Tyler, TX – October 28, 2009 – The Dallas Harvest Horse Show got underway today with hunter and jumper action at the beautiful Texas Rose Horse Park in Tyler, Texas. This year’s competition will feature a $5,000 Jumper Classic and the $25,000 Harvest Grand Prix. Riders showing in this year’s events will have the opportunity to compete over courses designed by Olympic medalist Conrad Homfeld. The Dallas Harvest Horse Show benefits Habitat for Horses, and will run through November 1, 2009.

Homfeld is one of the most distinguished riders of the 1980s, having won two World Cup Finals, and earning the Individual Silver and Team Gold during the 1984 Olympics. Since retiring from riding and training, Homfeld has become a world-renowned course designer. He has designed for the FEI World Cup Finals in Las Vegas, NV, twice and next year he will be designing the courses at the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games with Richard Jefferies.

“Designing courses gives me a connection to the horse world that I would not have otherwise,” noted Homfeld. “After I stopped riding this sort of took over for me. It gives me the chance to exercise myself as a horseman, without actually having a horse or a stable. It’s a huge responsibility because you must create a fair and appropriate test, while at the same time considering the safety of the horse and rider.”

Homfeld is a Texas native, and he was thrilled to have the opportunity to design courses at the 2009 Dallas Harvest Horse Show. “I have never been to this facility before,” he explained. “I’ve been wanting to do it for awhile, but this is the first time I have had the opportunity. The countryside is beautiful here, and this is an excellent facility.”

For this week’s course Homfeld has a plan, but he admits that it will change as the week progresses. “One of the things I like about this is that you can have a plan, but everything is very fluid,” he said. “You have the course that you think you are going to do, but then you size up the competition and react to changes in weather, so your plan has to be open to change.”

“Course designers all have our version of the standard, classic riding tests, and we all execute the tests in different ways,” continued Homfeld. “During the sizing up process I’m trying to think about how I am going to apply these tests, to what extent, and at what point, and a lot of that requires judgment at the moment.”

Each year the Dallas Harvest Horse Show benefits Habitat for Horses, an equine protection organization. Habitat for Horses has been in operation for the past 11 years fulfilling its mission to assist distressed horses and provide a safe and secure home while rehabilitating them for adoption.

Homfeld supports the mission of Habitat for Horses and enjoys seeing a horse show benefit an excellent cause. “I think that it is a very nice thing,” he expressed. “I think it is good to help horses that are in distress and it is nice to be involved with a horse show that supports such a dedicated organization.”

The Dallas Harvest Horse Show will continue tomorrow with the completion of the professional hunter divisions and the Amateur-Owner Hunter divisions. The Grand Prix Ring will feature the $3,000 Nordic Lights Welcome Stake. This week’s highlights events are the $10,000 2009/2010 Chronicle of the Horse/USHJA International Hunter Derby and the $5,000 Jumper Classic held on October 30, as well as the $25,000 Harvest Grand Prix held on November 1, 2009.

For more information on the 2009 Dallas Harvest Horse Show and to view the prizelist, please visit www.southboundsshows.com .

For more information on Habitat for Horses please visit www.habitatforhorses.org .

Conrad Homfeld

Photo Credit: The 2009 Dallas Harvest Horse Show will feature courses designed by Olympic medalist Conrad Homfeld. By: Rebecca Walton/PMG. Photograph may be used only in relation to this PMG press release.

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