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2009 Trainer's Challenge of the Unwanted Horse
THANK YOU!

The Challenge | The Trainers and Students | Event Information

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Once again, we were astounded over the support shown to the Trainer's and their Students at this year's Trainer's Challenge of the Unwanted Horse. We felt that we had a better handle on things this year and while there are still things that we can improve on, we're happy with the way things turned out.

And, in no particular order, we'd like to thank:

1. The trainers for the incredible job they did with their assigned students, for taking time out of their busy schedules to provide updates on their progress, and for the patience they demonstrated with their students in the strange (and new) environment of the Leatherdale Center.
2. The University of Minnesota for providing the Leatherdale Center as a venue for the event for the second year in a row.
3. The volunteers from the University of Minnesota Equine Club for providing snacks and helping with the event.
4. Subway for providing a *ton* of sandwiches for lunch.
5. All the MHARF volunteers for their efforts in promoting the event and their help in setting up before and tearing down things after the event.
6. The announcer and judges who came back to help us again with the event.
7. The farrier and veterinarian, because without them there wouldn't have been a Farrier/Vet class.
8. The photographer (Dave Brant) who risked lens and limb being in the arena with everyone trotting around.
9. Whole Foods for making sure everyone was properly hydrated by donating bottled water.
10. Everyone who came to watch and cheer on their favorite trainers and horses.
11. Everyone who came bearing donations for the local Food Shelf - you'll be pleased to hear that we collected over 440 pounds of food and toiletry items as well as a great collection of products to our women soldiers stationed in Iraq!
12. Anyone who we may have forgotten to formally thank in this list.
13. And, of course, the horses.

What is the Challenge, you ask? Well, we're glad you asked!

Everyone wants to see the horse that can do "everything", which is understandable. We all have day jobs, there are bills to pay, people to see, and things to do. When it comes to the horse, wouldn't it be nice to just jump on and go? Well, because of this attitude (and it's a fair one), we oftentimes overlook the horse with limited or no training. We don't have the "eye" to see a diamond in the rough, or we've got too much going on.

Training a horse is a lifetime commitment, even after giving it a good start. You want your horse to be rock-solid when a jogger in blaze orange comes around the corner. You want your horse to stand stock-still when the farrier is working on their feet. You want to ride with the confidence that your horse is not going to explode into a panic the next time you try to trailer them or ride in a busy arena.

Our goal of this challenge is to show you the diamond in the rough; that while training is an important part, it's about the time you put into a horse that also matters.

To this end, we've invited trainers from across the state to show you what they can do with the horse that is "Unwanted". For everyone following along at home, we have a list of horses and trainers in a sort of "blog" specific to each trainer and student. Finally, we have some information that you, the kind public, might want to know about the upcoming event and hope that you can spread the word about our little challenge.

And now that the event has ended, here are the results!

Individual Classes

Final Placings

Congratulations to everyone!