Fernanda Jordan, 4, of Watsonville is taken in by the sight of a mother pig with 11 piglets at the new livestock nursery Wednesday at the Santa Cruz County Fair.

It may be a Western tradition, but horse shows are a dying breed. That’s why fans of equestrian events feel so fortunate to have the Santa Cruz County Fair. Every year it is sort of a Super Bowl for the local clubs, or at least the U.S. Open.

“This is the only time we compete here, and it’s definitely the event everyone wants to do their best at,” said Hollister resident Tony Agredano, president of the Pacific Penning and Sorting Association. “It’s special because it’s the fair and it’s open to everyone.”

Agredano was at the arena Wednesday as riders competed in several events, most of which involved separating specific cows from the herd, penning or roping them. Most riders seemed to prefer the team competitions, as two or sometimes three would work together to complete the task.

Travis Thorson of San Martin has been riding horses since he was old enough to climb up on one. He started out trying the cutting and roping skills on his own at home and found out he was pretty good at it; now he’s hooked.

“There’s a lot of teamwork involved, and that’s when it’s the most fun,” he said. “It’s a good family sport. A lot of people bring their whole family to the show. You meet the nicest people.”

Blanca Boyd, the fair’s chairwoman for the horse-arena events, said horses are part of the area’s history and it’s important for people to remember that.

“Our area, the tri-county area, we’re horse people, always have been, but San Benito County has very little horse activity, Monterey has nil. We’re actually the only fair that has a full roster of horse shows throughout the fair,” said Boyd. “It’s not a big money-making proposition, but it’s a Western tradition and we want to keep it alive.”

Tonight at 6, the arena will feature team roping. On Friday morning, the California State Horsemen’s Association will stage a Western horse show and Friday night the Watsonville Saddlites will rein up and compete in Gymkhana events such as speed barrels, poles and jackpot barrels. There will also be a jackpot cowhide race in which a horse pulls a cowhide behind it on a rope and daring youngsters try to jump on for a ride.

“The concept is to ride the cowhide, but the cowhide sometimes ride them,” Boyd said. “The kids love it!”

Saturday will feature an English hunter-jumper show that will last all day and all night and begin again on Sunday. The thrilling finale at the arena is scheduled for 5:30 p.m., when the Asociación de Charros, Los Amigos will perform. The Charros will show off riding and horsemanship from Mexico. A mariachi band will accompany the riders as they go through a range of tricks and feats with their horses.

“They are really excellent horsemen,” Boyd said. “These horses are trained, not just in one discipline, but they expect the horse to perform on command at all times. We don’t expect our barrel horses to separate cattle. It’s really time-consuming to train a horse this thoroughly.”

Agredano said the Santa Cruz County Fair was special for the regional horse-loving community, and its importance is obvious when you see all the different clubs and associations that use the facility.

“We love that the fair still allows horse events because it is a dying thing,” Agredano said. “It’s our heritage, and we are so happy to have this opportunity — and the people out here take very good care of the animals. If someone roughs a cow, they are disqualified. It is not acceptable. I think it is important for the community to know that.”

Boyd said horses were the main mode of transportation until about 100 years ago and we should not forget it.

“I don’t think a county fair is a county fair without horses,” she said.

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*Photos by Tarmo Hannula*

(Published in 9/11/08 edition)

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