|
Estes Park: A great place for horsing around
 |
 |
 |
|
|
|
At
The Fairgrounds at Stanley Park, the
horse
show season begins in June and continues until the last
Hunter-Jumper hurdles its way over an obstacle in
mid-August. First on the scene is the Miniature Horse
Show in late June. Traditionally the minis are closely
followed by the Arabian Horse Show which takes place the
week of the Fourth of July. Then the fairgrounds hosts the Colorado Hunter-Jumper Association's Copper Penny
Show followed by the nationally recognized Silver Dollar
Hunter-Jumper Festivals. All in all, the
Hunter-Jumpers and their talented riders are in residence at
the fairgrounds for nearly four weeks. Adding to the
excitement, each of the three Festival weeks is
highlighted by a $25,000 Grand Prix which tests the skills
of the nation's best riders. The horse show season closes
with a Dressage Horse Show August 20-22 and
The Estes Park Draft Horse Show on
August 22.
|
2010 Show Dates |
| June
23-24 & 26-27 |
Rocky
Mountain Miniature Horse Show |
| July
2-4 |
Arabian Horse Show |
| July
3-4 |
Region
8 Sport Horse Championships |
| July
21-22 |
Half
Penny Hunter Jumper Horse Show |
| July
23-25 |
Copper
Penny Hunter Jumper Horse Show |
| July
28 - Aug. 1 |
Hunter
Jumper Festival I Horse Show |
| July
31 |
Festival I $25,000 Grand Prix at 5 p.m. |
| Aug.
4-8 |
Hunter
Jumper Festival II Horse Show |
| Aug. 7 |
Festival II $25,000 Grand Prix at 5 p.m. |
| Aug.
11-15 |
Hunter
Jumper Festival III Horse Show |
| Aug.
14 |
Festival III $25,000 Grand Prix at 5 p.m. |
|
Aug. 20-22 |
Dressage Horse Show |
|
Aug. 22 |
Estes
Park Draft Horse Show |
|
There is no admission
fee for any of these horse shows. The events
generally begin at 8 a.m. (The Draft Horse Show will
begin at 9 a.m.) and continue until all of
the classes scheduled are completed. The time the
shows conclude varies as it depends upon the number
of horses and riders competing on any given day.
|
The
year 2006 signaled the beginning of a multi-year renovation
project at The Fairgrounds at Stanley Park. The first
phase included massive drainage improvements and new footing
in the facility's arenas. In addition, a "mega arena"
was developed adding greatly to the flexibility of the
fairgrounds complex. Highlighting the year 2010 will be
a brand new state-of-the-art grandstand facility opening in
June.
|
|
|
