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The first horse show of the 2003 Moffat County Fair took place on Friday night. It was the Open Horse Show -- English Division.

An open horse show means that anyone with any kind or age of horse can enter.

There are usually 30 to 50 participants in the show said Moffat County Fair Super-Superintendent Stan Martinez.

"It (judging) depends on how the horse performs and how the rider reacts to the horse," Martinez said.

The catagories that the participants competed in were hunter hack, which requires the horse to make two jumps, hunter under, in which the horse is required to trot, canter, lope and walk, and hunt seat equitation, in which the rider can que their horse.

The show has a required dress code, which consists of jacket, breeches or jodpurs, appropriate boots, cap and approved safety harness.

There were all levels of experience at the show.

Kalli Deatherage rode her horse Aspen. She has been riding English for four years.

"I saw it (English riding) here and I really wanted to do it," Deatherage said.

She said she likes jumping because she never knows what is going to happen and the saddle is a lot closer to the horse.

She has had Aspen for eight years.

"My mom and I did all the training," Deatherage said.

She rides 5 to 7 shows a year and usually about 30 minutes a day.

Teah Montieth rode her horse Radar, which she has had for about two weeks.

"This is probably the first time he (the horse) has had an English saddle on him," said Karen Montieth, Teah's mother.

Teah Montieth entered the show to get experience for the horse show at the Routt County fair, which is next week.

In the horse show, which featured three different competitions for the different classes of competitors, all entrants were female.

"It is mainly females around here that ride English," Karen

Montieth said.

Leigh Gillingham, who owns Horses Etc., has been riding English style for three years.

She entered into the show with her horse Stick in the junior horse

category, which is for young

horses.

She says that she enjoys English riding because it is a little more disciplined, a little more challenging and rewarding.

"It seems like you connect with the horse more," Gillingham said "There is closer contact with the horse."

Gillingham explained the reason the show was only women even though it was open to everyone is that the industry is women-driven.

"Women are more nurturing," Gillingham said. "We like pretty things."

This is her third time in the Open Horse Show -- English Division.

"I love this show," Gillingham said. "I still get nervous. When you quit getting nervous maybe you should quit doing it."

Liz King is an intern with the Craig Daily Press. She can be reached at 824-7031 or eking@craigdailypress.com.