The Virginia Horse Center
Driving into the Virginia Horse Center in the middle of the American Quarter Horse Association East Coast Championships can be a daunting task. There is row after row of trailers, and how their separate owners tell them apart is incredible in itself because they all look suspiciously similar. Screeching to the necessary 10 miles per hour speed limit, the raw smell of horse waste sweltering in the heat fills any open-window car with a regrettable odor.
Careful where you step! And please, feel free to help shovel!
Such beautiful, graceful animals these horses are.
Everything Under the Sun Related to Horses
Quarter Horses are one of the three primary equine disciplines, along with Arabian Horses and Hunter and Jumper Horses. (Quarter horses are an American breed of horse that derives its name from its ability to sprint short distances; generally they can top other breeds in races of one quarter of a mile or less.) Shows featuring these horses usually require weeklong events and can feature anywhere from 500 to 600 horses. These events command time from virtually all staff, ensuring that the stalls are above average and the footing is good in the arenas. After all, exhibitors paying money to board their horses at the Virginia Horse Center want to know that their horses are well-taken care of. The staff works hard, too: beginning at the end of February, there is an uninterrupted string of weekends with something going on until Thanksgiving.
On such a busy day, the Virginia Horse Center is full of people hustling and bustling (yet somehow remaining slow-paced) and going this way and that way (although people at both ends are doing the same thing, namely carting their enormous pets around). Sometimes a dog walks alongside the horse and its owner, and sometimes a horse unfamiliar with that dog and its habitual barking will suddenly stop, let out a short grunt, and slightly haunch its legs as though it wants to buck. People sit and talk, or walk and smile past one another (competition!), or just sit and pretend that they are not bothered by the incessant barking of that dog. Out of nowhere, an older man whizzes by on a yellow… cooler? A motorized yellow cooler: the pinnacle of drinking and driving.
The Virginia Horse Center is set up like a small town. The residential area, or stables, are on the left when entering through the front gate. The area is riddled with one-way streets and stop signs. The separate stables are of various dimensions and quality. The commercial area, or trailer shops, are smack dab in the middle. It is a tiny community of its own, featuring the stylish last-minute necessities for every serious rider. The entertainment area, or event arenas, are on the right when entering through the front gate. The path is winding here, and people look focused on nothing other than winning by thinking of ways to make their horse's trot pattern more fluid.
The Stables
The Silverbrook Barn, donated by Helen K. Groves, features only the type of people that are sitting and talking. They are responsibly drinking beer, just laughing and reminiscing about the day’s events. In the back are horse showers, very similar to the ones in a high school locker room but just a little wider for its larger occupants. Birds fly in and out of the building, twirping and tweeting but bothering no one.
In a separate building slightly across the way, there are perimeter horse stables. Inside some, horses eat away at bags of feed or just stare outward with their muzzles resting on the middle bar of the caged doorway. Two showers are in the back of the room, and in the middle is a decent private practice ring littered with hoof marks. The room is so quiet that the sound of a horse lightly grunting on the opposite end of the room can be easily heard. Inside of Woods Hill (In Honor of Sol W. Rawls, Jr.), things are strikingly similar as before; the only difference is the lack of a private practice ring.
The Trailer Shops
There are four notable trailer shops in the middle of the Virginia Horse Center. They are temporarily set up at these championships to seek profit. They are, in no particular order:
Show Diva Designs: Exquisite Show Clothing. The letters are written on a black sign with bright pink letters, reminiscent of a fine gentlemen's club.
The Hitching Post Tack Shop, featuring shoes, saddles, and Hunt Coats at 75% off!
Harris Leather & Silverworks of State Road, North Carolina. Here there are a variety of goods on display outside, including boots, saddles, canvas pads, and stirrups.
Custom Tails: behind you all the way! (An assortment of multicolored pseudo horse tails hang from racks and give off a creepy vibe.)
The Event Arenas
At the J. North Fletcher Schooling Ring, casual-clothed people ride around at various rates of speed. Many are on their cell phones while riding, which seems begging for a nasty collision. They are riding for fun—either forgetting about a long day or just smiling and enjoying the pleasures of riding. Outside of the ring, people lean against the white railing and talk to one another. Every few minutes a horse brushes by so close that the observers can feel the small gust of wind created by its movement. Because the riders are riding for fun and form is not important, the sound of squeaking leather saddles can be heard from throughout the ring. With no roof, riders can also enjoy the pleasures of a beating and unremorseful sun.
Right next door is the Moore Arena, Dedicated by George and Emily Moore & Jennifer of Fincastle, Virginia. The roof combined with the cool breeze make it comfortable to sit and watch the practicing riders. These riders are wearing the full regalia: black show helmets, dark-colored coats and complementing light-khaki breeches, finished off with dark riding boots. For the most part, each rider is on her own and is practicing technique and warming up her horse's muscles. Then a woman yells from the entrance to the ring:
"Very nice and square, Emma, wow!"
She continues to casually but firmly throw instructions at Emma. Emma is hiding her embarrassment from the other riders as she continues to circle the ring.
"Good, that's better!" shouts the mother-coach.
The horses are extremely polished, beautiful animals. Most are light brown, a couple are gray with hints of black, some have braided hair and some simply have neatly-brushed hair. The other riders switch from trotting to walking, occasionally joking around with one another and ignoring the mother-coach's constant instructional showcase.
"Elbows by your side!"
The sound of hooves gently parading over the soft, crushed dirt is barely audible, but the sound has a certain touch of gracefulness that the riders can be proud of after years of practice. With each step the horses take, a small cloud of smoky dust rises, only to be carried away by the wind. Thanks to the shade that the Moore Arena roof provides, none of the riders appear overheated in their dapper attire. Sometimes the riders pass one another and throw quick glances at their competition as if to say "Hmmph, my form is farrr superior to yours."
Not to be outdone by the mother-coach, the sassy dad-coach begins to pace around inside the ring.
"Be smart about it! That's all you have to do!"
He is carrying a bag that is eerily similar to a man-purse, and his metallic voice sends a general feeling of uneasiness through Moore Arena.
The confines of the Howard P. Anderson Coliseum provide a welcomed sanctuary from the instructionally aggressive parents outside. It is cool inside, and the country music plays soft (but there’s nothing, really nothing to turn off). The dirt inside the ring is very smooth, soft, and light brown. The horses’ hooves cannot even be heard trampling over the footing, which is surprising given how dismally empty the 4,000 seat arena looks. There are four orange cones outlining a square in the middle of the ring. For this Amateur Exhibition event, the riders start at one corner of the square. They walk diagonally across the square, and proceed to a slow trot to the neighboring cone before walking diagonally across the square once again, ending at the fourth and final cone. The horse stops at this cone, walks a few steps backward, and then proceeds through the cone and lines up against the wall. The loudspeaker then instructs the riders to trot around the perimeter, shouting occasional instructions like "Walk your horses, please," or "Canter, please," and back to "Walk your horses, please," and finally "Thank you, exhibitors! Please line up, tails to the rail." The riders then guide their horses to the wall and face them toward the middle of the ring, waiting to hear the judges' scores.
"First place goes to Exhibitor 552, Potential Melody! Second place goes to Exhibitor 803, Easy To Be First!"
Emma, the rider from Moore Arena, placed fifth. She should have paid more attention to the endless instructions.
And so closes an eventful day at the Virginia Horse Center. The various exhibitors will fill the Lexington area with their presence, slowing the general flow of vehicle traffic and creating waiting lines at favorite local restaurants. And the horses, those magnificent and graceful creatures that potentially win their owners prize money, will wait through the night, confined to their cages, their only company being the orchestra of crickets playing in the grass fields of the fine 300 acre rural setting.
Careful where you step! And please, feel free to help shovel!
Such beautiful, graceful animals these horses are.
Everything Under the Sun Related to Horses
Quarter Horses are one of the three primary equine disciplines, along with Arabian Horses and Hunter and Jumper Horses. (Quarter horses are an American breed of horse that derives its name from its ability to sprint short distances; generally they can top other breeds in races of one quarter of a mile or less.) Shows featuring these horses usually require weeklong events and can feature anywhere from 500 to 600 horses. These events command time from virtually all staff, ensuring that the stalls are above average and the footing is good in the arenas. After all, exhibitors paying money to board their horses at the Virginia Horse Center want to know that their horses are well-taken care of. The staff works hard, too: beginning at the end of February, there is an uninterrupted string of weekends with something going on until Thanksgiving.
On such a busy day, the Virginia Horse Center is full of people hustling and bustling (yet somehow remaining slow-paced) and going this way and that way (although people at both ends are doing the same thing, namely carting their enormous pets around). Sometimes a dog walks alongside the horse and its owner, and sometimes a horse unfamiliar with that dog and its habitual barking will suddenly stop, let out a short grunt, and slightly haunch its legs as though it wants to buck. People sit and talk, or walk and smile past one another (competition!), or just sit and pretend that they are not bothered by the incessant barking of that dog. Out of nowhere, an older man whizzes by on a yellow… cooler? A motorized yellow cooler: the pinnacle of drinking and driving.
The Virginia Horse Center is set up like a small town. The residential area, or stables, are on the left when entering through the front gate. The area is riddled with one-way streets and stop signs. The separate stables are of various dimensions and quality. The commercial area, or trailer shops, are smack dab in the middle. It is a tiny community of its own, featuring the stylish last-minute necessities for every serious rider. The entertainment area, or event arenas, are on the right when entering through the front gate. The path is winding here, and people look focused on nothing other than winning by thinking of ways to make their horse's trot pattern more fluid.
The Stables
The Silverbrook Barn, donated by Helen K. Groves, features only the type of people that are sitting and talking. They are responsibly drinking beer, just laughing and reminiscing about the day’s events. In the back are horse showers, very similar to the ones in a high school locker room but just a little wider for its larger occupants. Birds fly in and out of the building, twirping and tweeting but bothering no one.
In a separate building slightly across the way, there are perimeter horse stables. Inside some, horses eat away at bags of feed or just stare outward with their muzzles resting on the middle bar of the caged doorway. Two showers are in the back of the room, and in the middle is a decent private practice ring littered with hoof marks. The room is so quiet that the sound of a horse lightly grunting on the opposite end of the room can be easily heard. Inside of Woods Hill (In Honor of Sol W. Rawls, Jr.), things are strikingly similar as before; the only difference is the lack of a private practice ring.
The Trailer Shops
There are four notable trailer shops in the middle of the Virginia Horse Center. They are temporarily set up at these championships to seek profit. They are, in no particular order:
Show Diva Designs: Exquisite Show Clothing. The letters are written on a black sign with bright pink letters, reminiscent of a fine gentlemen's club.
The Hitching Post Tack Shop, featuring shoes, saddles, and Hunt Coats at 75% off!
Harris Leather & Silverworks of State Road, North Carolina. Here there are a variety of goods on display outside, including boots, saddles, canvas pads, and stirrups.
Custom Tails: behind you all the way! (An assortment of multicolored pseudo horse tails hang from racks and give off a creepy vibe.)
The Event Arenas
At the J. North Fletcher Schooling Ring, casual-clothed people ride around at various rates of speed. Many are on their cell phones while riding, which seems begging for a nasty collision. They are riding for fun—either forgetting about a long day or just smiling and enjoying the pleasures of riding. Outside of the ring, people lean against the white railing and talk to one another. Every few minutes a horse brushes by so close that the observers can feel the small gust of wind created by its movement. Because the riders are riding for fun and form is not important, the sound of squeaking leather saddles can be heard from throughout the ring. With no roof, riders can also enjoy the pleasures of a beating and unremorseful sun.
Right next door is the Moore Arena, Dedicated by George and Emily Moore & Jennifer of Fincastle, Virginia. The roof combined with the cool breeze make it comfortable to sit and watch the practicing riders. These riders are wearing the full regalia: black show helmets, dark-colored coats and complementing light-khaki breeches, finished off with dark riding boots. For the most part, each rider is on her own and is practicing technique and warming up her horse's muscles. Then a woman yells from the entrance to the ring:
"Very nice and square, Emma, wow!"
She continues to casually but firmly throw instructions at Emma. Emma is hiding her embarrassment from the other riders as she continues to circle the ring.
"Good, that's better!" shouts the mother-coach.
The horses are extremely polished, beautiful animals. Most are light brown, a couple are gray with hints of black, some have braided hair and some simply have neatly-brushed hair. The other riders switch from trotting to walking, occasionally joking around with one another and ignoring the mother-coach's constant instructional showcase.
"Elbows by your side!"
The sound of hooves gently parading over the soft, crushed dirt is barely audible, but the sound has a certain touch of gracefulness that the riders can be proud of after years of practice. With each step the horses take, a small cloud of smoky dust rises, only to be carried away by the wind. Thanks to the shade that the Moore Arena roof provides, none of the riders appear overheated in their dapper attire. Sometimes the riders pass one another and throw quick glances at their competition as if to say "Hmmph, my form is farrr superior to yours."
Not to be outdone by the mother-coach, the sassy dad-coach begins to pace around inside the ring.
"Be smart about it! That's all you have to do!"
He is carrying a bag that is eerily similar to a man-purse, and his metallic voice sends a general feeling of uneasiness through Moore Arena.
The confines of the Howard P. Anderson Coliseum provide a welcomed sanctuary from the instructionally aggressive parents outside. It is cool inside, and the country music plays soft (but there’s nothing, really nothing to turn off). The dirt inside the ring is very smooth, soft, and light brown. The horses’ hooves cannot even be heard trampling over the footing, which is surprising given how dismally empty the 4,000 seat arena looks. There are four orange cones outlining a square in the middle of the ring. For this Amateur Exhibition event, the riders start at one corner of the square. They walk diagonally across the square, and proceed to a slow trot to the neighboring cone before walking diagonally across the square once again, ending at the fourth and final cone. The horse stops at this cone, walks a few steps backward, and then proceeds through the cone and lines up against the wall. The loudspeaker then instructs the riders to trot around the perimeter, shouting occasional instructions like "Walk your horses, please," or "Canter, please," and back to "Walk your horses, please," and finally "Thank you, exhibitors! Please line up, tails to the rail." The riders then guide their horses to the wall and face them toward the middle of the ring, waiting to hear the judges' scores.
"First place goes to Exhibitor 552, Potential Melody! Second place goes to Exhibitor 803, Easy To Be First!"
Emma, the rider from Moore Arena, placed fifth. She should have paid more attention to the endless instructions.
And so closes an eventful day at the Virginia Horse Center. The various exhibitors will fill the Lexington area with their presence, slowing the general flow of vehicle traffic and creating waiting lines at favorite local restaurants. And the horses, those magnificent and graceful creatures that potentially win their owners prize money, will wait through the night, confined to their cages, their only company being the orchestra of crickets playing in the grass fields of the fine 300 acre rural setting.
Labels: American Quarter Horse Association, horses, Virginia Horse Center
posted by Anonymous at
6:33 PM
2 Comments:
this is really funny! I love it!
Nice writing, but I didn't know that the three main disciplines of horseback riding were quarter horses, Arabian horses and hunter/jumpers. I always thought it was English (hunter/jumpers, saddleseat) and Western, and the different breeds (e.g. Arabians, quarter horses, thoroughbreds, Paso Finos, saddlebreds, warmbloods, etc.) competed in different events within those disciplines. Silly me.
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