The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
Miniature horses stand tall at fair
Owners of miniature horses gathered Aug. 24 at the Lorain County Fairgrounds in Wellington, to prove they have the best in Lorain County.
“They grade on showmanship,” said Lorain County Fair Board Director Tom Hines. “The event is called ‘Open Class Judging - Miniature Horses,’ and the goal is to show off how well the contestants can control their horse.”
Hines said the horse has to be the best behaved to win the prize.
“The contest doesn’t last very long, so they have to obey the few commands that are given,” he said. “The contest involves the contestant, who for this contest are 12 years old or younger, guiding their horses around by holding the reins.
“They are not allowed to touch the horse, so it has to be well behaved and able to take direction.”
Hines said the look of the contestants is just as important as the execution. .
“The horse will also be judged on appearance as well as the contestant,” he said. “It has to look good and effortless. There are a couple components to it, but all
of the contestants are doing a great job.”
Natalie Dietz, 10, of Avon Lake, competed in the contest with her horse, Pebbles.
“I think we did pretty well out there,” Natalie said. “Pebbles always works hard and competes well. I really think we did the best we could; that’s all that matters.”
Gwen Dennison, 11, of Elyria, competed with her horse, Cool Hand Luke.
“I love Luke, he knows what to do when he’s doing the cone drill,” Gwen said. “We were graded on showmanship, and I think it was as close to perfection as we could get.
“The only thing that might get us is when he had to go backwards. But overall, he did great.”
Jocelyn Wyatt, 10, of Huron, also was a competitor in the contest.
“My horse, Poly, and I
gave it our best shot,” Jocelyn said. “I had to guide the horse around those cones, and I feel it was a good run.
“It’s fun to compete, and I look forward to next year.”
Madison House, 12, of Wellington, and her horse, Carmella, were the first place winners of the 12 and younger contest.
“It feels good to take home the prize,” Madison said. “This the second year in a row we’ve won.
“I’m so proud of Carmella. I look forward to competing next year.”