9/21/2009 10:49:00 PM
Yavapai County Fair's horse show is
Friday; fair itself runs from Oct. 1-4
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Nathaniel Kastelic, file photo/The Daily Courier
People of all ages ride the "Star Trooper" as the sun sets at the Yavapai County Fair. |
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File photo/The Daily Courier
Christian Champ, left, rides next to 6-year-old Aidan McShane on the Coney Island Cyclone at the Yavapai County Fair in Prescott Valley. |
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While the Yavapai County Fair doesn't open until Thursday, Oct. 1, the fair's horse show is Friday, Sept. 25, in the Coors Event Center.
Candace Zeier, Horse Show superintendent, said, "Last year the horse show was two weeks before the fair because the Coors Event Center was booked. We hope from now on to have the horse show inside the weekend before the fair for the safety and comfort of the exhibitors."
This year the horse show is on Friday because the Equi-Star Horse Show is Saturday in Chino Valley. "It is the show where all the participants will receive their year-end awards so we scheduled ours on Friday so we'd get more people to come," she said.
Zeier said the fair's show, which is open to horsemen of all ages, starts at 8:30 a.m. Friday.
"We hope for 50 to 70 horses this year. We even have some miniature horses coming this year," she said.
The well-known horseman Jay McGinn of Sedona will be this year's judge.
Gary Spiker, Yavapai County Fair general manager, said the other big change in the animal section this year is the llamas and alpacas have their own department.
"They were separated from the sheep and market goats to bring in more animals," he said.
As for the fair, itself, the big change is the fact it is two weeks later.
Spiker said, "We had an extra week of racing, causing the (horse) racing to go longer this year. We can't just go from horse racing into the fair. We need at least a week between the racing season and the fair, so pushed it back to first weekend in October."
The fair will be the same weekend next year, Sept. 30, Oct. 1-3, 2010, Spiker said.
With the fair the first weekend in October, it may be too late for the vegetables. However, Spiker said the fair superintendents are hoping it will help increase the number of animals people enter in the fair.
He said because of a booking problem, the fair's traditional hypnotist won't be at this year's fair. Instead, Mark Bennick, an illusionist from Las Vegas, will perform at 6 and 8:30 p.m. Thursday, at the grand opening and 8:30 p.m. Friday, at 4 and 8:30 p.m. Saturday, and 1 and 3 p.m. Sunday.
Also, Out of Africa will be bringing alligators and some of its other animals to perform on one of the two stages the fair will have set up this year. Spiker said bands will perform on the other stage.
He said Royal West Carnivals will be back with all of its rides Thursday through Sunday. Students can get carnival ride tickets at the schools in the area for $18.
Spiker said a bigger and better demolition derby will be back on Sunday. "They have 25 cars signed up already," Spiker said.
He hopes for good weather so between 80,000 and 100,000 people attend this year's fair.
"I am excited about the fair. We're working on making parking faster and easier for fairgoers. We're also looking at some other things we heard were problems last year, Spiker said.
He said admission to the fair is $6 and parking is free. On Thursday and Friday children younger than 6 and students in kindergarten through 12th grade get in free. Senior citizens, who are 60 older, get into the fair for $3 on Thursday and Friday.
Spiker said on Saturday and Sunday, children younger than 6 get in free, while children from 6-18 years of age get in for $4. Adults and seniors get in for $6.
This year, the fair is open from noon to 10 p.m. on Thursday, and from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday.
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