Since 2000 the Senator Bob Martin Eastern Agriculture Center in Williamston, North Carolina, has hosted the Martinganza Quarter Horse Show and Futurity. But 2014 marks a big change for the show. After months of preparation, meetings and conversations with AQHA officials the Martinganza was moved to a later date.  In the past the show has been held over the Valentine’s Day weekend. Now with its later dates, today through Sunday,  the weather provides a much more user friendly show experience.



“I think moving this show to April is the best thing they could have ever done to help this show,” says Kevin Shaw of Huntersville, North Carolina. “Last year I remember having my horses led to the pen with snow laying on the coolers they were wearing. If the dates had remained the same there would have been snow again.”



Show secretary Susan Daniels says even though the show circuit just started today with Pleasure Driving, Halter Showmanship, Horsemanship and Western Pleasure classes, organizers are excited about how the show has progressed.



“The date change is a big part of that,” she said.



According to Daniels the number of stalls rentals is up from 196 in 2013 to over 450 in 2014.  Entries at the end of day one of competition are up over 500 entries more than the 361 in 2013.



“We had a class today with almost 25 entries,” Daniels says. “That hasn’t happened in a very long time. That makes me very happy.”



Here is a sample of the class sizes today: Amateur Showmanship, 20; Youth 14-18; Showmanship, 19; Novice Youth Western Pleasure, 18; Novice Amateur Western Pleasure, 24; Green Western Pleasure, 12; Amateur Select Western Pleasure, 18; Junior Western Pleasure, 9; Senior Western Pleasure, 16.



Chesapeake Virginia resident Christina Gedney shows Lopin A Roan in Novice Amateur and Amateur All-Around events. This year marks her first trip to the Martinganza.



“I love it,” she says. “I love the show. I love the numbers and I love the weather.”



Gedney was especially pleased with the format, which features Showmanship classes between the Open and Amateur Geldings, which Daniels says they did to help boost Halter numbers. “It makes it easy add horses in the Halter because they are already in the warm-up area ready to show,” she says.



Gedney says the schedule makes the show schedule convenient.



“I love that it limits the breaks and there is no rushed feeling,” she says.



Competition continues tomorrow with Western Riding, Hunter Under Saddle, Equitation, Huunter Hack and Over Fences classes. A Non-Pro Hunter Under Saddle Class will be held on Friday followed by an exhibitors party and a Non-Pro Western Pleasure Futurity Class will be featured on Saturday.



Judges for this year’s circuit are: Rhonda Repogle, Tanya Green, Nancy Sue Ryan, Larry Hansch and Kelly McDowell



Martinganza is affiliated with the AQHA, VQHA, NSBA, and the North Carolina Quarter Horse Association and proceeds provide partial funding for the Equine Technology Program at Martin Community College in Williamston, the only public two-year equine studies program in North Carolina.



Complete show results will be posted on the show’s site at www.martinganza.com.

Check out some of the candids from the show here