Hundreds of horses compete, plus pet adoption event at the Utah Charity Horse Show June 14-16
SOUTH JORDAN (6/06/2007) - Here's an easy way to give your horse-crazy daughter her equine fix and maybe even adopt the family dog all at the same time.
Come to the 33rd Annual Utah All Breed Charity Horse Show, Thursday, June 14 through Saturday, June 16 at the Salt Lake County Equestrian Center, 10800 South 2200 West, in South Jordan.
The show is free. There will also be a silent auction. Spectators are welcome to come and go as they wish during the all-day events.
And for the first time, the show organizers have invited Best Friends to bring adoptable pets. There will be six to eight dogs, two "pasture-pal" horses and two goats from Best Animal Sanctuary in southern Utah. These pets will be looking for a family to call their own.
There will 208 classes in which about 300 horses will be competing. Breeds represented include Arabians, American Saddlebred, Quarter Horses and multi-gaited breeds, and will be coming from as far away as Oklahoma and Tennessee.
One of the highlights will be the all-youth class between 8 a.m. and 3 p.m. on Saturday. Youth aged 17 and under will compete in this event. At 7 p.m. that night is the championship exhibit in which the riders and horses will be in costumes that reflect some of the history of horsemanship.
"For people who are considering adding a horse to their family, this is a perfect opportunity to see a wide variety of breeds, learn how they behave and where they excel. And if a horse doesn't fit in your lifestyle, this will still be great entertainment for the family," says Leslie Topham, Utah All Horse Breed Association vice-president and co-chair for the show.
On Friday and Saturday, Best Friends dogs will be on the Center's polo field, a large grassy space that's ideal for dogs to lounge and mingle with visitors and potential adopters. Danielle Aymar, dog adoption coordinator, says, "This is the first time we will horse-test all the dogs before an adoption event."
"We'll be bringing horses who are 'pasture pals.' These horses can still be fun, even though you can't ride them. And the goats are hoot, too," says Jen Reid, Best Friends horse manager.
For more information on the 33rd Annual Utah All Breed Charity Horse Show, please contact Leslie Topham at 801-661- 2414 or leslietopham36@yahoo.com
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About Best Friends Animal Society
Located on 33,000 acres in Kanab, Utah, Best Friends Animal Society operates the country's largest sanctuary for homeless animals and is home, on any given day, to about 1,500 dogs, cats, horses, rabbits, birds and other animals. Best Friends works globally with animal shelters and rescue groups to bring about a time when there will be no more homeless pets. Best Friends advances initiatives nationwide that promote community approaches to make the world a better place through kindness to animals, including adoption, spay/neuter, and humane education programs.
"Kindness to animals builds a better world for all of us."
