The 14th Annual Pendleton Area Saddle Club Hunter/Jumper and CHSA Horse Show is being held at the T. Ed Garrison Arena in Clemson on June 28th. The Hunter/Jumper show begins at 9 a.m., and the CHSA (Carolina Horse Show Association) Open Show begins at noon.

When asked about her goals behind the show, Ms. Diane Jackson, the director of the Pendleton horse show, replied that she “wanted to provide a show that anybody can afford to come to and enjoy.” Jackson went on to say that “anyone can compete. It’s an opportunity for both young and old to participate.” Her hope in annually holding this horse show is to not only give exposure to all the different breeds of horses, but also to spark interest in the audience that will hopefully develop into a love for horses.

The show’s success can be seen in the drastic increase in attendance through the years. When the event was first held 14 years ago, the Hunter/Jumper show started at 9 a.m. and would run to 12-1 p.m., with the Open Show beginning afterwards. Now, the Hunter/Jumper show typically runs until 5-6 p.m., forcing the CHSA Open Show to begin in the middle. 

Kim Moss, director of Westwind Ranch and Stables in Anderson, SC, has had clients participate in the Pendleton Area Horse Show for six years. She affirmed that an average of about 10 clients from her barn compete in the show every year, with ages ranging from 10-30 years. Most compete in the Hunter/Jumper Show as opposed to the CHSA Show; at least four of those clients have been high winners in the past.

“Our experiences at the show have always been tremendous,” Moss replied when asked to comment on the Pendleton Show. “Those in charge of the show really believe in supporting what the competitors want to do. It’s a great opportunity for people to reaffirm their training.” Moss went on to comment that she supports the show wholeheartedly and looks forward to attending this year.

The show is mostly managed and run by volunteers. “It takes loads of volunteers to make a show successful … I have never lacked for help. People always help out,” Jackson stated. She went on to mention the number of good comments she’d received on the organization of previous shows, and she remains extremely proud of the show’s overall success.

Some of the events in the CHSA show include Halter, Showmanship, English Pleasure, Western Pleasure, Horsemanship, running events and others. The winner at the end is the competitor who has been awarded the most points throughout. “This encourages people to try more events. The more events someone competes in, the more opportunity there is to be a high winner,” said Jackson. She specified that there is a certain age limit for certain classes, affording the younger competitors an opportunity to win an award, while older competitors can win awards in other classes. “We want everyone to have a fair chance at winning something.”

Jackson hopes that this year’s show will have the same turnout that previous years have had, despite the steep increase in gas prices. When asked her opinion, Kim Moss said “The prices of gas have affected everybody nationwide… People who really want to compete are going to attend regardless.”

For additional information on the 14th Annual Pendleton Area Horse Show, or other upcoming events visit the T. Ed Garrison Arena Web site.

Published: May 29, 2008
Author: Erin Knapper