Save on Virginia Horse Festival tickets when you buy in advance

Lasso some savings today by purchasing advance tickets online for this year’s Virginia Horse Festival.

Tickets for the festival, which will be held March 23-25 at The Meadow Event Park in Caroline County, went on sale in December. Advance tickets are $10 but will increase to $12 Feb. 1, so save by purchasing them now.

This year children 12 and under are FREE with a paid adult admission. Children will need tickets for entry, but those tickets can be ordered online at no cost.

The festival will host clinics, demonstrations and seminars representing every aspect of Virginia’s horse industry. Because it’s located at the birthplace of legendary Secretariat, there also will be birthday celebration events honoring “Big Red” throughout the weekend.

Featured entertainment this year includes Austin Anderson and the Texas Trick Riders. Anderson is a third-generation stuntman, horseman and performer.

He started his career performing with his family as part of their show “The Texas White Horse Troupe,” which was formed by Anderson’s parents in 1963. The family show has performed at rodeos, Wild West shows, state fairs, expos and circuses.

A featured clinician at the festival is Ken McNabb, a true American cowboy. McNabb grew up in a traditional ranching family in the mountains of Wyoming. He creates a unique teaching environment where each horse is trained using gentle methods and riders are coached to achieve their personal best.

If you’d like to get involved during the festival, there are a variety of clinics in which you and your horse can participate. Options include driving draft horses or competing in the Cornerstone Performance Trail Challenge.

For a complete list of clinics, demonstrations and challenges seeking participants, visit the “Get Involved” section on the festival website at VirginiaHorseFestival.com.

In addition to the clinics, demos and seminars, festivalgoers will have access to an abundance of indoor and outdoor shopping, including vendors of boots, saddles, tack and trailers. There also will be free kids’ activities.