PRESS RELEASE
CONTACT: BECKY BRASHEAR, CFE

FREDERICK, Md. — The Great Frederick Fair has been awarded a $3,000.00 grant from the Maryland Horse Industry Board to build a handicapped accessible ramp for equine participants at the fair.  The new portable ramp will be a significant addition to the fair’s new outdoor equine arena and will of benefit to those with handicapped needs.

"This is a way for the fair to really open up our equine program and make it more accessible to participants of special needs," said Nancy Hendricks, fair board member and chairman of the fair’s Equine Committee. The construction of the new outdoor equine arena has already benefited our equine program, and the handicapped accessible ramp is yet another boost. The fair is very grateful to the Maryland Horse Industry Board for this $3000.00 grant."

"We are very proud of the outdoor arena which was built last year," said J.R. Ramsburg Jr., president of the fair’s Board of Managers.

Several horse shows will be featured at the 2003 Great Frederick Fair, September 12-20.

Kicking off the fair’s equine events will be the 4-H English horse and pony show at 9 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 13.

The draft horse and mule show, a long-time favorite among spectators and participants at the fair, gets under way in the arena at 8:30 a.m. Sunday, Sept. 14.The day-long show will feature halter classes as well as the popular antique farm implement class, the hitch and cart classes. Halter classes are for exhibitors with registered Belgians, Clydesdales, Percherons or Shire, Suffolks, geldings and unregistered mares. Judging is based on the animal's conformation and animal condition.

"The draft horse and mule show continues to be a popular event at The Great Frederick Fair," said Ramsburg . "The halter classes are certainly educational because this is where the public can learn how these animals are supposed to look and what they have been bred for."

The hitch and cart classes are the entertaining portion of the show, both for the exhibitor and the spectators. "This is where the public can see how these exhibitors have trained these horses and mules to work together in team hitches and pull carts and antique farm equipment," Ramsburg said. "It’s a great example of how farm work used to be done."

On Wednesday, Sept. 17, is the Old Fashion Day Parade of horse drawn buggies, carriages and carts starting at 2:30 p.m. in front of the grandstand.

Rounding out the week’s horse events will be the 4-H Western horse and pony show at 9 a.m. Sunday, Sept. 21.