Horses into Harwinton

Canadian breed set to ride onto the town fairgrounds on Oct. 13

HARWINTON — The Canadian Horse Expo will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Oct. 13 at the Harwinton Fairgrounds, 80 Locust Road. The rain date is Oct. 14.

Activities during the day will include under-saddle/inharness demonstrations, clinics, equine-related presentations and a Breeder’s Barn featuring farms, horses for sale and stallions standing at stud from Canada and the U.S. There will also be vendors and food available for purchase.

The little known Canadian horse is the oldest distinct breed in North America and is listed as critically endangered by both the Livestock Conservancy and the Equus Survival Trust. The breed’s colorful history began at the famed stables of King Louis XIV and includes the founding of Canada and helping the Union win the American Civil War. Their lineage contributed to other U.S. breeds like the Morgan, Standardbred and Tennessee Walker. They have almost gone extinct twice in their 350-plus year history, and today the population hovers around 6,500 worldwide.

Bred for versatility, athleticism, stamina and soundness, the breed now competes in everything from dressage, eventing, working equitation and fox hunting to competitive trail riding, barrels/roping, driving and obstacles/extreme cowboys — even Civil War/ Renaissance re-enactment and ski joering, a winter sport in which a person is pulled by a horse, dog or vehicle. The Expo will give attendees a rare opportunity to see these horses perform in many of these disciplines.

This is expected to be the largest gathering of this breed

ever in the United States, providing a rare opportunity for people not only to learn about the breed, but also how these horses have influenced the history and culture of North America. The Expo already has participants from Canada, south to Virginia and west to Colorado, bringing an international and multistate contingent to Connecticut.

Entry is $5 for ages 14 and over, and a voluntary donation for those under 14. For more information or to check on event updates, visit www.facebook.com/ canadianhorseexpo.

For more on the history and breed standards of Canadian horses, see https://tinyurl.com/Livestock-Conservancy or The Canadian Horse Breeders Association at www. lechevalcanadien.ca.

Contributed photos Riders will demonstrate various techniques with Canadian horses at the Oct. 13 horse expo at the Harwinton Fairgrounds.

An expo featuring Canadian horses is scheduled at the Harwinton Fairgrounds on Oct. 13.