“I’m very excited about how great this year’s Horse Expo was,” grins Western States Horse Expo President Miki Cohen. “I have to agree with all the people who said it was the best ever. We’re extremely proud of our sponsors, exhibitors, clinicians, speakers, sale horse staff, office personnel–everyone who made this Expo a truly extraordinary event.

“I think horse expositions are critical for the growth of the horse industry,” Cohen continues. “People new to horses, as well as those who have had horses for years, find a whole world of fabulous opportunities at our expo–from education to disciplines to products.”

Thousands of horse enthusiasts poured through the main gate at the Cal Expo fairgrounds in Sacramento, Calif., during the three-day expo in June. They funneled through four huge buildings that housed over 500 retail exhibitors, then spilled out onto the concourse of 11 acres of trailers, six arenas hopping with demonstrations, breed exhibits, horse sales, full-size barns, the Magnificent 7 stock horse competition, acres of tractors and trucks, and the Extreme Cowboy Race.

Mature olive trees shaded young buckaroos as they fingerpainted live Arabian horses (all grey, of course–the perfect “canvas” for the artists!). The boys boldly splashed hands full of paint on the horses, while most of the little cowgirls daintily dipped individual fingers into the paints and carefully scrolled their art on the horses