Equine Affaire Celebrates Turning 25 With New Awards, Features, and More!

Have you heard? Equine Affaire in Massachusetts is turning 25! Created by equestrians for equestrians, our four-day horse expo has been elevating the equestrian experience in the Bay State since 1998. That means during the last twenty-five years, Equine Affaire has provided equine-themed education, entertainment, networking opportunities, and more to hundreds of thousands of horse lovers from all over the world. This November, bring the whole barn and come to W. Springfield, MA, to enjoy an extra-special edition of North America’s premier equine expo and equestrian gathering. This year’s event is brimming with all your favorite features – educational clinics, fun kids’ crafts, a fabulous trade show, exciting competitions, and more – plus a host of new additions and celebratory anniversary surprises!

Equine Affaire is happening November 9-12, 2023, at the Eastern States Expo in W. Springfield. You can buy general admission tickets in advance by visiting equineaffaire.com or by calling the Equine Affaire office at 740-845-0085, or you can purchase your tickets at the gates when you arrive (cash only). Equine Affaire’s musical celebration of the horse, Fantasia, is also returning for three nights only on November 9-11! Fantasia is sponsored by Absorbine. Advance tickets for this special show are going quickly, so purchase yours today at equineaffaire.com before the night of your choice sells out.

So, what’s waiting for you at Equine Affaire? We’re glad you asked! In addition to everything you’ve come to know and love about Equine Affaire, we’re rolling out even more horsey fun and games:

  • It may be our anniversary, but we’re giving you the gift! In honor of our 25th anniversary, Equine Affaire will be distributing a limited supply of vouchers to the first twenty-five hundred guests to come through the gates of the Eastern States Exposition. Each voucher will be good for 25% off one item of Affaire Wear at the Equine Affaire Information Booth, located in the Better Living Center. Come early for a chance to get a voucher and then make sure to snag your souvenir of choice at the Equine Affaire Info Booth! One voucher per person, please.
  •  The Great Equestrian Fitness Challenge is a brand-new competition that’s free to enter for all Equine Affaire attendees, no horse required! Happening Saturday, November 11, at 1:00 pm in the Mallary South Arena, the GEFC will feature three fun events: a barn chores marathon, a bouncy pony race, and a horse nugget relay. To sign up, visit the announcer’s table outside the Mallary South Arena prior to the competition. Prizes will be awarded to the top ten participants in each event. Flex your hard-earned barn muscles and have a great time, or just come ready to cheer on your friends and enjoy commentary from our master of ceremonies, Ifa Simmonds!
  • Support your favorite trade show exhibitors through the inaugural Best Booth Award contest. During the event, the Equine Affaire staff will select a class of finalists representing the “best booths” in the trade show. Then we’ll host an online contest via our Facebook to allow attendees to vote for the Best Booth at Equine Affaire! The winning booth will be declared on Saturday of the event and receive the honor of displaying a special “Best Booth” award banner at their booth for the rest of the trade show and until next year’s winner is declared. Keep an eye on the official Equine Affaire Facebook page during the event so you can vote for your favorite booth.
  • The Equine Affaire Exceptional Educator Award is used to recognize presenters and clinicians who have demonstrated an extraordinary dedication to providing top-tier education to audiences and riders at Equine Affaire. Throughout Equine Affaire history, the Exceptional Educator Award has been conferred only a handful of times. In fact, the last recipient of the Educational Educator Award was Julie Goodnight in 2008! We’re delighted to announce that we’re bestowing the Exceptional Educator Award on one hard-working and talented clinician at this year’s event. Who will it be? You’ll have to come to Equine Affaire to find out!
  • Every year, Horse Week unites the equine industry for the free equine streaming event of the year, showcasing films for horse people like documentaries, horse care and training videos, and lots more, on horseweek.tv. This year, the week-long film festival takes place November 5-11, 2023 – so naturally, Equine Affaire had to get in on the excitement! Make sure to join Equine Network at the Seminar Stage on Thursday, November 9, for a special Horse Week Viewing Party, starting at 5 pm.
  • Equestrians in Motion, sponsored by Blue Seal-Sentinel, is a fun new series of equestrian fitness workshops that debuted in Ohio this spring, and we’re delighted to bring these workshops to Massachusetts this fall! Presented by Ifa Simmonds, the owner and creator of Equestrian Fitness Academy, these in-person workshops will take place on Thursday, Friday, and Sunday of the event in the conference room of the Young Building. It’s free to participate, but there are limited slots available. Make sure to visit https://www.ifafit.com/lib to sign up before Equine Affaire gets here.
  • The free Equine Affaire raffle isn’t new, but it’s absolutely jam-packed this year with incredible prizes from trusted companies like Dubarry of Ireland – USA, Back On Track, October Design Equestrian Décor, Blue Seal-Sentinel, US Equestrian, and Equine Affaire. It’s free and easy to enter, and you need not be present to win. Make sure to enter online before November 13, 2023, for your chance to win big! Here’s where to enter: https://equineaffaire.com/events/massachusetts/mass-other-features/mass-free-raffle/.

The countdown to Equine Affaire in Massachusetts has begun! For everything you need to know to attend, visit www.equineaffaire.com/events/massachusetts. Tickets for Equine Affaire and Fantasia are available online or by calling our office at 740-845-0085 to order over the phone. Looking for somewhere to stay? Discounted rates are available at our host hotels through early October, and camping options are available at the Eastern States Expo. Want to learn more about how to participate? You can bring horses for sale, exhibit in the trade show, consign gently-used horsey gear in the Marketplace Consignment Shop, apply to distribute advertising materials on our distribution tables, participate in the Breed Pavilion or Horse & Farm Exhibits, and lots more. Visit our website or call our office for more details.

Equine Affaire gratefully acknowledges its generous sponsors: Absorbine, US Equestrian, GGT Footing, Horizon Structures, Fair Hill Saddlery, Tribute Equine Nutrition, LRP Matting, Chewy, Triple Crown Nutrition, and Blue Seal-Sentinel. To learn more about our event, visit our website (www.equineaffaire.com) and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter/X @equineaffaire. We’ll see you at Equine Affaire!

CONTACT:
Allison Rehnborg, Marketing Coordinator
Equine Affaire, Inc.
Phone: (740) 845-0085 ext. 103
arehnborg@equineaffaire.com
www.equineaffaire.com

*Pictures Available Upon Request