World Percheron Congress 2014

The 2014 World Percheron Congress is a celebration of the Percheron Horse! To be held October 6-11, 2014 at the Eastern States Exposition Fairgrounds in West Springfield, MA. The 2014 World Percheron Congress promises to be the best ever! Exhibitors from across the U.S. and Canada will meet in West Springfield to showcase their beautiful Percherons. International delegates from France, Great Britain, South America, Australia, Germany and Japan will gather to honor this great breed.

Thursday, October 28, 2010

Mare Halter Day, Thursday October 28th

An outstanding group of mares were exhibited today at the 2010 World Percheron Congress! Mr. Don Lowes judged large, quality filled classes starting with forty one filly foals. Blue Ribbon Farms took top honors of Grand Champion Mare with Blue Ribbon Farms Unique. Windermere Farms won Reserve Grand Champion Mare with Windermere's Deidra. For more results from the Mare Halter Classes, click on this link. These results are incomplete. Check later for updated results. Mare Halter Results

Grand Champion Mare, Blue Ribbon Farms Unique

Two Year Old Mare Class

Mr. Lowes inspecting the mouth

Senior Champion Mare Prospects

First & Second Four Year Old Mares

Texas Thunder: The Priefert Percherons!

Priefert Ranch Equipment of Mount Pleasant, Texas, is known round the world as the top manufacturer of farm, ranch and rodeo equipment. The company has revolutionized livestock handling from their squeeze and roping chutes to box stalls and walkers and fencing to dog kennels.

In 2002, the Priefert Family entered the Percheron fraternity when they purchased the Brookhart Lumber hitch. Shortly thereafter, they hit the road for their first exhibition in the Stevensville, Texas rodeo, and haven't looked back (or slowed down). It was the start of many good things to come. Today, under the guidance of experienced horseman and talented driver Jason Goodman, the Priefert six-up has evolved into one of the premier draft horse exhibition attractions in the country.

Jason, his wife Rose, and a talented team of assistants travel from coast-to-coast with these horses performing at rodeos, fairs and major equine shows including the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo (a first for draft horses of any kind), the Quarter Horse Congress, the International Rolex Competition, several PRCA Rodeo events and more.

Averaging over 240 days on the road each year, logging thousands of miles, Texas Thunder brands the Priefert name in the minds of people all across North America. In the process, they are also educating the American public about the Percheron breed.

No stranger to the World Percheron Congress, the Texas Thunder exhibitioned daily at the 2006 show in Lexington, Virginia, where Goodman unveiled his newest act-Roman-riding a galloping six-up. It was an instant hit and he has been performing the feat ever since.

For more on the Texas Thunder, visit their web site:
http://www.priefert.com/priefert_percherons/

Wednesday Performance Classes

Performance Classes started on Wednesday, October 27 at the World Percheron Congress. Mark Barie from East Bethany, New York judged Cart classes, Team classes, the Four Abreast, Open Carriage, and Feed Team races. The Walking Plow competition took place outside under windy conditions.

The Opening Ceremonies featured several horse drawn displays and dignitaries from the Percheron Associations of Australia, France, Canada and the US. National anthems, sang for all countries, added both class and international patriotism. A heart stopping exhibition performed by the Texas Thunder hitch left everyone on the edge of their seats.

For Wednesday Performance Class Results click on this link: October 27, 2010 Performance Class Results

Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Gelding Halter Show & Results

The Gelding Halter Show started at 9:00am Wednesday morning and featured large classes of both registered classes and grade classes. Mr. Mark Barie from East Bethany, New York judged the gelding halter. Mr. Barie chose Skip's Challenger as the Grand Champion Gelding and HF Hunter's Lincoln as the Reserve Grand Champion Gelding. Both these horses are owned my Ames Percherons. For more Gelding Halter results click on this link: Gelding Halter Results

Grand Champion & Reserve Grand Champion Gelding
photo by Kelly Woodbury

Mr. Mark Barie
Gelding Halter Judge

Stallion Show & Results

The Stallion Show started at 9:00am Wednesday morning and featured large classes including 27 stallion foals and 19 yearling stallions. Judging the stallion halter classes was Don Lowes from Princeton, Ontario, Canada. Mr. Lowes crowned Windermeres North American Maid as the Grand Champion Stallion and All-Star Farms Rocket's All-Star Domino as the Reserve Grand Champion Stallion. Congratulations to all exhibitors! For more results click on this link: Stallion Show Results

Grand Champion Stallion-Windermere's American Maid

Stallion Halter classes on left and Gelding classes on the right.

Yearling Stallion

Stallion Halter Judge-Don Lowes

World Percheron Congress Banquet

The World Percheron Congress Banquet was held Tuesday night at the Prairie Meadows Casino in Altoona, Iowa. Over four hundred and fifty people attended the banquet to socialize, partake of great food and bid on many donated items. The auction raised over $14,500 for the World Percheron Congress. 2009 All-American winners were also announced at the banquet.

Mike and Trisha Jaeger, Banquet Greeters

2009 All-American Winners

Brad and Cindy Messersmith...smiling after the delicious bread pudding!

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Foal Futurity

The 2010 World Percheron Congress Foal Futurity was a huge success!!! Seventeen stallion foals and thirty- two filly foals competed for top honors. Two judges Alisha McQuarrie from Bethany, Ontario and Dale McMain from Delmar, Iowa placed these two classes. The first placed stallion foal and the first placed filly foal will compete for the World Congress Foal Futurity Supreme Championship on Friday October 29, 2010 at 5:00pm in the Jacobson Center.