Shelburne, Vt. – The 2018 Grand National & World Championship Morgan Horse Show® is shaping up to be another monumental event in the show's 45-year history. The American Morgan Horse Association (AMHA) is preparing to host more than 1,000 of the world's finest Morgan horses from across the United States and Canada from October 6-13, at State Fair Park in Oklahoma City, Okla., as they vie for the title of national champion and over $250,000 in prize money.
Since 1973, this show has represented the pinnacle of achievement in the Morgan horse world. Matt Kwapich (Bernalillo, N.M.) will once again serve as the show's manager and Sherry Cole (Sheridan, Ind.) will serve in the capacity of show chairman. Kwapich and a dedicated and hard-working show committee and staff join an impressive list of sponsors, officials, and volunteers ready to make this year's show the best ever.
Competition begins Saturday, October 6, with three sessions daily through Saturday, October 13. Session times are 9:00 a.m. CT, 1:00 p.m. CT, and 7:00 p.m. CT. Admission is free throughout the week. For those unable to attend in person, the show will be webcast live for free here.
The Morgan, America's first breed, was founded on a sire named Justin Morgan. His offspring have contributed to every other American breed of horse. Today, Morgans win in nearly every type of competition, from trail and jumping to reining and dressage. The Morgan horse is many things to many people. From a working range horse and scholar of obedience, to an animated creature of precision unparalleled in equine beauty, the Morgan horse excels in and out of the show ring, under saddle, in harness, or as a trail horse, roadster, or jumper.
Oklahomans can be proud to know that all eyes from the Morgan world will focus on Oklahoma City in October as the city displays some of the best athletes of America's first breed. The Morgan horse community is honored to call OKC home since 1975.
The American Morgan Horse Association is a recognized affiliate of US Equestrian. Keep up with the Grand National & World Championship Morgan Horse Show® on Facebook and with the Morgan horse all year long by following AMHA on Facebook and Twitter.
Visit the US Equestrian Learning Center to learn more about the Morgan horse with Tim Roesink in this video. Join the conversation and follow US Equestrian on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Use #JoinTheJoy.
Photo by Howard Schatzberg