TAILS FROM THE TRAILS
How come August lasts approximately 17 weeks, while October slips by unnoticed? You glance at the calendar, and Halloween is next week, with Thanksgiving hot on its heels. (We’re not even going to mention Christmas. Not yet.) At any rate, the last weekend in October offers a couple of fun horsy events.
The first takes place Saturday, Oct. 26. The Caloosa Halloween Fun Show will take place at the Caloosa Equestrian Park. Registration begins at 9 a.m., and the show starts at 10 a.m. It’s open to everyone, and even if you don’t have a horse, this one’s a fun event to attend with the whole family.
Classes include pole bending, apple bobbing, ride-a-buck, flag races, cloverleaf races, spill-a-drink, streamer classes, spin class and, of course, everyone’s favorite: the costume class. There are free hayrides for kids. The show is open to riders of all ages, kids to adults, and the cost is a $10 registration fee, $5 per class, or $35 for the whole day.
“The show will go on, rain or shine, but we’re hoping for good weather,” said Susan Bonanno, chairwoman of the Caloosa Equestrian Committee. “This is one of our favorite annual events, a great way for people of all ages, youngest to oldest, to come together, get silly, dress up and have fun.
The annual show has a legion of fans.
“It’s a lot of people’s favorite show to watch, even if they’re not participating,” Bonanno said. “The costume class is always a big draw. Some people get very creative when they dress up themselves and their horses. It’s very neat to watch. Other favorites are the spill-a-drink, where you ride to the end of the arena, pick up a glass filled with water, and have to ride back to the start holding it. The rider who spills the least wins. I also like the streamer class. Two riders ride side by side holding a crepe paper streamer between them. The object is to not let it break.”
Bonanno said the Caloosa Equestrian Committee tries to have at least one event each month. The park boasts nice show grounds with easy horse trailer access.
“Spectators are always welcome,” she said. “Our shows are very safe, a friendly atmosphere.”
For more information on the Halloween show and other upcoming events, including a Christmas Fun Show in December, visit www.caloosa.info.
But we’re not done yet. Saturday is only half of a weekend, and there’s more fun stuff out there. You might want to attend a huge equestrian flea market at Sunshine Meadows, located at 16668 Winner’s Circle Drive in suburban Delray Beach. It’s off of State Road 7, just south of Atlantic Avenue. It runs Sunday, Oct. 27, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., rain or shine.
“This is the first time we’re trying something like this,” said Scott Miller, a jack-of-all-trades at the facility. “This farm is under new management, and we’re trying to develop it and make it an integral part of Palm Beach County’s horse community.”
Sunshine Meadows is a sprawling complex. It covers 175 rural, grassy acres and includes 18 barns, 700 stalls, three show arenas with jumps, two practice arenas, a dressage ring, two different trotting tracks for Standardbreds, a European jog track for harness horses and plenty of trails.
“We’re hoping a lot of people will come out and visit on Sunday, either to buy, sell or just to mosey around and see what we have to offer,” Miller said. “People will be selling new and used tack of all kinds, anything related to horses. We’ll also have a hay company, a feed company, someone selling horse treats and a Segway company there. There are still spaces available for anyone with something to sell. A 10×10 space costs $20. If this sale is successful, we plan to offer more on a regular basis. We hope a lot of people will come out and get to know us, look around and see what we have to offer.”
For more information, call Scott at (561) 281-7659 or visit www.sunshinemeadows.info.
So, there you go — two fun things to do this weekend, with or without your horse. Personally, I love watching the costume classes, mostly to admire the ingenuity of people who can conceive and then construct an interesting outfit. I especially appreciate the horses and ponies, true troupers, who patiently go along with yet another one of their people’s wacky ideas. And a used tack sale — a great way to find that extra halter or saddle pad you’ve been needing while rubbing elbows with friends and fellow equestrians.
