The Safe Horse Project will host the 2023 Heart of the Horse Trainers Challenge and Expo, at the Kirk Fordice Equine Center in Jackson, MS, on May 19 and 20, where Twenty-three horse trainers from five states will compete with rescue horses, after 120 days of training.
The horse trainers met at the MS State Fairgrounds in January to select an untrained rescue horse to train. They will return to the Kirk Fordice Equine Center on May 19 and 20, to compete for the title of Heart of the Horse Trainers Challenge Champion and over $15,000 in cash and prizes. Professional, amateur and youth trainers from English, western and gaited disciplines will test their horsemanship skills in two days of head-on competition. The challenge horses, once cast aside as useless and neglected, will perform their skills to prove they are now transformed into safe, capable riding companions, ready for a long-term owner and loving new home. The Trainers Challenge will kick off Friday morning at 8 AM, with a training competition in horse health, ground manners, horsemanship and trail.
Commissioner Andy Gipson, a long-time supporter of The Safe Horse Auction, will make a public statement regarding the vital role horse rescues play in the horse industry in Mississippi and be available for questions at 10 AM on Friday Morning.
“I look forward to the Heart of the Horse Trainers Challenge and Expo,” said Commissioner Gipson. “This is a great event that brings in competitors from around the nation to showcase English, western and gaited disciplines of horsemanship. I encourage the public to attend, even those who may not be familiar with the equine industry, and learn something new about these elegant and practical animals. This event is free to the public and provides the perfect family outing for a unique show and good cause.”
On Saturday, The Heart of the Horse Expo opens at 9 AM, and will feature a free helmet giveaway, an annual used tack sale, equine-related vendors and exhibitors, networking with equine professionals and a raffle drawing for a Polaris Ranger. The Trainers Challenge will continue at 10 AM with the Freestyle competition, followed by the presentation of the overall 2023 Heart of the Horse Champion, division champions and other training awards. On Saturday, at 4PM, 18 challenge horses, who have all been pre-vetted and trained intensively for 120 days, will be presented in the live Safe Horse Auction, to pre-screened adopters. Prospective bidders must be pre-approved to adopt through Mississippi Horse Rescue and meet with the horse and trainer prior to the auction on Saturday, May 20th. This type of auction is the place to find that special treasured horse because it provides the setting to match buyers and horses appropriately, according to the suitability of the horse to the abilities and activities intended by the buyer, ensuring long-term interest and lasting homes. Find more information on this action-packed event, the horses, and how to qualify to bid on them at 2023 HOH Expo & Challenge (thesafehorseproject.org)
Find more information on how to qualify to adopt a challenge horse at Adoption Info (thesafehorseproject.org) Only the Heart of the Horse challenge horses will be entered into the Safe Horse Auction. To see other horses available for adoption, visit the Mississippi Horses website.
Admission is free to the public.
The Safe Horse Project’s mission is to grow participation in equine ownership and to provide support for equine professionals and businesses. An epidemic of unwanted, untrained, or poorly trained horses on the market leaves those wanting to enter the world of horse ownership at a loss on how and where to find a horse suitable for their skill level. The Safe Horse Project in partnership with Mississippi Horse Rescue, raises awareness of the need to re-train and re-home horses by promoting responsible horse ownership and horsemanship through events like the Heart of the Horse Trainers Challenge and Expo. For more information on the Heart of the Horse, please visit their web site at www.thesafehorseproject.org.