Every year, horse enthusiasts flock to Columbus, Ohio, to get fully immersed in the magic of Equine Affaire — a name synonymous with community, education, and celebration. Horse Illustrated had a wonderful time in Ohio getting to attend the event, so let me take you through our experience!
First, let me introduce myself. My name is Liz Galletta, and I’ve been a member of the Horse Illustrated team since 2024. This is my second time attending Equine Affaire and every year it seems to get better! I want to take you with as I experience the event this year.
Our western brand, Western Life Today, is the sponsor of Cowtown in Cooper, so our booth was the highlight of the Western Life Today Alleyway. We had seven wonderful booth sponsors, including PetKORE, Stud Muffins, AnimaSol, Chewy Equine, Boomerang Rubber, Sentinel, and Parelli Natural Horsemanship.
Our booth at Equine Affaire Ohio 2026. Photo by Madison Wintrich/MW Creative & Photography
Parelli set up at one end of our booth, and we were so thrilled to have them with us this year. 2026 was the start of a new partnership with Parelli, in which Pat and his team write a training column in each Horse Illustrated issue and select Young Rider issues. Not only were the Parelli team members so amazing to hang out with, but the energy and excitement that Pat Parelli brings wherever he goes is unlike anything I’ve ever seen before. He draws crowds and captivates his audience so effortlessly — it’s no wonder how he’s developed such a large fanbase. He did daily giveaways at 4 p.m. at our booth, and every single day he drew a large crowd.
Equine Affaire Ohio 2026: Day 1
Day 1 of Equine Affaire was filled with the excitement and anticipation of what was to come. We saw hundreds of people come through our booth in the Bricker Building, and we had the chance to see seminars and demos from some of our favorites, including Pat Parelli and Sam and Kellie Rettinger of Whispery Pines Percherons. I also got talked into riding a mechanical bull – check out how that went below!
Equine Affaire Ohio 2026: Day 2
Friday was the first day Cooper in Cowtown was open, so we got to watch things get western during clinics by Mike Bednarek, Zoe Woodland, and Joe Sansone. My favorite part, of course, was the adorable young cows being used in these clinics. We also got to see additional clinics in other rings by Horse Illustrated Webinar guests Dan James, Jason Irwin, and of course our friend Pat Parelli.
Friday also brought about the Versatile Horse & Rider Competition, which is the ultimate test of horsemanship and training. Riders and their horses must race through a timed obstacle course, created to test horsemanship skills and athleticism. Though, timing is not the only criteria, and points are awarded for a positive horse attitude, overall performance, and more. After a close competition, Brenda Hanson and Ace reigned victorious and took home the first-place prize.
I also had the privilege of being able to “Drive A Draft” with Kellie Rettinger, which was an incredible experience that I am sure to never forget. Check out that experience below.
Equine Affaire Ohio 2026: Day 3
Day 3 was an incredibly busy day all around, but we made sure to watch some clinics as well as swing by some of our partner’s booths, including Equi-Analytical, KENT, Wild Animal Sanctuary, Farrier’s Magic, GG Equine, Tyler Shupe Leather, and the ASPCA Right Horse Adoption barn (spoiler alert — by Sunday evening, all but two horses had been adopted!)
After watching more presenters (including our friends Bronwyn Irwin and Reese Koffler-Stanfield), we got to watch the hilarious Cowboy Challenge, emceed by the one and only Hayden Kristal. This on-foot challenge had competitors complete a series of farm-related tasks, including moving hay, setting up jumps, and scooping grain, to see who would be crowned the ultimate cowboy. This was insanely entertaining and, in our eyes, everyone was a winner for being brave enough to tackle those tasks in front of an audience.
Saturday was also the biggest day for Parelli’s giveaway, and we easily had over 100 people flooding our booth to get a chance to win big!
Equine Affaire Ohio 2026: Day 4
Sunday was a bittersweet ending to a wonderful weekend. My favorite part of the day was taking advantage of the sales the shopping booths were putting on – the whole Horse Illustrated crew brought home solid clothing hauls for an incredible deal.
Another touching outcome of this weekend came from Boomerang Rubber – they graciously provided the flooring for our booth (which saved our backs from hours of standing on straight concrete) and at the end of the weekend, donated the mats to two different ASPCA Right Horse partners. We could not be more thankful for Bobby and his team, and we’re glad they could make a difference in the lives of adoptable horses through their donation.
Over the course of Equine Affaire, we got to meet thousands of amazing people, introduce dozens of new readers to Horse Illustrated, and celebrate our 50th Anniversary with readers who have been with us for years.
If you attended Equine Affaire this year, we were so glad to get to meet you and get to know you. If you didn’t attend, I hope you consider stopping by next year so you can experience the magic of this event.
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