Free Fair Horse Show Saturday, July 12
By Diane Booth Conway,
Merced County Fair Communications & Marketing Director

   The 2008 Merced County Fair officially begins Tuesday, July 15, but you can get a jump on fair season at the Junior Horse Show.
   The free event, Saturday, July 12, is part of the 2008 Merced County Fair and it's open to the public. The show kicks off at 3 p.m. in the Merced College Arena. The arena is located at the north end of the college campus.
  The annual show is for 4-H, FFA and independent junior exhibitors. It all starts with showmanship, where participants show their horses while the animals wear halters. The highest scoring 4-Her and FFAer in the showmanship segment will each compete in the Round Robin event at the Merced County Fair on Friday, July 18 at 6 p.m. in the fairgrounds' Nolet Arena.
  The horse show also will include Western, English, stock horse and trail class events. The gymkhana and barrel racing will start at about 7 p.m. All gymkhana events qualify for the State Fair.
  While many participants have already submitted entry forms to compete in the horse show, any junior exhibitor can sign up for any of the events that day except showmanship, said Kathy Copeland, the Merced County Fair's Horse Show Manager.
  Post entries will be accepted until 2:30 p.m. for the horse show events and until 6:30 p.m. for the gymkhana events, Copeland said. The cost is $8 per entry per class.
  Copeland has overseen the horse show as a volunteer for more than 25 years. It’s the only horse show some kids will compete in this year, so she works hard to make it an unforgettable event for the youngsters.
  “I started doing this for the kids and kept doing it for them, but my kids are all growing up,” Copeland said, adding the 2009 Merced County Fair Junior Horse Show will be the last one she will be involved in planning. “If anyone is interested in taking over the horse show, they should contact the Merced County Fair,” said Copeland, who would like to work with her successor for a smooth transition.
  As for the 2008 Junior Horse Show, Copeland encourages the community to attend the event. There are plenty of shade trees at the college arena, she said, but folks should bring their own chairs. "Come out and support the kids and watch the show, " she said. Food and drinks will be sold at the event’s fund-raiser concession stand.
  To get to the Merced College Arena, head north on G Street and turn left at the Cormorant Drive traffic light. The road leads to the arena behind the main college campus.
  The 2008 Merced County Fair is July 15-20. The Fair theme is "Come Rock With The Flock," a salute to sheep, one of the county's top agricultural products. The fairgrounds office is located at 900 Martin Luther King Jr. Way, Merced. For information, call the fair office at 722-1507 or email to Info@MercedCountyFair.com or fax at 722-3773. Go to the 2008 Merced County Fair’s award-winning website, www.MercedCountyFair.com

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