The Equine Tent at the Erin Fall Fair is offering two new features this year.
The tent will be holding its first every Horse Heritage Hall of Fame. The public was asked to nominate “local equine sector builders,” explained Bridget Ryan of Equine Erin.
“People who have built our horse community have been put forward which is really nice.”
Even a horse has been nominated.
The Horse Heritage Hall of Fame inductee will be named at 11am on Oct. 6. The Erin Fall Fair runs from Oct. 4 to 8
While the deadline to submit a nomination for the Horse Hall of Fame has passed, Ryan said horse stories will be accepted until Oct. 1.
“What we’re trying to do … is to create a horse archive for Erin and this is going to be the start so we’re going to try to collect photos, stories, start an archive so that we can really start to capture this really important part of Erin’s history,” she said.
That information will stay with the Erin Agricultural Society even if the committee changes.
“Each year we’re going to have a Hall of Fame inductee,” she said. “This year we’re starting off with a banner and I’m assuming that will carry on each year.
“So next year it might be someone else and then their photo, or their horse photo will be on, then that will be unveiled in the Equine Tent.”
Also returning this year is the horse parade.
On Oct. 8 the All Breeds Equine Parade will begin at 1:30pm.
Registration will begin at noon.
“That horse parade is open to everyone,” Ryan said.
“Registrants will get free entry to the fair and we’re having prizes and ribbons.”
The fair website states that prices will be given out for largest, smallest and Best of Show horses.
“We’ve done it twice before, once in 2010 when we started the equine tent and then last year for Canada’s 150th we also had an all breeds heritage horse parade and we had a lot of requests so we’re doing it again,” she said. “Hopefully it becomes an annual thing.”
The Equine Tent will offer activities all weekend including various educational displays, breed exhibits and clinics, including, but not limited to:
– Ontario Sidesaddle Association;
– Local farrier Paul Fischbach;
– Icelandic horse presentation;
– Equine Guelph;
– Ontario Competitive Trail Riding Association;
– Woodbine racing;
– LongRun Thoroughbred; and
– An equine photographer.
In addition, children’s activities will be offered from Oct. 8 to 10:
– Breyer pony painting booth from 11am to 2pm;
– pony craft from 2 to 4pm at Breyer Pony Station;
– Horseless jumping, which is “a free activity for the kids,” Ryan said. “And every time we put that in the demo ring it’s full because kids can go over 10 jumps and then they get a ribbon;” and
– bouncy balls with ears and a handle, donated by Farm Hoppers.
The equine tent also offers a free photo booth where the visitors can keep a free print. The plan is to have heritage horse photo options from the Erin Fall Fair as the background to the photo booth.
Various horse shows will also be run throughout the weekend.
For more information about the Erin Fall Fair visit www.erinfair.com.
