COLUMBUS, OH, March 12, 2026 – The savviest horse lovers in the industry know there’s only one truly extraordinary equine expo where equestrians of all disciplines and skill levels can come together to learn new skills, develop new abilities, and explore new horizons: Equine Affaire! On April 9-12, North America’s premier equine exposition and equestrian gathering will gallop into the Ohio Expo Center in Columbus, Ohio. With less than 30 days to go until the first horses trot into the arena, it’s time to roll out the purple carpet and welcome this year’s class of Equine Affaire clinicians.
Attendees are invited to preview the event schedule for this year’s event here. Spanning four days and seven venues, the schedule includes hundreds of clinics, seminars, and demonstrations on topics and disciplines for riders of all levels. Horsemen and horsewomen will enjoy learning about show jumping, ranch trail, gaited horses, driving, saddle fit, draft horses, foaling, wild horses, cutting, cow work, reining, groundwork, trailer loading, and so much more, all shared by some of the most experienced equestrians in the horse industry. This year’s event will also include a brand-new “Bred for Speed” demo ring schedule, featuring demos all about speed horses and speed disciplines!
This year, we are proud to welcome the following lineup of professionals:
John Lyons…General Horsemanship
Dan James…Liberty, General Horsemanship
Jason Irwin…General Horsemanship
Ben Longwell…Vaquero Traditions, Cow Work
Keith Ceddia…Reining
Phyllis Dawson….Eventing
Zoe Woodland…Cutting, Cow Work
Gaby Reutter…Jumping
Mike Bednarek…Reined Cow Horse, Ranch Trail & Show Trail
Reese Koffler-Stanfield…Dressage
Joe Sansone…Ranch Sorting
Bronwyn Irwin…Barrel Racing, Pole Bending, Youth
AJ Miller…Driving
Scot MacGregor…Easy Gaited Horses
Ariana Sakaris…Behavioral Training
Jim Masterson…Bodywork and the Masterson Method
Diamond D Cowgirls…Drill Teams
Kellie & Sam Rettinger…Draft Driving
Asbury University…Police Horse Training, Vaulting
The Wild Horse Summit…Mustang Training
And many more!
Ready to learn more about some of our headliners? Keep reading!
Known as “America’s Most Trusted Horseman,” John Lyons is one of the most respected and sought-after trainers, speakers, demonstrators, and clinicians in the horse world. With more than 45 years of dedication to horses and horse owners, his ideas and concepts have influenced every level of performance, every style of riding, and every breed of horse throughout the world. His sincere regard for people and the horses they love has remained unchanged throughout his career and has earned him honors from many facets of the horse industry. Today, there is hardly an expo in the world where you will not find Mr. Lyons, his children, Josh, Michael, and Brandi, or one of their certified trainers as a guest clinician. Mr. Lyons and his wife, Jody, live and work in Parachute, Colorado, at “Our Dream Ranch.” Their door is always open.
Born in Queensland, Australia on a small cattle farm, Dan James‘ passion for horses began when he was six weeks old. From his first pony to the first horse he started in his early teens, Mr. James’ hunger to learn about training has only increased. After studying at Longreach Pastoral College, he began traveling the world to gain a better understanding of horses. He learned through experiences like starting colts in Hokkaido, Japan, and managing horses on a cattle station in Western Australia. His accomplishments include being the 2012 Road to the Horse World Champion, the 2014 Freestyle Reining Champion at the Kentucky Reining Cup, a Mustang Million Finalist, winning the “Way of the Horse” at Equitana Asia Pacific, and representing Australia at the 2018 World Equestrian Games in reining. Mr. James first learned about liberty training from world renowned movie horse trainer Heath Harris. From there, he quickly developed his own skills and trained liberty horses for television, movies, and photo shoots, including training horses used in the shows Heartland and The Walking Dead. Mr. James travels the world wowing judges, fans, and audiences alike with his training techniques, showmanship, and understanding of how horses learn.
Jason Irwin is a lifelong equestrian and horse trainer from Ontario, Canada. He and his wife, Bronwyn, operate Jason and Bronwyn Irwin Horsemanship. Together, they teach horse training clinics, put on training demonstrations, and present at horse events throughout North America. Mr. Irwin began his training career focusing on colt starting and fixing problem horses and later added advanced training and liberty work. Mr. Irwin works with both western and English riders of all skill levels and was awarded Equine Affaire’s “Exceptional Equestrian Educator” award in 2023. Mr. and Mrs. Irwin host “The Horse Trainers” TV show on The Cowboy Channel Canada and RFD-TV Canada. They have created several video training series and regularly post training information on their social media accounts.
Ben Longwell possesses over 20 years of training experience. He grew up riding horses and working cattle in Colorado. After finishing school, he spent time learning from local ranchers and apprenticed with a Quarter Horse breeder, studying the basics of colt starting and true horsemanship. His knowledge and experience continued to expand into a full-time training career and a passion for the Vaquero Bridlehorse Tradition. Along with his wife, Natalie, he moved to her native country of New Zealand and spent 11 years as a full time horseman and clinician, working with thousands of horses from many different breeds. His unique perspective, coming from a working ranch/cowboy background, brings practicality to every aspect of producing well rounded horses no matter the discipline. In 2022, the opportunity arose for the Longwells and their four kids to move back to the US. Through their ranch-based clinics and a unique online video library, the Longwells pursue their mission to help people and horses understand one another.
Love cow work, or you’d like to learn more about it? Make sure to lasso Friday and Saturday onto your personal Equine Affaire schedule! On Friday, April 11, and Saturday, April 12, cow horse clinics with live cattle will be held as part of Cowtown in Cooper, sponsored by Western Life Today! This exciting two-day intensive tour will lead horses and riders in an exploration of multiple cow-oriented Western events. Learn from Ben Longwell, Mike Bednarek, Zoe Woodland, and Joe Sansone as they guide you through topics like practical stockmanship, ranch sorting, working cow horse boxing, and cutting. In between clinics, make sure to stop by the Western Life Today Alleyway in the Bricker Building for a fun Cowtown-themed shopping experience. You might even meet some exciting pop-up clinicians, like Pat Parelli (yes, THE Pat Parelli!) and fun exhibitors like Chewy, petKORE, and Studmuffins.
Check out the full list of presenters and our schedule here. You can also get a sneak peek at the hundreds of exhibitors who will be on our trade show floor here!
Are you ready to attend Equine Affaire? Get your Fantasia tickets and Equine Affaire tickets and plan to spend the whole day (or weekend) immersed in the world of horses! General admission tickets to Equine Affaire are $20/day for adults or $60 for a four-day pass; children’s tickets are available for $10/day for children ages 7-10; and children six and under are admitted for free. Enjoy unbridled access to the largest horse-related trade show in North America, multiple themed pavilions, the Versatile Horse and Rider Competition, the Breed Bonanza, the Cowboy Challenge, and all clinics, seminars, and demonstrations, as well as a variety of immersive activities! Separate tickets are required for Fantasia, Equine Affaire’s spectacular musical celebration of the horse! Performances begin at 7:30 pm on April 9, 10, and 11 in the Coliseum. The doors and the box office will open at 6:30 pm each night. Get your Fantasia tickets in advance and secure your seats. Tickets are on sale now here. Fantasia is sponsored by Western Edge.
Equine Affaire acknowledges the generous support of its sponsors, including Western Edge, NRS, US Equestrian, Pro Earth Animal Health, Sentinel by Kent and Blue Seal, My Stride, Western Life Today, LRP Matting, and others. To learn more about Equine Affaire and stay up to date on everything related to Equine Affaire in Ohio, visit www.equineaffaire.com or follow us on Facebook and Instagram @equineaffaire. We’ll see you at Equine Affaire!
Media Contact:
Allison Rehnborg
arehnborg@equineaffaire.com