Horseman’s Mission more than horse and rider
There are horse shows, and then there is the Horseman’s Mission Show, which couples horse-riding events with teaching a lesson to horse owners and trainers.
The annual fan-favorite event will take place at Holmes County Fairgrounds at Harvest Ridge Oct. 16-19, and the thrills will begin from the first moment the gates open at 9 a.m.
While there will be a spirit of competition and plenty of show-stopping performances, the focal point of the event is to inspire young and old alike to develop a bond with their horse by using communication and feel.
“Our hope is that people become riders and not just passengers in developing a bond with their horse,” promoter Ray Raber said.
In its six years, the show started out popular and has grown larger ever since, attracting visitors from many states along with the local crowd.
The event was built on faith, and Raber said that theme is present throughout the event, although he said they won’t overwhelm the audience with the message but instead will intertwine it throughout each day.
One feature of that will be performances from the Amos Raber Family, a gospel singing group from Indiana who will perform from 6-6:45 p.m. on Thursday and Friday to open each evening session.
“I was honored that they actually contacted us and wanted to be a part of this,” Raber said.
He said another moment of major impact will come from Lew Sterrett, who will provide educational clinics during each day but also will present Sermon on the Mount on Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. to open the evening session.
“The man carries knowledge and wisdom and preaches a message from the saddle,” Raber said of Sterrett. “He will offer a godly, inspirational message of hope called The High Calling of Excellence while training a colt.”
The Horseman’s Mission features a blend of both horse and rider working as one, each performer or team of performers having spent great amounts of time earning the trust of one another to perform stunts.
The lineup of evening Mission Accomplished performers is lengthy and will include some of the finest performers from every realm of riding. Included in the performance list will be Sterrett, Small Town Riders, trick roping by Chris Terejo, Brendan Wise on Unbridled Wings, Kaleigh Marie and the Braveheart Beasts, Mary Kurtz, Diamond K Horsemanship, Fred Winn, Susan Glick of Heartsong Equine, trick roper Rider Kisner, comedy clown Gizmo McCracken, trick rider Bethany Iles, Erma Mast, Sadie Fisher, The Team for Christ, Silver Spurs Drill Team Indian theme, chariot racing and more.
“The lineup is stacked with incredible talent,” Raber said. “They are so gifted, but the one thing we always want to promote first and foremost is that there is this incredible relationship between a rider and a horse that can only happen when they truly trust one another. We want that type of experience to take place with all riders and their horses.”
Another highlight will be the Colt Starting Competition, which features three colts being trained by three trainers over the three-day span. Each trainer has 90 minutes per day on the first two days and one hour on day three to work with their colt. They will be judged on horsemanship and their finished performance.
The three competitors include Maddie Hoffmeister from Maddie Mustang Mission in Indiana, Robert Mast of Leading Rein Horses and Mules from Baltic in Ohio, and Kaylie Eaves of Kaylie Eaves Horsemanship of Sunbury in Ohio.
“We have applications for the Colt Starting Competition from all over the U.S.,” Raber said. “We have a committee that screens them all, and they have to send in videos so we can be sure they are qualified for the competition.”
They narrowed down this year’s list to 13 possible competitors and then randomly drew the three chosen participants.
“What people will be seeing are three of the very best at what they do,” Raber said.
A team of five experienced judges will have the task of determining the winner.
The event also will feature the Horseman’s Mission Select Sale on Saturday, Oct. 19 at 2 p.m. in the mission arena. Thirty-five head of hand-picked mares and geldings featuring Western, English, Performance, Trail and Pleasure horses will be available through the auction. Visit www.thehorsemansmission.com for more details.
The gates will open daily at 9 a.m. Daytime tickets Wednesday through Friday may be purchased at the gate at $20 for an adult daily pass or $50 for a three-day pass. Admission for children age 12 and under is free.
Advanced tickets for the evening shows Thursday and Friday are available at $32 for bleacher seating and $42 for chair seating. Children age 3-12 are $17. Admission on Saturday is free.
For more information and a complete list of daily and evening shows and times, visit the above website or find The Horseman’s Mission on Facebook.