The production staff of Equine Affaire, Inc., is putting the final touches on plans for the fourth “New England” Equine Affaire which will be held November 8 to 11 at the Eastern States Exposition in West Springfield, Mass.

Space within the tradeshow is nearly sold out, the Breed Pavilion is fully booked, and the topics and presenters that will be featured within Equine Affaire’s legendary educational program have been finalized.

More than 60,000 horse people are expected to convene in West Springfield in November to shop the tradeshow, attend clinics conducted by Olympic Medalists and World Champion competitors, enhance their horse management skills through seminars and demonstrations by industry professionals, and enjoy the company of fellow horse enthusiasts.

While many horse people will come to Equine Affaire to shop at the largest equine-related tradeshow in the East, most will travel to the show to enjoy Equine Affaire’s extensive educational program. With nearly 200 different clinics, seminars and demonstrations throughout the four days of the show, Equine Affaire offers horsemen a unique and remarkably inexpensive opportunity to see, hear, and learn from many of the nation’s leading equine professionals. As in past years, the 2001 Equine Affaire will have something to offer to horse enthusiasts of all ages, all breed and sport persuasions, and all levels of expertise from 4-H participant to full-time professional.

According to the show’s producer, Eugenia Snyder, the layout and scope of this year’s Equine Affaire will be similar to those of the 2000 event, but the line-up of featured clinicians will include many “new faces.” George Morris will make his debut appearance at the Massachusetts Equine Affaire to offer schooling and competition tips for both hunters and jumpers. Karen and David O’Connor will present four training clinics on evening as well as their Olympic experiences through seminars at the show. Steffan Peters will travel to Equine Affaire from California to work with dressage horses and riders ranging from training level through FEI, and champion reiners Mark and Debbie Arballo will share their knowledge on how to train a winning reining horse.

Lynn Salvatori Palm will demonstrate her diverse equestrian talents through training clinics on western pleasure and horsemanship, and Larry Poulin will conduct sessions on pair driving and the use of dressage in training driving horses. Robin Brueckmann will return to Equine Affaire to teach Centered Riding® and present a grand prix musical freestyle bridleless on Friday and Saturday nights in the Pfizer Fantasia.

In two “introduction to jumping” clinics, Wendy Warner will teach the basics of training a horse to jump, and Stephen Kinney will conduct sessions on how to achieve the showy, balanced and technically perfect trot in the English pleasure horse. Members of the American Vaulting Association’s USA Friendship Vaulting Team will once again come from throughout the United States to demonstrate and teach vaulting at its highest level and participate in the Pfizer Fantasia.

In addition to leading trainers, coaches, and competitors from many equestrian fields, the line-up of outstanding clinicians at the 2001 Equine Affaire will also include many of the top “general horse training experts” in the industry. Clinton Anderson will share the training tips of his patented “Downunder Horsemanship™” and will conduct a special two-hour training session in the Practical Horseman Arena on Thursday night on “Gaining Control on the Ground and Softness Under Saddle.” Richard Shrake will present clinics and seminars throughout the weekend on Resistance Free® training, and GaWaNi Pony Boy will shed light on horse communication and Relationship Training®. Charles Wilhelm will bridge the gaps between classical, traditional and natural horse training and stress the importance of solid foundation training.

Complimenting the non-stop series of training clinics will be a non-stop schedule of seminars and hands-on demonstrations by well-known authors, researchers, veterinary practioners, and other equine professionals. The 90 seminars and demonstrations at Equine Affaire will cover subjects as wide-ranging as equine law, insurance, business management, facility design, and land conservation to equine behavior, rope handling, saddle fitting, mane & trail braiding, and yoga for equestrians.

Karen and David O’Connor, Lynn Palm, Richard Shrake, Charles Wilhelm, Alexandra Kurland, Lynn Corrigan, and Randy Lowell will present seminars on evening, the importance of collection, “partnership training,” “release training,” “clicker training,” and many other horse training topics.

There will also be sessions on horse health and management topics including equine acupuncture, chiropractic therapy, phototonic therapy, holistic therapy, herbal remedies, myotherapy, infectious diseases, grooming, shoeing, nutrition and supplements, joint disease, equine reproduction, colic, and many other subjects of interest to horse owners.

As in past years Equine Affaire’s vast tradeshow will offer a wide range of tack, riding apparel, trailers, trucks, health & grooming supplies, barn equipment, jewelry, books, publications, videos, art, fencing, accessories, and gifts. It will be the largest and most broad-based equine-related tradeshow in the East, and, for horse enthusiasts, it will provide a wonderful opportunity to prepare for next year’s competition and pleasure riding session as well as take advantage of year-end bargains on a wide range of horse-related topics.

Equine Affaire’s popular Breed Pavilion will be located once again in the Stroh Building and will feature a combination of exhibit booths and exhibit stalls. Individual horse breed and color associations and registries will be represented not only by their respective association booths, but also by a rotating cast of selected stallions, mares, and geldings.

Nearly 50 breeds of horses will be showcased in the Equine Affaire Breed Pavilion, the Stallion & Farm Exhibit area within C-Barn, and in demonstrations throughout the weekend.

“The breed exhibits and demonstrations are always a very popular and important part of Equine Affairs,” Eugenia Snyder said. “The expo offers individuals associated with different horse breeds the opportunity to market their respective breeds and horses for sale to horse enthusiasts outside their usual circle of contacts. And the Breed Pavilion is also a great way for folks who are new to horses to learn about the strengths and characteristics of different breeds and make informed decisions before they invest.”

The Equine Affaire Raffle conducted at this year’s show will feature some truly fabulous prizes. The grand prize will be a one-week vacation for two to The Colorado Center for Equestrian Learning at The Home Ranch, a breathtaking dude ranch nestled in the Rocky Mountains near Clark, Colo. The prize will include airfare, lodge accommodations, meals, and ranch activities. The second and third prizes for the 2001 raffle will be a Barnsby English saddle/bridle package (dressage or jumping, based on the winner’s choice) and a Circle Y western saddle/bridle/ breastplate package.

All of the details on the raffle and prizes can be found by visiting Equine Affaire’s Web site at www.equineaffaire.com. Horse enthusiasts may enter the free raffle before the show by visiting the Web site, clicking on “Win Big Prizes,” and completing the online raffle entry by October 31. Entrants must be at least 18 years of age, and only one online entry will be accepted per household.

The 2001 Equine Affaire will be made possible through the generous sponsorship of more than 30 manufacturers and retailers in the equine industry. Sponsors of Equine Affaire’s popular clinic, seminar, and demonstration venues will include Practical Horseman magazine, Sundowners Trailers, EquiSearch.com, Dover Saddlery, and Centaur HTP® Fencing. Exiss Trailers will be the official horse trailer at this year’s Equine Affaire, Horse Illustrated magazine will sponsor the event map distributed to all attendees, Vita-Flex will sponsor the courtesy shopping bags, and Pfizer Animal Health will once again generously sponsor the “Pfizer Fantasia” that will take place on Friday and Saturday nights.

“The continued support of so many great sponsors is essential to our ability to present the quality educational program featured at Equine Affaire while keeping admission prices easily affordable,” Eugenia Snyder said. “We’re very grateful that so many companies support the event through their participation as sponsors, and we believe that it is important for attendees to appreciate the special role that our sponsors play in making Equine Affaire possible.”

General admission to Equine Affaire – which includes admission to the tradeshow as well as admission to all of the clinics and seminars offered at the event – is $12 a day for adults or $7 for kids ages 7 to 12. A four-day show pass is $36 for adults or $21 for kids.

For all of the details on Equine Affaire including advance ticket information call 740-845-0085 Monday through Friday, 8:30 am to 5:30 pm. Continuously-updated information on the event – including the detailed Clinic, Seminar and Demonstration Schedule and an advance ticket order form – are also available at Equine Affaire’s Web site at www.equineaffaire.com.