The third annual Aggie Horse Fair will host local businesses and equine organizations on Saturday and is open to anyone interested in horses or the equine industry.
The fair will run from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the Thomas G. Hildebrand, DVM ‘56 Equine Complex with free admission. Four graduate students at the Equine Industry Management Group Cohort are organizing the Aggie Horse Fair.
Equine Industry Management graduate student Brooke Wharton helped coordinate the event and said that experience with horses is not required to attend or enjoy the fair.
“It seems like a lot of people are getting further and further from agricultural and livestock lifestyles and just haven’t had exposure to horses [and] cattle,” Wharton said. “This is a good opportunity to remind people that horses are a valued part of our society. They are still working animals, but [they can] also [be] loyal pets.”
In addition to owning her own business where she breeds and trains show horses, the Aggie Horse Fair is a way to use skills that Wharton learns in the Equine Industry Management masters program.
“It’s [like] business school and equine science,” Wharton said. “This has been a good opportunity for me to go back and improve my business skills alongside learning more of the fundamentals of nutrition or physiology, as opposed to just learning what my trainer taught me.”
The Aggie Horse Fair will be working with the Aggiefest Horse Judging Workshop this year. The workshop is from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in the Thomas G. Hildebrand, DVM ‘56 Equine Complex on Saturday. Workshop coordinator and state extension horse specialist Jennifer Zoller said that the kids and coaches that attend the Aggiefest Horse Judging Workshop will be encouraged to attend the fair afterwards.
“Horses are a big part of the economy,” Zoller said. “We have more horses in the state of Texas than any other state in the U.S., so it’s important that if people are going to enjoy them that they understand how to do that safely and they are aware of the resources available to them.”
Several university organizations will have booths and activities at the fair such as the Texas A&M Eventing Team, Texas A&M Stock Horse Team and the Texas A&M Horsemen’s Association.
Texas A&M Eventing Team secretary and food science sophomore Marissa Rewcastle said that the Aggie Horse Fair is a good way for the public to learn about a variety of topics and to network within the equine industry.
“Learning about different topics in the horse world allows people to better take care of the horses that surround them,” Rewcastle said. “While there are some things that have to be handled by a professional like vet care, there is always more to be learned, which is why it’s important to continue learning about the world around you.”
The Texas A&M Eventing Team competes against other colleges and in local shows and educates the public about the sport. Rewcastle started eventing at ten years old.
“All it took was one jump lesson and one cross country schooling to get me hooked,” Recastle said. “Riding can be stressful when competing but it’s worth it in the end as the bond between horse and rider has no equal.”