Horses star at Corrales Harvest Festival
It only makes sense, in the Horse Capital of New Mexico, for equines to star in the annual Corrales Harvest Festival. This year CHAMP and Dan’s Boots and Saddles have events planned at the Top Form Arena for every kind of horse enthusiast—horse fans, owners, rescuers, and businesses.
The festivities begin on Saturday, Sept. 28, with a Pet Parade at 9 a.m. From 10 a.m. through 4 p.m., CHAMP is hosting a Celebration of the Horse, with presentations and demonstrations from all corners of the Corrales horse world. Topics will range from education to entertainment, with presentations happening simultaneously on topics such as horse packing, driving, grooming, ground play, jumping, trail obstacles, dressage, blacksmithing, horseshoeing, therapeutic riding, veterinary medicine, mustang makeovers, horse rescues, and more. Anyone who wants to pet a horse will get their chance!
Sunday, Sept. 29, is the annual Ditch Pony Promenade, sponsored by Dan’s Boots and Saddles. The 10-year-old event was moved from May to coincide with the Harvest Festival. Junior riders get a chance to show their stuff and compete in everything from traditional horse show classes to costumes, games, and driving, all for free. Registration begins at 7:30 a.m. for children up to age 18.
The new Corrales Pet Mayor will be announced at the conclusion of the fair on Sunday. Contestants this year include ferrets, chickens, the usual bunch of dogs, a pony, and hopefully several horses. Follow the race on Facebook at “Corrales Pet Mayor.”
All weekend the 4-H will be at Village Mercantile with pony rides, a petting zoo, and more fun, including regular stops for tractor wagons (which also stop at Top Form Arena). The Food Court this year will be at the soccer fields behind the Grower’s Market, not far from all the action. Check out the Harvest Festival page.
To volunteer for either day of the festival, contact Steve Komadina for the CHAMP Saturday events, or Melanie Scholer for Sunday events.