse training experience. Her varied background ranges from racing, reining, colt-starting and wilderness riding to dressage and jumping. She teaches "Classic Skills for a Natural Ride" and travels coast-to-coast and beyond to film her award-winning television show, Horse Master, as well as to appear at horse expos, conferences and clinics. Her training and teaching techniques are frequent features of Horse & Rider, The Trail Rider and America's Horse.

Details on Julie Goodnight's sessions

Years of study have helped Ryan Gingerich, "The Behaviorist", develop his own training program, Connective Horsemanship. At his National Equine Behavior Center in Missouri, Ryan continues to hone and expand his knowledge, which he shares three times a week on his highly-rated RFD-TV show. "My passion is to teach both people and horses in simple ways the human often needs to learn more than the horse, and I'm happy to report that my program has been formulated to do just that.

Details on Ryan Gingerich's sessions

Shortly before coming to Horse Fair, Mark Schwarm will participate with an elite group of horsemen in the Ray Hunt Memorial Clinic, Fort Worth, TX. Ray died in March 2009. In 2007, Mark was one five horsemen chosen in the United States for the first understudy program with Master Horseman Ray Hunt. Mark spent two months with Ray at his ranch in Texas. Mark also worked with Joe Wolter at the famous Four Sixes Ranch in Texas and the C.S. Ranch in New Mexico.

Mark shares his experiences and the lessons he has learned with horsemen nationwide. He concentrates on working with them and their horses by improving communication between horse and rider.

Details on Mark Schwarm's sessions

Tommie Turvey is an accomplished performer and horseman in many disciplines. He works in all aspects of the entertainment and equine industry. You've probably seen him in feature films, television commercials, as a featured performer at dinner theaters, a specialty feature act at a touring circus, a main character in a wild-west show, to performing his "extreme" shows at horse expos, equestrian events, rodeos, fairs, and numerous international horse shows around the world. In additions to shows, you may have seen Tommie featured in a national Absorbine Jr commercial, or seen him on RFD-TV shows with Clinton Anderson, Pat and Linda Parelli, or Rick Lamb's the Horse Show. He is also a professional stunt man and recently worked on the feature films, "Batman" with Heath Ledger; Larry the Cable Guy's "Witless Protection", and HBO's Mini Series "John Adams" with Paul Giamatti.

Details on Tommie Turvey's sessions

Horse Fair opens on Friday when early bird shoppers get access to vendors' full stock of merchandise plus save money on special Friday-only promotions and reduced admission charge and see training demo sessions by Julie Goodnight, Ryan Gingerich, Tommie Turvey and others.

At Horse Fair, more than 10,000 people share your passion for horses, and everyone understands the lure of the barn, the call of the trail, and the excitement of equestrian competition. From Quarter Horses to Morgans, Paso Finos to Andalusians, you'll see more breeds and disciplines at Illinois Horse Fair than anywhere in the state. Horse Fair is a chance to learn about barrel racing, therapeutic riding, 4-H and Pony Club. Its lecture series provides educational speakers and topics covering health, behavior, breeding and training.

Returning to Horse Fair is the All-Youth Horse Judging Trials presented by Horsemen's Council of Illinois in cooperation with the University of Illinois. Open to all youth (non-collegiate) horse judging teams, the Trials will be held Saturday morning.

Info on All-Youth Horse Judging Trials

Horses and riders are sought for several clinician's training demonstrations. For information, contact Carrol Rodgers at (618) 838-4396 or email Carrolr@hotmail.com. Fee is $100 - $200.

Demo Horse/Rider Application Form

For information about commercial space, breed demos, stallions and HorsesForSale, contact the coordinator listed in the Exhibit Information section of this website.

Exhibitor Information

The shopping is outstanding at Illinois Horse Fair…Best in the state. It's virtually an equestrian shopping center, with more than 140 different commercial vendors featuring saddlery, clothing, boots and hats, jewelry, art, equestrian services, barns and fencing, even colleges with equine programs.

Many different brands of horse trailers will be on display by dealers ready to make sales. Nowhere else in Illinois will you find as many trailers, horse merchandise and supplies than at Illinois Horse Fair.

The program and layout at Horse Fair are friendly and convenient. You're encouraged to ask questions and interact with the clinicians and speakers, welcomed back in the barns to talk to the owners and trainers who present 25 breed and discipline demonstrations by all the popular breeds as well as breeds not seen as widely.

Mare owners can check out the breeding stallions on Stallion Row and in the daily Parade of Stallions, while almost everyone wants to see what's stabled on the HorsesForSale aisles. Horse Fair takes no commission but rather provides a common ground where buyer and seller can meet and talk directly.

The atmosphere in the HorsesForSale aisles is low-key and congenial, presenting horses of many breeds, ages and capabilities. Potential buyers can evaluate many horses right on the grounds, eliminating costly and time-consuming travel. There were more than horses registered for the 2009 event.

Info on HorsesForSale

Purchasing advance tickets is recommended to avoid long lines at the Horse Fair ticket windows.

Adult general admission tickets give access to all exhibits, clinics and presentations. They are $6 for Friday and $12 for Saturday or Sunday; children/senior tickets are $4 and $6. Weekend passes are $20 for adults and $10 for children.

Tommie Turvey's Night of Amazing Horses show requires separate tickets: General Admission $9 adult, $6 child/senior; Preferred Seating $15 adult, $10 child/senior. Advance tickets may be charged to a credit card; tickets at the door are cash only.

Because last year's evening entertainment sold out, buying show tickets in advance is highly recommended.

Order Tickets

Volunteering at Horse Fair is fun, educational and a great opportunity to help put on the largest non-racing horse event in Illinois. Volunteers are needed for a variety of responsibilities, ranging from ticket sales to hospitality. You can volunteer for a few hours a day or for a whole weekend. To volunteer, email Cheryl DeMent at paintfilly71@yahoo.com.