STILL THE ONE: CONGRESS RETURNS TO OHIO

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Text Corrine S. Borton Photos Shane Rux & InStride Edition Staff

For 53 years now exhibitors have flocked to the Ohio State Fairgrounds in Columbus for the All American Quarter Horse Congress.

The world’s largest single-breed horse show, with 25,000 entries in 2021, attracts 650,000 people, and generates over $409 million to the central Ohio economy. Hosted by the Ohio Quarter Horse Association, a state affiliate of the American Quarter Horse Association, this year’s show runs from Sept. 27 to Oct. 23.

Spurred by competition from other events and shifts in the industry, there have been several changes to the Congress this year. Most notable is the elimination of the Masters 2-Year-Old Hunter Under Saddle and Western Pleasure classes. There’s also been a change in the format for futurity and stakes classes. Those contests will have only one go this year. Open finals will be placed at the conclusion of the one go. All limited riders who enter the arena and show in the go are automatically eligible for the limited finals. Limited division finals will run independently on a different day. “You show, you go to the finals,” officials say.

Ranch Series

The $25,000 Open and Amateur working western rail classes, sponsored by Headley Quarter Horses, return to the AQHA World Championship Show and Select World Show, at the OKC Fairgrounds in Oklahoma City in November. In addition, owners of horses competing in the open working western rail at both the AQHA and Select World and the Open Ranch Rail Stakes at the Congress will have a shot at an additional $10,000 in cash, courtesy of the Headleys. New in 2022, Headley Quarter Horses will also provide two ranch-style Harris Leather saddles to the owners of the overall open and non-pro high-point working western rail horses between the two events. The three highest accumulative point earners in the open division will receive the following cash awards: First place, $5,000; Second place, $3,000; Third place, $2,000. And, new this year, the owner of the first-place open high-point horse and the owner of the first-place overall non-pro horse between the two events will also win ranch-style Harris Leather saddles.

“We are excited to once again partner with two industry leaders in the All American Quarter Horse Congress and Headley Quarter Horses to offer additional cash incentives to the ever-popular working western rail classes,” said Justin Billings, AQHA chief show officer. “In total, $35,000 will be awarded to the Open and Amateur working western rail stakes classes, which showcase 3-year-old or older s

American Quarter Horses that display the natural self-carriage and positive attributes of a working western horse. Last year’s AQHA and Select World and Congress classes featured over 160 entries, and we expect that number to grow in 2022.”

Blod Drive

The Ohio Quarter Horse Association and the Ohio Amateur Quarter Horse Association are hosting a blood drive in support of Brady Martin Oct. 15, 16, 21, and 22 at the 2022 All American Quarter Horse Congress.

Brady has High Risk Pre-B Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. He also has an extremely rare mutation that has only been seen 64 times in the world in a span of almost 20 years.

Donors will be entered in a raffle to win a range of prizes from generous vendors at the Congress. Prizes range from clothing to saddle pads to parking passes for the 2023 All American Quarter Horse Congress.

Super Sires

The Super Sires Program has added one stakes class,one sale graduate class and five Breeders Purse Classes to the 2022 Congress lineup, for a total of $75,000 in cash and awards. Classes include: • Mid-South Equine 2-Year-Old Open Western Pleasure – for Super Sires 2021 Sale graduates. Show concurrently with the Super Sires 2-Year-Old Open Western Pleasure. A total of $12,500 is added to the class in 2022 and $12,500 will be added to the 3-Year-Old class in 2023. • Super Sires 2-Year-Old Open Hunter Under Saddle, held concurrently with the Congress class. The Super Sires Breeders purse adds $4,500 to the class • Super Sires Non-Pro Yearling Longe Line, held concurrently with the Congress class. The Super Sires purse adds $5,000 to the class.

• Super Sires 2-Year-Old Open Western Pleasure, held concurrently with the Mid-South Equine 2-Year-Old Open Western Pleasure. The program has added $20,000 open to horses sired by 2019 Super Sires. • Super Sires 3-Year-Old Non-Pro Western Pleasure, held concurrently with the Congress class. The Super Sires purse adds a total of $25,000 to the class - $15,000 to the Open Division and $10,000 to the Limited Division. • Super Sires 4&5-Year-Old Non-Pro Trail, held concurrently with the Congress Class. The Super Sires Stakes Purse adds $1,000 to the class. • Nutrena Non-Pro Western Yearling Longe Line, held concurrently with the Congress class. The Super Sires Breeders Purse adds $8,200 to the class - $5,000 to first place thanks to a donation by Nutrena. For more information about the Super Sires program visit www.supersires.org.

Trade Show

The Congress offers more than 250 commercial exhibit spaces in a seven-acre indoor equine shopping experience, with additional outside space as well. Commercial exhibitors offer everything from show clothing to tack to towing vehi-

cles and trailers to equine art, jewelry, furniture and much more. Trade show hours are: 9:30 a.m to 6 p.m., SundayWednesday; 9:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday-Saturday. Super Sale

The 56th annual Congress Super Sale is scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 15. The main features of the sale are the Congress Sale Stakes Session for yearling prospects for Western Pleasure and Hunter Under Saddle. Yearlings offered in these sessions can be made eligible for the Congress Sale Stakes classes, which feature Open and Non-Pro divisions in both classes for 2-year-olds at the 2023 Congress. Yearling sale graduates from the 2021 Sale that were nominated at the Sale will ride for a total purse $64,500.

The Congress Super Sale offers three sessions for breeders and sellers to choose from, including the Western Pleasure Yearling Sale Stakes session, the Hunter Under Saddle Yearling Sale Stakes session and the Super Session for Show Horses, Broodmares and Other Prospects.

“Entries are up from last year and include many outstanding horses,” said Mike Jennings, with the auction management company, Professional Horse Services, LLC.

A sale preview will be held starting at noon on Friday, Oct. 14. The Super Sale gets underway at 9:30 a.m., on Saturday, Oct 15. Early absentee bidding becomes available to you one week prior to the start of the sale. This option allows you to place your bid ahead of time and is useful if you have poor home internet connectivity, are unable to watch live on sale day, or just find the faster pace of a live auction intimidating. Live bidding takes place at www.bid.horseauctionsusa.com. Admission and Parking

Admission is free except for special events including Congress PBR and Freestyle Reining.

Parking Passes: Daily, $25, discounted to $15 every Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday; Entire Event, $75 (online transaction fees not included). Attendees who purchase onetime admissions must park north of 17th Avenue. All commercial exhibitors, horse show exhibitors and whole-show pass spectators may park on the main fairgrounds (south of 17th Avenue). These exhibitors and spectators with wholeshow passes may also park trucks and cars on top of the Gilligan Barn, but no trailers are permitted on top of the barn. There will be only oneway traffic around the Gilligan Barn. Any vehicle, including trailers, trucks, cars or golf carts, that parks in an unauthorized area, or without proper stickers/permits, will be towed by the Ohio State Highway Patrol at the owner's expense. Call (614) 294-9336. Camping

All camping is at the discretion of Standard Parking and the Ohio Expo Center. Camping spaces are available through Standard Parking at the Ohio Expo Center on a first-come, first-serve basis. No reservations are accepted.

Fees & Conditions: Camping is $40 per day. Standard Parking requires that you pay for the entire length of the show up front beginning upon arrival. Campers not staying the entire show may collect a refund at the Standard Parking Office 8:00 a.m to 5 p.m., Monday-Friday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. To receive a refund, a dated Ohio Expo Center camper pass must be presented. Those staying past noon will be charged for an additional day. If leaving after the Standard Parking refund office hours, refund information to start the process may be obtained from the stall office. All camping requires a $75 whole-show pass to be purchased for the towing vehicle or RV.

All horse trailers parking south of 17th Avenue will be charged the $40 per day camping fee. Trailers that are not being used for camping will have the option to park at no charge in the trailer lot north of 17th Avenue. To contact Standard Parking call (614) 294-9336. Dogs at the Congress

Dogs are permitted on the Ohio State Fairgrounds during the Congress. However, no dogs, either on or off a leash, will be permitted in the Coliseum, Celeste Center, Cooper Arena, Congress Hall or Congress Annex.

Puppy Alley: Puppy Alley is located in the Annex. Space is first come first serve. All personal items must be removed from the building overnight. Participants are required to complete a Puppy Alley Registration Form. Registration forms are available at the stall office. An Ohio Quarter Horse Association representative will collect the registration form when you arrive at Puppy Alley. Participants are required to display puppies in the designated Puppy Alley area only. Participants will occupy individual spaces within Puppy Alley. Spaces will be available on a daily first come, first served basis. No puppies less than 8 weeks of age will be permitted on Puppy Alley. All puppies must have a current Health Certificate prior to arriving at Puppy Alley. Health certificates must be available for inspection every day you plan to participate in Puppy Alley. All puppies are subject to examination by Congress designated veterinarians.