October 28, 2010 — The end of October means Arabian horses in Tulsa, Okla., and right now 1,565 of the world’s finest Arabian, Half-Arabian and Anglo-Arabian show horses are competing for 134 national championship titles. The U.S. National Arabian and Half-Arabian Championship Horse Show (U.S. Nationals) is underway at Expo Square through October 30. U.S. Nationals is the flagship competition for the Arabian horse industry and is produced by the Arabian Horse Association (AHA) of Aurora, Co.
U.S. Nationals
The nine-day show is the grand finale of the Arabian horse national show season, which also includes Youth Nationals, Canadian Nationals and Sport Horse Nationals. The show hosts 134 classes across several disciplines, including English, mounted native costume, pleasure driving, reining, halter, working cow, hunter and Western pleasure. This year 45 states, six Canadian provinces and a total of eight countries are represented, making for outstanding competition.
Sessions begin at 8 a.m., 1 p.m. and 7 p.m. daily, three arenas run simultaneously. The last two evenings of the show often offer the best of the best as competitors have worked all week to make their cuts and have the opportunity to show in class finals, exhibiting some of the best show horses in the industry.
The Shopping
When they’re not in the ring, exhibitors and spectators can enjoy the U.S. Nationals Shopping Expo, located in the Exchange Center at Expo Square. The Shopping Expo offers 22,000 square feet of equine lifestyle vendors that offer everything from jewelry, tack and furniture, to small gifts and fine art. The Shopping Expo is open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Judging Contest
Friday, October 29 will feature the 40th anniversary of the nationally-accredited Arabian Horse Youth Judging Contest where youth judging teams across three divisions: 4-H/FFA, Jr. AHA and Sr. AHA/Collegiate, practice to fill one of the most respected positions in our industry. The contest awards youth contestants over $10,000 in scholarships and prizes annually.
Admission
Admission is free for the Ford Truck Arena, Mustang Arena and Shopping Expo for the duration of the show. Tickets are required for October 28-30 in the Pavilion and can be purchased in the ticket office at the southwest corner of the Pavilion or at www.exposquare.com. General admission is $10, students and seniors are $7.50, kids 12 and under are free.
For daily updates from U.S. Nationals visit www.ArabianHorses.org/USN.
