 |
| Thousands of spectators flocked to Britt last year to watch these gentle giants execute precision teamwork. |
27th annual Britt Draft Horse Show scheduled for Aug. 29-31
By MARY LODEN, Of the News-Tribune
The Britt Draft Horse Association will once again proudly present a hoof-pounding, action packed weekend, sure to entertain old and young alike.
The 27th annual Britt Draft Horse Show will be held Labor Day weekend, Aug. 29-31, at the Hancock County Fairgrounds in Britt.
The show will feature 18 of the finest six-horse hitches in the U.S. and Canada, representing the best of the Belgian, Percheron, and Clydesdale performance horses. Crews and horses will travel to Britt from homes as distant as Wyoming, Colorado, Indiana, Kansas and Nova Scotia, Canada, and some as close as Charles City, Iowa.
Thousands of spectators from all over the Midwest flock to Britt each year to admire these beautiful animals. Most leave Sunday's show with the vow, “this was great...we will be back next year.” There is not another show to compare with this annual gathering of the very best.
The grandstand shows, held Saturday and Sunday afternoons at 2 p.m. provide two to three hours of entertainment for all ages. Competition is held in the men's and ladies cart, team, unicorn, 4-horse, and 6-horse hitch classes.
On Sunday afternoon the Supreme 6-horse hitch is chosen and all eighteen 6-horse hitches return to the arena at once in Classic Series Six-Horse Hitch class - something started and seen only in Britt.
The weekend events also include junior classes, a 6-horse driving competition, 8-horse hitch class and halter classes.
The Britt Draft Horse Show is one of the recognized qualifying shows on the Classic Series show circuit.
Each year, more than 250 hitch owners travel across the United States and Canada to perform at state fairs and agricultural exhibitions to accumulate points for the Classic Series.
The high point hitches are invited to compete for the Classic Series All Breed Trophy to be presented this year in Harrisburg, Penn.
Planning for the 2008 show began last September, following the close of the 2007 show.
Each year competition entry forms are sent out to teams from the previous year as well as to teams across the nation who are doing very well explained Melodie Hiscocks, a member of the Britt Draft Horse Association.
“A lot of shows are down but we're at capacity. This year we have a full 18 and have a couple on the waiting list if there is a cancellation,” she said.
When asked why Britt draws so many of the finest teams Hiscocks said, “It's the small town atmosphere and it is strictly a horse hitch show - it's not sandwiched in between other events (like at a state fair.) They know people are coming to see them and they love the welcome they get in town.”
The Draft Horse Association depends on the help and support of local and area businesses, organizations, and individuals who provide monetary support and hundreds of hours in donated time to put together one of the finest draft horse hitch shows in North America.
The Britt Draft Horse Show is featured in the video, “Gentle Giants: Window to Our Heritage,” funded in part by a grant from the Iowa Humanities Board and the National Endowment for the Humanities.
For many Iowans and others from a rural background, the draft horse is a symbol of their heritage. But, the era that the draft horse represents is one that has come and gone in less than a century.
This video, a window to that heritage, combines scenes from the show with footage of the way it was when draft horses were used to work the farms.
The fairgrounds open at 7 a.m. each day, and the public is invited to come early to have a chance to wander through the barns and visit with the crews.
Spectators are also invited to visit the commercial building with booths offering everything from souvenir t-shirts and commemorative belt buckles to model hitches, ceramics and gift items, paintings and prints, livestock equipment, and many other items of interest.
Food and camping facilities are available on the grounds.
Admission for Friday is $2 for adults and $1 for children. Admission for Saturday and Sunday is $6 for adults, $1 for children age 6 to 10 and free for children age 5 and younger.
For more information on the show, commercial exhibit space, or sponsorship opportunities, please contact: Britt Draft Horse Association, PO Box 312, Britt, Iowa 50423; or call 641-843-4181, 515-928-2589 or 641-843-4376.
Story created Aug 26, 2008 - 09:59:38 CDT.
|
