Appaloosas Well Represented at South Dakota Horse Fair

During the 2007 South Dakota Horse Fair in Sioux Falls, held March 16-18, spectators had a number of opportunities to see the beauty and abilities of the appaloosa horse.  Beginning with the stallion versatility competition on Friday night and continuing through the breed parades held on Saturday and Sunday, the appaloosas were exhibited in the arena; and the Center of the Nation Appaloosa Horse Club (CON ApHC) sponsored a hospitality booth in the breed area of the event as well.  Clinicians Craig Cameron and Sandy Jirkovsky used appaloosa horses in their seminars to help demonstrate the concepts of their lessons.

Members of the CON ApHC regional club were available at the booth during the three day event to answer questions and distribute informational literature about appaloosa horses.  The booth was decorated with a variety of photos, and videos of the appaloosa horse show and highlights of appaloosa freestyle reining were also playing on a television for visitors to view.  A stall next to the hospitality booth was used for a live appaloosa gelding named Ima Touch DZ, so that people could also stop by to see an appaloosa horse “in person”.

Captain Zip Ahoy, a nine-year-old stallion, exhibited by Jim Jirkovsky, was the uncontested winner of the versatility championship award at the Horse Fair.  The pair won four of the five events, halter, reining, western pleasure, and trail; and placed third in the fifth event, barrel racing.  Captain Zip Ahoy was also the winner of both the 2006 Nutrena Iron Horse and the 2006 World’s Best Appaloosa awards at the Appaloosa World Show held in Fort Worth last Fall.

During the breed parades, four horses and riders presented examples of the variety of events in which appaloosa horses excel. Nancy Nickel rode Kool’s Legacy sidesaddle, Emily Ketcham exhibited Ima Touch DZ in English attire, Jim Jirkovsky and Captain Zip Ahoy demonstrated western riding and reining expertise, and western pleasure was shown by Sandy Jirkovsky and Zip A Dee Bar.   During the exhibition, the announcer read information about the history, characteristics and other highlights of appaloosa horses.