ATHOL — The town is getting ready for another round of horseplay.
The New England Equestrian Center of Athol has scheduled for today its annual Equestrian Showcase, a day of competitions, vendors and all things equine. The all-day affair brings together horse enthusiasts and professionals for a family-friendly event that serves as a fundraiser for the equestrian park at 660 New Sherborn Road.
“It’s a pretty unique thing we have here in Athol,” said professional horse trainer Peter Whitmore, vice president of the New England Equestrian Land Management Conservation Corp, which manages NEECA. “And it’s growing.”
The free event begins at 9 a.m.
Whitmore said the first competition is a versatility contest, which he described as an extreme obstacle course competitors navigate in a show of teamwork and companionship.
Whitmore said the versatility contest will include a mustang division with horses from the Youth Mustang Challenge and the Adult Mustang Challenge.
Whitmore said this is the third year of the Youth Mustang Challenge and the young people will ultimately show off their horses at the Topsfield Fairgrounds on Aug. 5 and 6.
There will be a judged drill competition this afternoon, Whitmore said. Competitors will perform five- to seven-minute pattern routines and there will be as many 12 to 16 horses in the competition ring at once.
“People go over there for the first time and say, ‘We didn’t know this was here,’” she said.
You can reach Domenic Poli at: dpoli@recorder.com or 413-772-0261, ext. 258. On Twitter: @DomenicPoli