Pink Ribbon Charity Classic Horse Show to Return to Meadville, Pennsylvania

Lexington, Kentucky - Now in its third year, the Pink Ribbon Classic Charity Horse Show will once again be held at the Crawford County Fairgrounds in Meadville, Pennsylvania, on Friday, September 10, through Sunday, September 12, 2010.

The show, sponsored by the Tri-State American Saddle Horse Breeders Futurity, Inc., pledges a large percentage of its proceeds to the local chapter of Susan G. Komen for the Cure to fund research to search for the cure for breast cancer. This event is a three-day, all-breed show that showcases the American Saddlebred by hosting the Tri-State Futurity Championships, and offers a full selection of Saddlebred performance and championship classes.

Classes are held in a white rail arena in front of the grandstand at the Crawford County Fairgrounds. The arena fence - property of the show - is adorned with permanent Pink Ribbon decals displaying the names of breast cancer survivors, memorials, and show patrons. Over 100 ribbons cover the fence and are still available for purchase. Many exhibitors have purchased these ribbons over the course of the show's three-year duration thus far, and feel it makes it a little more special to show there with their loved ones name on the rail.

The most notable night of the show is Saturday’s “Black Tie and Pink Ribbon” evening, which will include exceptional classes and special events. The evening will begin with a special hospitality event hosted by the show, to which Rail Ribbon and corporate sponsors are invited to enjoy light refreshments in the ringside hospitality tent, prior to the beginning of the evening session. Once the show begins, the sponsors can move to their covered ring side box seats to watch the evening's lineup, which will include a special exhibition of Challenged Riders that fills the heart and doesn’t leave a dry eye in the place, and the Survivor Cup Show Pleasure Championship. Every year the name of a breast cancer survivor is engraved on the cup and that survivor presents the Survivor cup to the winner.

The Saturday night lineup also features Pink Ribbon classes for many breeds, including a Pink Ribbon Five-Gaited Amateur. The classes come complete with flower garlands to the winners. The show committee makes a concerted effort to publicize this free  event to the general public in order to fill the stands with a cheering crowd.

One of the most exciting classes of the show is the Park Pleasure Calcutta Challenge class. The entrants in the class are “mock auctioned” in silent bidding that begins at the start of the first class on Friday, and ends just prior to the start of the Saturday night session. Fifty percent of the pot goes directly to Susan G. Komen, the remaining pot is split 40-10 between the high bidder for the first place and fifth place horses. This always makes for a high energy class, as the crowd really gets into the spirit of the competition.

The Pink Ribbon Classic is a regional qualifier for the American Saddlebred Horse Association Regional Championships, as well as the 2011 World Championship. A complete list of Saddlebred classes offered is as follows:

Pre-show stall rates are available until Wednesday, September 1. For complete information and downloadable prize list and forms please visit the Pink Ribbon Charity Class Horse Show website, here.

Story credit goes to American Saddlebred Horse Association.