Story and Photos by: Tracy Bidwell
The Congress is more than just a horse show, but do you know all that Congress has to offer? Of course there’s the shopping, seven-acres of it, to be exact. And then the food: Schmidt’s, The Sweet Shop and Bob Evans are always crowd favorites. Of course the Congress Queen is a familiar face, and really, how can you miss her, walking around in those gorgeous Berry Fit outfits? But did you know that Congress has an annual Model Horse Show?
For eight years, Kim Bjorgo-Thorne has organized a model horse show held at the All American Quarter Horse Congress. It takes place the second Saturday of Congress every year, at the Voinovich Livestock and Trade Center.
“We love hosting this show at Congress,” said Bjorgo-Thorne. “We’re a little hidden, so it’s hard for people to find us, but it’s a lot of fun.”
The show has several divisions, much like AQHA shows. There are youth, novice and open divisions, and classes are divided by breed or type, as well as model type.
“We have classes for Original Finish, which are straight from the factory, as well as classes for Customs, which have been altered by an artist,” said Bjorgo-Thorne.
Horses are judged on how accurately they resemble a living, breathing horse, as well as conformation and breed characteristics, much like Halter. Additionally, there are performance classes, in which accuracy is again key. From the positioning of the saddle, to the positioning of the props, everything should be exactly to scale.
The Quarter Horse Congress Model Horse Show also presents the Congress Queen with a model of her horse, from Queen’s Horsemanship every year.
“I was really, really excited,” said Ashley Cook, 2010 All American Congress Queen from Ontario, Canada. “It’s wonderful to have my experience as Queen memorialized through this model of Leroy.”
BSB Don’t Ask Me, or Leroy, is well-known throughout Canada, and many people, especially his owners Ken and Vonda O’Donnell, are excited to have the Peter Stone model.
“Ken and Vonda, were ecstatic,” said Cook. “They drove five hours to get here yesterday to get 10 copies to give to family members. We actually had to order 45 more copies because they have sold out so quickly. I think he’ll be the highest selling Queen’s horse ever.”
And if the model isn’t enough, Leroy will be back at the Congress again this year, showing in Queen’s Horsemanship with Lindsay Allen, the 2010 Ontario Quarter Horse Queen.
