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Prescott Rodeo Grounds 840 Rodeo Drive Prescott, Az 86305     The   10th annual Equifest   will be held  September 22th, 2012 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Clinicians Speakers and Performers 2010. Feel free to go by and talk to the clinicians/speakers throughout the day.

BEN BALOW - Ben Balow Training Stables    Ben Balow was born and raised on a ranch in Skull Valley, Arizona. He grew up riding and working on numerous Northern Arizona ranches, and knew from an early age that he wanted a career working with horses. Early in his career, Ben spent three years as an assistant trainer at Bill Horn's legendary training facility in Cable, Ohio. Bill, who is now an NRHA Hall of Fame member as well as its first Million Dollar Rider, taught Ben the art of reining and showing. It was while under Bill and Kim Horn's tutelage that Ben Balow was given the opportunity to show fine reining horses such as Colonel Rosie and many others. Ben also credits Mike Drennen, Les Vogt and John Slack in helping him lay the foundation for his own training program. In his ongoing quest for knowledge, Ben has most recently worked with 2004 NRHA Hall inductee Charlie Smith and NRHA Three Million Dollar Rider Shawn Flarida. In 1997, Ben spent a year working in Ireland, where he opened and managed the first western riding training facility in the country. The facility, located in Ballinamore, Ireland, offered Ben the opportunity to work with beginning riders, helping them find horses that would fit their program and riding skills. There, he learned the importance of patience with both horses and riders, as well as helping riders reach their goals no matter how big or small. While working in Ireland, Ben met and befriended Ollie Galligan, an Irish native who spent two years as Ben's assistant and now runs his own facility in Santa Rosa, California. Ollie will be representing Ireland at the 2010 World Equestrian Games in Lexington, Kentucky, with Ben Balow as his coach and mentor. From the very beginning, Ben had a vision. He wanted to focus on Youth and Non-Pro reiners. Whether they were advanced or beginning riders, Ben wanted to offer lessons in a safe, fun atmosphere. He built upon the plan of a team concept first and foremost as he opened his own training operation. The most important goal for Ben Balow Training Stables is to pull together as a team and root for their stable mates. Ben's goal of building a formidable team that is successful and respected has come to fruition, as he and many of his non-pro riders have been very successful in the show pen. Ben is first and foremost a horseman, with patience that rivals very few. He has taken horses that others have turned away and made them into competitive reining horses. Some have even gone on to become World Champions. Ben's reputation for coaching champions is well-known in Arizona and across the country. In 2009, Ben was the only trainer to have three Rookie riders qualify for the North American Affiliate Finals Rookie of the Year competition. This is a testament to the success of Ben's program, and Ben couldn't have been happier with each of the riders who went; Chris Lytle, Polly Cooke and Renee Balow. In addition to being a successful rider and coach, Ben is also an NRHA and AQHA judge, and has judged nearly all of the major reining events. In 2010, he will be judging the prestigious NRHA Derby in Oklahoma City, along with many other major events. Ben and his wife, Renee, make their home in scenic Skull Valley, Arizona, with their sons, Ian, Jacob and Ben Jr., affectionately known as "Ben-Ben" in the reining community. The Balow family enjoys the close comradery and friendships that go hand-in-hand with being part of the reining community. They welcome visitors and new clients to the ranch any time, and make team unity a top priority.    TROY ROGERS - Versatility Ranch/Stock Horse and Working Cow Horse Competitor, Clinician and Coach.    Troy was born and raised in a small farming and ranching town in Northwest Kansas (St. Francis) and lived there until his family moved to New Mexico where he finished high school and attended college. After college, Troy eventually went to work for Purina Mills as a Dealer Account Manager and Equine Specialist.    While working for Purina Mills as an Equine Nutrition Specialist, Troy has had the opportunity to ride with, train and learn from an impressive list of professional trainers and top clinicians for over 20 years. The base of knowledge and experience he has developed, and now shares with others, is a credit to the great horsemen that helped him.    Due to his love for horses, combined with his intense desire to compete, Troy continues to have success in the show pen, winning numerous Championship Awards in many performance horse events including AQHA Versatility Ranch Horse, Working Cow Horse and Reining competitions. Even more rewarding is how well most all of Troy's clients, students and family members have done over the past few years. They manage to consistently win or place in Youth, Novice & Non-Pro classes most everywhere they go.    Troy remains very active competing in, promoting and producing American Stock Horse & Versatility Ranch Horse events and clinics throughout the Southwest. He is an AQHA Judge for Versatility Ranch Horse and with the American Stock Horse Association.    His on-going passion for improving horsemanship skill (Troy's and his students) along with having some "FUN" is very obvious during his clinics and demonstrations. It's exciting and a lot of fun to show horses in these ranch horse and cattle classes. The horses really seem to respond and enjoy this because they are doing so many different events.    Troy will be doing a "Performance Horsemanship" demonstration and an "American Stock Horse Competition" demonstration with the help of his family, wife: Diana DeBlanc-DVM, daughter: Callie and step-daughter: Emilie.    DIANA DEBLANC, DVM - Performance Equine Vet Services    Diana was born and raised in Gallup, New Mexico. She has been actively involved with horses since the age of 12. During her high school and college years, she rode hunter/jumpers but had to take a break from riding during her time in veterinary school.    Diana went to New Mexico State for undergrad and then on to Colorado State for vet school, after which she returned to New Mexico to work and has lived all over the state providing her with the opportunity to work on all types of critters including zoo and other exotic animals. Eight years ago, with the encouragement of her husband Troy, she returned to school and got advanced post graduate training in Chiropractic and Acupuncture for animals. She and Troy now own and operate Performance Equine Veterinary Services which is an exclusively equine practice devoted to the improvement of the equine athlete.    Troy and Diana have raised their two girls, Emilie and Callie, in this equine rich environment and now they all travel together showing their horses as a family.    Diana will be demonstrating an equine lameness exam, as it relates to chiropractic and acupuncture, for the audience.    ROCCO WACHMAN-Instructor, Arizona Cowboy College; CMT Cowboy U; Rocco Wachman Equine Solutions     Famous for his role in CMT's Original Series Cowboy U, Rocco is also the school senior instructor for the Arizona Cowboy College in Scottsdale, AZ. Along with the late Lloyd Bridwell, he has worked tirelessly since 1989 on the curriculum and subject matter that makes the college not just another dude ranch. Join Rocco for his seminar "20 Things You Should Do Before You Buy a Horse". www.roccowachman.com; www.cowboycollege.com    DAVE ROWLAND - Saddle maker/Owner; Rio Verde Saddlery     Master saddle maker, David Roland has been building saddles and doing saddle repairs for more than 15 years. After graduating with honors from Spokane Falls College School of Saddlemaking in 1994, he went on to learn to build his own saddle trees and studied saddle fitting for the western saddle under master saddle fitters. His work has been shown at Trappings of the American West, Phoenix Livestock Show's Cowboy Classic Art Show, the Santa Clarita Cowboy Poetry Gathering at Gene Autry's Melody Ranch, among others, and has been shown at the PRCA Hall of Fame's Art of the Saddle Maker exhibition.    JERI HOLTON - Owner/Trainer; Farbenholt Kennels & Dog Training     Owners Ray Farber and Jeri Holton of Dewey, AZ have over 30 combined years of dog training experience. They have trained many different dog breeds and mixed breeds. Ray and Jeri have trained and competed in AKC obedience, Schutzhund (German dog sport involving obedience, protection work, and tracking), and stock dog events. Farbenholt Kennels are breeders of quality working German Shepherds. They can be reached at www.azgermanshepherds.com or 928-632-7557.    GINA FRESQUEZ - Equine Specialist; Purina Mills     Gina received both her B.S. degree in Equine Industry and her M.S. degree in Equine Nutrition from the University of Arizona. In 2004, she was an intern at the Purina Mills Equine Research Facility in Gray Summit, MO, and began working as an Equine Nutrition Specialist in January 2006. Gina attends equine nutrition and veterinary conferences every year to get the latest in equine nutrition research and development. She works closely with horse operations testing hay, balancing feed rations, going over nutrition management programs and helping owners with feed-related challenges in horses. Gina has been riding horses since she was 9 years old and competed in English, Western, Endurance and Dressage and currently rides reining horses. glmazzella@landolakes.com, (602) 999-5502 www.purinamills.com    BACKCOUNTRY HORSEMEN OF CENTRAL ARIZONA     Backcountry Horsemen of Central Arizona (BCHCAZ), headquartered in Prescott is a chapter of Back Country Horsemen of America. They are dedicated to trail development, improvement and preservation, horse and mule packing skills, public lands access and the wise use of horses and mules in the back country. Formed in 2000, the BCHCAZ membership contributes volunteer service to our forests and public lands. In 2004 the value of volunteer service was $100,250.00. They currently have over 100 members and there are other chapters in Lake Havasu City and Apache Junction. Please contact a member or visit their web site www.bchcaz.org    DR. ANDERSON, DVM - Prescott Animal Hospital, Equine Center     Dr. Anderson, DVM joined PAH as one of their large animal veterinarians in 2007. He grew up in a third generation cattle feedlot operation in Loveland, Colorado. After watching the feedlot veterinarian diagnose and treat their herd with great results, Dr. Anderson made the decision to attend veterinary school. He attended Colorado State University, graduating in 1985. Upon graduation Dr. Anderson began his equine practice at Turf Paradise Racetrack in Phoenix, AZ. Through the years he has also worked at Southwest Equine Hospital, practicing general and surgical equine medicine and practiced Regulatory Racetrack medicine in numerous states. Dr. Anderson enjoys utilizing his extensive experience in lameness, upper respiratory problems and performance issues as well his knowledge of arthroscopic and upper respiratory surgeries. He and his wife, Rona, have two grown children. During his spare time, Dr. Anderson enjoys spending time with his family, traveling, fishing, and reading.    TOM LEE - Farrier     Tom Lee is a registered AFA Certified Journeyman Farrier who has been shoeing horses for 24 years - 13 of those years in the Prescott area. He is a member of the American Farriers Association, Arizona State Farriers Association and holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from Arizona State University. His farrier business covers many breeds and disciplines of horses in the Prescott area including reining, cutting, English, Western pleasure and a lot of his favorite - the everyday family horse. For many years, Tom competed in farrier competitions but now enjoys sharing shoeing and horse-hoof related information with horse owners.    JOHN KNIGHT - Hitch Horses    John had wanted to drive a four-in-hand hitch of horses for years. His wife gave him a farm-style black Percheron named Bud (Bucephalus) who came with a wagon and harness and Chief, his trainer, as a birthday present ten years ago. John has been enjoying driving ever since. Now he is competing with four and, soon to be, six black Percherons. He drives singly with Corbin and Willie Wonka, pairs with Austin and Ben, or unicorn with a pair and Willie out front. Two or four are hitched to his maple wagon and he competed for the first time last year in the Grass Valley, California draft horse special in late August, the LA County Fair in September, and the Scottsdale draft horse show in December. John is always in the ribbons with many firsts, and his wife, Bliss, won the Ladies' single horse championship at Grass Valley driving dear Woody, an 18 hand, eleven year old she describes as "a lady's horse because he is such a gentleman."    There are many good people that help John with the draft horses. Hank Junkans comes from Wisconsin to shoe and oversee training every six weeks. John Glimpse of Prescott trains every other day on a marathon cart called a Leon. David Gonzalez is the groom and Rudy Helmuth from Michigan joined the team in May as trainer. Bliss drives Willie singly to keep him in shape and to teach him to bend. Their new draft horse barn was completed in May.    BRIAN & PAULA BAUSCH - Cowboy Entertainment and Performances    2009 World Champion Mounted Shooters, Brian and Paula entertain thousands across this great nation. These two mounted shooting top competitors are outfitted with real .45 caliber Colts in a double rigged holster. Riding atop some of the fastest horses in competitive equine events, they captivate their audience by racing through the arena shooting balloon targets to test their world champion skill. Enjoy western heritage of the lost cowboy arts: Trick riding, Mounted shooting, Gun spinning and Trick roping. www.brianbausch.com    MARIE DAVIDSON - Horse Jumping Demonstration    Marie Davidson is a trainer and riding instructor in Flagstaff. Her approach is a practical application of classical equitation. In other words, she uses classical dressage and jumping techniques to help all riders to safely enjoy riding and competing with their horses in combined training, jumping, dressage, and pleasure disciplines. Marie teaches riders at all levels and trains a variety of horse breeds for various disciplines.    Marie has a Master's Degree in Education from the Northern Arizona University, and 'A' rating from the United States Pony Club, and was "long listed" by the United States Equestrian Team for the 1984 and 1988 Olympic Three Day Event Teams. She competed successfully in International Level Three Day Events for over 15 years and has been teaching and training for over 30 years.    Her experience with horses includes breaking and exercising horses for the racetrack and for timber and steeplechase racing, competing in endurance riding, dressage, equitation, show hunters, show jumpers, western pleasure, reining, cutting, and trail riding in addition to combined training and eventing. Marie has worked with some of the best veterinarians and farriers in the country, both on the east coast and the west coast, and has devoted her life to the pursuit of excellence in handling and training horses.    MOLLY WISECARVER - Double M Stock Dogs    Molly started herding in California in 1989 after purchasing her first Aussie. Impressed by the intelligence of this dog, she investigated the purpose for the breed. Molly saw an opportunity to train and trial herding dogs by using her experience in competition equine events and her knowledge of livestock. She was fortunate to find a very knowledgeable trainer nearby. After watching that trainer work her dogs, Molly was bitten by the herding bug. A short time later, Molly stopped barrel racing and committed all her spare time to training her dog to herd.    Molly purchased her first Border Collie in 1991, and immediately started competing in United State Border Collie Handlers Association (USBCHA) field competitions. She found this to be very exciting and a true test for the breed. She currently enjoys training and trailing both Border Collies and her original breed, Australian Shepherds.    Molly moved to Arizona in 2000. There were not many field trials in Arizona so she started to compete in arena trials. Molly competed in her first AKC arena trial in 2002. She expected this venue to be easy after competing in USBCHA trials for years - she was wrong. On the first day of competition, Molly timed out on both cattle and sheep. Returning home that night she thought long and hard about the course, especially the cross drive. The next day was much better - Molly won High in Trail in the Advance Class on sheep, ducks, and cattle with her dog Murdoch. She really enjoys the AKC "A" course, with its tight quarters and obstacles, it really offers a challenge to both the handler and dog. Just because a course doesn't have a large out run doesn't mean it is not difficult. Molly continues to compete in UBCHA field trials. She also competes in AHBA, ASCA and AKC. Molly believes the true test for a handler and dog is versatility.    Molly works with her own dogs, and also trains and trials client's dogs. She has worked with many breeds, including Border Collies, Australian Shepherds, Belgian Malinois, Belgian Tervuren, Belgian Sheep Dogs, Australian Cattle Dogs, Cardigan Welch Corgis, Bearded Collies, Shelties and Rottweilers. She enjoys the diversity of the herding breeds and applies her training methods differently, depending on both the breed and the temperament and drive of individual dogs. Molly enjoys working with client's dogs, it gives her a great sense of accomplishment to develop their inherent herding abilities. She has put advanced herding titles and Herding Championships on many dogs, including several AKC Breed Champions.    Without the support of Molly's family, she would not be as successful as she is today. Molly's husband always makes sure her facility is in top working condition and her daughter, Mary Alice, travels and trials with her. Mary Alice has become quite the competitor in all venues. She trains and trials dogs in herding, conformation, showmanship, and agility and was ASCA's #1 Herding Jr. in the nation for 2007 at the age of 12.    ARIZONA HORSE SOCCER LEAGUE - Monika Snyder    Monika Snyder is the founder of The Official Arizona Horse Soccer League and The National Horse Soccer Association. She is a respected Clinician, Trainer and Instructor. She has been in the equine industry for over 25 years. Over the past two years she has focused on teaching equine enthusiasts the playful side of horses. Monika stresses the importance of meeting the need to have fun, not just for us, but for our horses. She teaches individuals and groups the benefits and joys of tapping into the playfulness of the horse. The amazing impact this has for the relationship between horse and rider is unprecedented.    The Arizona Horse Soccer League has been organized for, and is dedicated to, the emotional, mental, and physical development of our athletes. At the same time, the organization is helping to bring families closer together by creating a common bond through the enjoyment of horses. The Arizona Horse Soccer League reaches out to the community to benefit many charities and has exploded in popularity with both equine and non-equine communities across the state. Horse Soccer has proven to not be just an Equine Sport, but a Spectator Sport as well.    COWGIRL HISTORICAL FOUNDATION - Drill Team Demo    The Cowgirl Historical Foundation is a non-profit organization dedicated to increasing public awareness, appreciation and preservation of our American Western Heritage. Many girls riding with CHF are past rodeo queens, including Marjon Brown, Miss Rodeo USA 2000; Chantel Miles, Gilbert Days Queen 2007; Shanda Riggs, Gilbert Days Queen 1997; Natalie Johnson, 2008 High School Rodeo Queen; Kelsey Bradshaw, Gilbert Days 2005 Teen Queen; and Taryn Brady, Miss Rodeo Arizona 2009, just to name a few. You can visit with them at their booth before and after their performance.    CAROL & RAY BELMORE - Donkey Hitch    This donkey hitch has won the Donkey Hitch class at Bishop Mule Days for the past three years. They were also the Grand Champion Donkey Hitch at the Northwest Montana Fair in 2008. This donkey hitch has won Obstacle Classes and Reinsmanship Classes. One donkey in the hitch, TM Andy, has been Grand Champion Halter Donkey at Hells Canyon Mule Days, Enterprise, Oregon and Northwest Montana Fair, Kalispell, Montana. They also have been the Grand Champion Hitch at the Camp Verde Mule and Donkey Show every year. Most recently they did the Fearful Crossing Wagon Train in Nevada, pulling a wagon through the desert for 5 days. They are the only Donkey Hitch that has succeeded in this trek. RFD TV has featured the Fearful Crossing Wagon Train with the donkeys. The secret training technique for donkeys…..carrots!!!

Watch for information about the next    The Arizona Equifest    to be posted

Pictures from past Arizona Equifest.

September 24, 2011     Page 1    Page 2    Page 3    Page 4    Page 5    Page 6

June 12, 2010     Page 1    Page 2    Page 3    Page 4    Page 5    Page 6    Page 7    Page 8

June 6, 2009     Page 1    Page 2    Page 3    Page 4    Page 5    Police dogs    Police Horses

June 7, 2008     Page 1    Page 2    Page 3    Page 4    Page 5    Police dogs

September 16, 2006     Page 1    Page 2    Page 3    Page 4    Police dogs

September 17, 2005     Page 1    Page 2    Page 3    Page 4

September 18, 2004     Page 1    Page 2    Page 3    Page 4

November 15, 2003     Page 1     Page 2

October 12, 2002     Page 1

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- Updated     Thursday January 26, 2012 - 01:06:33 PM -

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