Quarter Horse Congress is back, bringing together equestrian lovers of all ages

 

Showing and riding horses at the All American Quarter Horse Congress has long been a tradition for the Schaad family. 

Aaron Schaad, 51, has been competing since 1990, and in a transformed Celeste Center — which looked more like a barn than an arena — he waited inside the warm-up pen Thursday for his turn to compete in the amateur breakaway roping competition, a variation of calf roping where a calf is roped but not thrown and tied.

But before it was his turn to go out onto the floor, he had to help someone else: his son. 

Aaron assisted Brady, 18, with his horse Cee Doc Genuine Jule as they got ready for the youth calf roping competition, a rodeo event where a rider catches and ties a calf. It was the first time the 5-year-old horse competed at the Congress. 

54th All American Quarter Horse Congress back after getting canceled last year due to COVID-19

Billed as the largest single-breed horse show in the world, the Congress kicked off Sept. 28 and continues until Oct. 24. The event is named after the most popular horse breed, which has the ability to outrun other horse breeds in races of a quarter mile or less, according to the American Horse Quarter Association. 

The event features several events involving roping, barrel racing and mounted shooting. Thursday's event featured calf roping for youth and amateurs. In total, there are 25,000 horse show entries and $3 million in cash and prizes. 

The Congress is described by officials as a major annual contributor to the Greater Columbus economy. Carey Cooper, an accountant for the Ohio Quarter Horse Association, which hosts the event, told the Dispatch last month that the show attracts more than 650,000 people from around the globe. The 2019 event brought in $409 million. 

Marketing and Communications Director Taylor Staus said tickets for the freestyle reining event sold out 40% faster than they did in 2019, and the professional bull riders and Congress masters events are up 47% and 80% respectively. She said entries for this year's Congress are comparable to 2019. 

"Everyone's excited to be back," she said. 

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All in the family 

 

The youth calf roping competition proved to be a successful event for Brady Schaad. He placed twice — first place with Cee Doc Genuine Jule and third place with another quarter horse, Connerslil Smartchic. Meanwhile, Aaron took fourth place in the breakaway roping competition. 

Brady said horse riding his been a part of the Schaad family for three generations. In total, the Schaads have eight horses at their Cumberland home, which is about 70 miles east of Columbus. 

"Jack's actually more natural at it than the both of us," his father said. "He does things a lot easier than us. Rodeo is as tough as any sport in America." 

Aaron and Brady both said they are happy to be back at the Congress this year. 

"We enjoy roping and being around horses," Aaron said. "It relaxes me." 

Congress newcomers 

 

Meanwhile, inside Taft Coliseum, Ben Boyd was in the stands with his team of 12 showmanship competitors as they waited to compete. 

The 26-year-old and his wife, Allison, run Double B's Training Center at their farm in Bloomingdale, near Steubenville in eastern Ohio. The Boyds teach English and Western horse riding to kids from fourth to 12th grade. 

Ben Boyd said while he has attended the Congress many times as a spectator, this year is his first time at the event with Double B's. 

"I just kind of help them improve their horsemanship skills," he said. "They use my horses and just get the opportunity to show." 

One of the members on his team is 17-year-old Makenna Carter. The Richmond resident was dressed up in a white shirt with teal and gold sequins, brown pants and teal and brown cowboy boots. 

The newcomer competed in the Interscholastic Equestrian Association Varsity Novice show, where she had to test her abilities with a horse she had never been on before. 

"You get to build a connection with the animal," Carter said. "And you get to meet new people and experience new things." 

'An extended family' 

 

Later that day in the Cooper Arena, another youth competition was going on — dummy roping. Several young children, most of them decked out in cowboy hats and boots, got to test their skills by throwing a rope around the head of a fake steer. 

Tucker Snyder, clad in a hot pink dress shirt and black cowboy hat, was able to whip his rope around the steer a couple of times. The 8-year-old from Norwich, located in eastern Ohio, said this is his third time at the Congress.

"It's exciting to be back and here with friends," she said. "It's an extended family."

mwalker@dispatch.com

@micah_walker701