COLUMBUS, Ohio — Equine Affaire — billed as the nation’s premiere equine exposition and equestrian gathering — convenes at the Ohio Expo Center, in Columbus, Ohio April 13-16. The exposition, which attracts nearly 60,000 domestic and international attendees, features educational programming; a variety of equine entertainment options, and a vast array of shopping opportunities during its four-day run. 

Columbus has been home to the exposition since 1997. Due to increased attendance, and the need for larger accommodations, the event moved to the Ohio Expo Center following a 3-year stint at Dayton’s Hara Arena,

 Marketing Coordinator, Allison Rehnborg explained how the Expo Center became home to the event. 

“Our founder,  Eugiena Snyder, picked Columbus because it’s in the heart of the horse country in Ohio, and the Expo Center — based on research — was a good choice.” The company is headquartered in London, Ohio

Equine Affaire LLC  produces two major events throughout the year. In addition to the Columbus show,  the production company hosts a second show in West Springfield, Mass., in November.  The time and effort involved and getting those shows off the ground and operational is time-consuming, according to Rehnborg.

“We’re working on those two events year-round. Each event is four days long and we’re constantly trying to fill our clinics with some of the industry’s best horsemen/horsewomen, and that takes a lot of coordinating. Also, we’re contacting vendors and booking them for our trade show, and that takes a lot of coordinating.”

The total U.S. horse population stands at 7.2 million according to an American Horse Council survey in 2016. Approximately 18% or 1.275 million horses are found in Kentucky, Ohio, Michigan, Tennessee, Indiana, and Illinois representing a number of breeds and all aspects of the horse industry. “It’s really celebrating the horse in all its facets,” Rehnborg says. 

Ohio’s large Amish population contributes to the event as well. “There’s definitely a huge Amish community in Ohio, and they come to Equine Affaire and bring their horses and their horse knowledge, that’s the nice thing about being located in Columbus,” according to top Rehnborg. “We pull horse people from all the surrounding states and beyond.  They come and bring their various experiences, traditions, and breeds that they love, and then we all get to share in that.” 

Fantasia is the entertainment highlight of Equine Affaire. The equine revue features riders and horses in a choreographed musical performance that showcases skills that captivate all horse lovers.

“It’s a really big highlight that happens Thursday. Friday and Saturday, and it’s become a family tradition,’ Rehnborg says. “People come year after year, they’ve been coming for literally decades at this point. Everyone fills the Coliseum and gets to watch incredible performances by some of the event’s featured clinicians and presenters doing amazing things with their horses set to music. You get to see a little bit of everything in the show.”

The trade show — the largest horse-related trade show in North America —  and  Marketplace Consignment Store provide unlimited shopping opportunities, services, programs, equipment, and gear. “If you come during the day, a lot of people are very excited by the shopping, since we are home to one of the largest horse-related trade shows in the Eastern United States,” Rehnborg says. “And then of course, there’s the breed pavilion, which is where people can actually walk up to and touch horses and talk to their owners and learn about breeds from all over the world.”

Educational programming includes training clinics, seminars, a breed pavilion with exhibits and presentations by breed associations, and demonstrations in a variety of horsemanship areas.  In addition, the event features competitions, exhibits, and demonstrations designed to entertain and inform.

Rehnborg elaborated on a few events that broaden Equine Affaire’s appeal. “We have events for all ages. On Friday and Saturday, we’re having our college and career fair for youth who want to either go to school for horse science or horse-related careers or they’re looking for horse-related careers. Then there’s Drive-a-Draft interactive activity where people can actually learn how to drive a pair of draft horses from the ground.”

For more information visit https://equineaffaire.com/