SHOW OF THE WEEK: Quarter Horses at the MSU Pavilion

The MSU Pavilion is the site of many and varied demonstrations and shows throughout the year. You may have already missed the Michigan Horseshoer’s Clinic and Contest in January, or the Quiet Water Symposium in March, but it is in your power not to miss the Michigan Quarter Horse Association Spartan Spectacular this weekend, April 30 - May 2.

The main horse showing exhibitions are Saturday and Sunday. If you have children who are interested in horses, or are yourself interested, this show presents an unusual opportunity to wander through the pavilion looking at well-kept animals. Often the young people who care for these animals are with them and will answer questions about their animals and their experiences.

Quarter Horses are an American horse breed with bloodlines tracing back the colonial era when English Thoroughbreds crossed with the horses of native people. Native people tended to have horses of Spanish stock that were small and compact, while the English Thoroughbreds were taller and faster. The cross of these two populations of horses led to a breed of small, quick, strong horses useful for farm work and short distance racing. The “quarter” in Quarter Horse refers to racing a quarter mile.

Each weekend in May, there will be horse shows at the MSU Pavilion, with Ranch Horses the weekend of May 9, the Quarter Horses back for the weekend of May 16, and Morgan Horses coming the weekend of May 23. Then May 30 brings the Half Arabian Horse Show.

It is not all horses at the Pavilion. On June 10, the Pavilion hosts the Michigan State Plumber’s Examination. To our knowledge, the plumbers will not be on display for public exhibition, so they will not be featured as an ELi “Show of the Week.”