Horse Shows By The Bay Equestrian Festival Hosts Successful Opening Day

Traverse City, MI – July 8, 2009 – It was a beautiful day, with cool weather and a bright sunny sky, for the opening day of the 2009 Horse Shows by the Bay Equestrian Festival. Riders traveled from all over the country to compete at the scenic Flintfields Horse Park during the four-week horse show, held from July 8 to August 2.

“Dean and I are both pleased and excited to be hosting our month long festival,” smiled Alex Rheinheimer, Vice-President of Horse Sports by the Bay. “We’ve worked all year putting together what we think is a fabulous schedule of events for our participants and for the spectators that are joining us from Traverse City. It’s very exciting to see the list of riders, trainers, horses, sponsors and owners that are attending this year and it is very gratifying. We definitely have the best in the country competing, and we are looking forward to putting on the best event ever!”

Three-time WCHR Professional Rider of the Year Peter Pletcher is a generous sponsor of the Horse Shows by the Bay Equestrian Festival and has traveled from Magnolia, TX, to compete at the show for the last three years. This year he spent a day with the local Traverse City media, giving them a behind the scenes look at a day in the life of a professional horse trainer.

“Alex and Dean are great hosts and they put on a great horse show,” noted Pletcher. “The weather here is beautiful, it’s cool, sunny, and perfect for riding. The rings have beautifully decorated jumps and when you’re riding you can look out and see lovely mountains and trees, which is very rare.”

Many of Pletcher’s customers enjoy traveling to Horse Shows by the Bay so that they can take advantage of the local tourist attractions located on the Traverse City Bay. “A lot of our customers have kids and they incorporate the local attractions into their vacation,” explained Pletcher’s partner, Danny Arendt. “There’s so much to do with the beach, the water parks, Macinac Island, and great restaurants such as Trevino’s and Maple’s.”

One of the top attractions at this year’s show will be Saturday’s $15,000 Chronicle of the Horse/USHJA International Hunter Derby. Pletcher will be competing with four horses: Argentum, Camira, Westview, and Cool Boy.

“I’m really looking forward to the Hunter Derby,” said Pletcher. “The Grand Prix Ring is big and it rides well. They do a very nice job setting the course in there. I think it will be a very exciting class.”

The Horse Shows By the Bay Series I kicked-off today with exciting hunter/jumper action that will continue throughout the week. The professional hunter divisions will conclude tomorrow with championship and reserve championship awards. This week will also feature a $10,000 Welcome Prix on Friday and the $30,000 Spy Coast Farm Grand Prix of Traverse City will wrap-up the first week of competition on Sunday.

For more information about the 2009 Horse Shows by the Bay Equestrian Festival please visit www.horseshowsbythebay.com 

Peter Pletcher competes with Camira during the first day of the Horse Shows By the Bay Equestrian Festival in the Second Year Green Hunter division. Photo C Rebecca Walton/PMG.