After months of hard work and planning, applications have been
turned in and the sponsors have jumped on board for the first
annual Central Coast Draft Horse and Driving Show.
After months of hard work and planning, applications have been turned in and the sponsors have jumped on board for the first annual Central Coast Draft Horse and Driving Show.
Every type of draft horse including Clydesdales weighing in at 2,000 pounds and miniature horses standing 30 inches tall will fill the San Benito Fairgrounds on May 22, and the show is free of charge.
“Everyone likes these horses no matter if they’re into horses or not,” Show Director Suzy Caston said. The all-day event is packed with activities including: an All-American grand opening celebration with beautiful Belgian horses, an open halter class where the biggest to the smallest horses are showcased, multiple driving classes including an obstacle course, a 4-up hitch class and a draft horse barrel race and keyhole competition.
“We’re having this show to not only promote the sport, but to share the horses with the public,” Caston said. “This community is very horse friendly and supportive of events like this.”
Adding to the entertainment, the California Cowgirls Rodeo Drill Team will perform, and a grand finale parade will allow competitors to put on their creative caps and come up with something clever to pull.
“I’ve heard of people pulling hearses and broken down cars,” Caston said. “Regardless of what they do I’m sure it will be entertaining.”
Caston hopes entire community comes together to make the first annual show a success. At the end of the event, the California Highway Patrol will escort the sponsors and participants on a two-hour drive to San Benito County Historical Park, where they’ll have a closing cook-out celebration for those involved.
Harry Councell has been working with Clydesdales for 15 years and is on the show’s board. He said he is excited about holding the first show ever in Hollister.
“We have been trying to find a venue for a while now and this park is just the right size, and the community response has been just fabulous,” Councell said.
A similar show was held at the Santa Clara Fairgrounds until it was shutdown in 2000. Since then, the closest draft and drive shows are as far as Grass Valley and Ventura.
For more information about the show, visit www.centralcoastdrafthorseshow.com.
