XENIA, Ohio – It’s called the Great Tack Exchange and this five-hour tack sale attracts horse enthusiasts from Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky and Michigan. Buying, selling, swapping – anything that pertains to the equine – takes place under one huge roof at the Greene County Fairgrounds & Expo Center.

Organizers held their 37th gathering last month in Greene County. This event was originally held at the Warren County Fairgrounds in Lebanon, Ohio, but because more space was needed to accommodate the vendors and attendees, the event was moved to Xenia two years ago. The event is hosted by the Warren County Chapter of the Ohio Horseman’s Council (OHC), and it is showing no signs of diminishing anytime soon.

“We started out small,” said Catherine Estill, Great Tack Exchange coordinator and membership chair of the Warren County chapter of the OHC. “Many attendees swap, trade or buy outright, and they don’t mind traveling many, many miles to converge to what’s become a great gathering place of horsemen. The horse enthusiast will find just about anything here, like tack, feed, apparel, trailers and even horses.

“People like to attend just to reconnect with other horse people. They know they can rely on seeing the same people at this event each year and stay connected.”

The Ohio Horseman’s Council is a non-profit organization administered by a state OHC executive cabinet, of which all members are volunteers. Catherine’s husband, Eric, serves as president. Each county in the state has its own elected officers, chapter meetings and events. Paul Ayers serves as the Warren County OHC chapter president.

As with any large event, the Great Tack Exchange had humble beginnings. It started when Scarlett Rowland, of the Warren County Chapter of the OHC and three of her friends congregated with some other horse enthusiasts during the winter of 1985. That first gathering attracted just 10 tables of wares from 20 vendors and 10 members of the council. Last week the event saw more than 130 indoor booths and nearly as many outside tables. And that’s a big boost to the 2,830-acre Caesar Creek State Park, formed in 1978.

“Most all of the proceeds from the Great Tack Exchange goes to help maintain and improve the riding trails of the horsemen’s campground at nearby Caesar Creek State Park,” Catherine Estill said. “The funds are used to improve and maintain the 30-plus miles of bridle trails and the horseman’s campground at Caesar Creek State Park as well as miscellaneous community causes and projects, sponsoring many classes at the Warren County Fair’s 4-H Show, 4-H Groom n’ Clean Contest and other 4-H activities.”

The chapter also volunteers work hours for the annual “Green-Up Day” and “Summer Work Day” at the park. All work is coordinated and done by member volunteers, with cooperation of the park manager Tiffany Dechamp-Hunt.

The Warren County Chapter of the OHC does even more. This chapter volunteers as “safety spotters” for the annual Historic Lebanon Christmas Horse Drawn Carriage Parade and initiated the fund-raising Ride-a-Thon, which raised thousands of dollars to benefit the Bridge Riding for the Disabled program.