Lincoln County, NC Kicks Off the 2022 Season of Horseman's Association Events

By Jessica Hatton

Lincoln County, North Carolina

On Saturday, April 3, 2022, the Lincoln County Horseman's Association held its first show of the season. This is located at 1222 PONDEROSA ROAD Lincolnton, NC 28092 where there are two large rings for showing- one for English and one for western. Membership to be a part of this association is $50 which always you to ride in events that this association holds. The western sector of the show is categorized into three different portions: Western, Ranch and Speed Events. All age groups can participate in showing as the divisions are broken into, Pee Wee, Youth and Adult. 

‍

Pictured at the very top  is Maverick, an American Paint. He is waiting at the trailer as his rider had already tacked him up. To stay calm and focused he was given hay to eat before he was taken to the ring.

‍

Riders will arrive on-site with their horses in tow for show day. Before arrival, they have the horses cleaned, tack packed and then trailer attached to the truck. At this show, you will find residents from Lincoln County and the surrounding counties ready to compete in what they have been training in. The viewers are supporters of riders, their trainers and horse lovers who appreciate this type of environment.

‍

The western sector of the show is categorized into three different portions: Western, Ranch and Speed Events. All age groups can participate in showing as the divisions are broken into, Pee Wee, Youth and Adult.

‍

‍

The events for this day started with a trail riding course.  Riders skillfully had to walk their horse over a raised block with no slipping of all four feet and then walk their partner over a series of poles to show that they were capable of this. Once completed, they had to dismount off the horse and remove the bridle to show the judges that as a duo they have showmanship. The rider would mount again and grab their rope from the saddle to lasso the stationery plastic bull.  This imitates what they would need to know in a traverse setting while traveling over different topographies. Ranch Trail showing combines skills they would have to use in an out-of-ring setting.

‍

There are different speeds you can go for daily riding. For these western events, the riders were given patterns to follow that transition between combinations of walk, jog and lope. These are the three main speeds that a horse and rider will travel together at in slow to fastest order. At the Lincoln County horse show, they had multiple riders in the ring at once. This will also show how well one’s horse is trained and how comfortable the rider is in group settings. The judges are looking for how well horse and rider can follow the given pattern and looking for smooth transitions while doing so. Completing this task will result in winning places 1-6.

‍

The last class set of the day is the speed series. This ranges from pole bending to barrel racing. In pole bending, the participants will have a series of poles to weave back and forth between and at the end will run their horse full speed back to the beginning of the course. For barrels, they will be given a pattern to run- primarily in a cloverleaf pattern. Once they round the third barrel at the end of the ring, they will again run full speed to the end, trying to make it the course in under 15 minutes.

‍

There are different speeds you can go for daily riding. For these western events, the riders were given patterns to follow that transition between combinations of walk, jog and lope.

‍

Trainer Debra Shook, from Painted Sky Ranch of Mooresville, says that she likes bringing her riders to the Lincolnton Horse Shows because “the judges are nice…and if you ask how to improve they’ll take the time to talk to you”. She says this is great for training because the cowboys and cowgirls have to “dress the part” while still having a welcoming environment while they are on "a step towards growing to the bigger shows”.

On the grounds, there is a food truck as a horse show can last for many hours. Crossroads Culinary sold breakfast sandwiches and street tacos to keep participants and supporters nourished. There was also a mobile tack store on-site to sell bridles, brushes and other horse-related equipment. 

‍

Lincoln County Horseman’s Association's purpose for this is “for the promotion of a family-oriented facility”. This association is run by volunteers who do it for the love of these animals and to share this lifestyle with others. The next shows will be on the first Saturday of every month till October, with one last show on October 29, 2022, which will be Halloween-themed.

‍

‍