Britt, Iowa

Britt Draft Horse Show
The Gentle Giants . . .
The Grandest Show . . .

2009 - Britt Draft Horse Show - September 4-6

The 28th Annual Britt Draft Horse Show will be held at the Hancock County Fairgrounds in Britt, Iowa on September 4-6, 2009. The show will feature eighteen of the finest six-horse hitches in the United States and Canada, representing the best of the Belgian, Percheron, and Clydesdale performance horses.

In today's fast-paced world, many people do not have the ability or opportunity to relax and enjoy a weekend that reminds them of days gone by, but that opportunity exists in Britt, Iowa, every Labor Day weekend.

Thousands of spectators, young and old alike, enjoy the show each year. What better place to remember those days when horse power meant just what it sounds like. And, what better place for the kids to ask grandpa what it was like "in the old days" when they didn't have tractors and combines.

What better place than Britt, Iowa. Our nation was built with the help of these "gentle giants". From hauling loads through the streets of those early cities on the East Coast, to providing the necessary power to cultivate the soil of the rich farm fields of the Midwest, to helping move our population all the way to the West Coast, the draft horse grew to be fondly remembered by many.

The grandstand shows, held Saturday and Sunday afternoons at 2:00, provide two to three hours of entertainment for all ages. Competition is held in the men's and ladies cart, team, unicorn, 4-horse, and 6-horse hitch classes. At the Sunday afternoon show, the Supreme 6-horse hitch is chosen and all eighteen 6-horse hitches return to the arena at once in the Classic Series Six-Horse hitch class. The weekend events also include junior classes, a driving competition, 8-horse hitch class and halter classes.

The Britt Draft Horse Show is one of the recognized qualifying shows on the Classic Series show circuit. Each year, more than 250 hitch owners travel across the United States and Canada to perform at state fairs and agricultural exhibitions to accumulate points for the Classic Series. The high point hitches are invited to compete for the Classic Series All Breed Trophy to be presented at the Eastern States Exposition in Springfield, Massachusetts, in September, 2009.

The show was first organized tn 1982 when a group of local draft horse enthusiasts felt this would be an interesting and unique type of performance for this area of North Iowa. With the help of two local industries who helped design and build the portable stalls for the horses, the first show was held Labor Day weekend, 1982, at the Hancock Courlty Fairgrounds in Britt, Iowa.

Planning for the 2009 show began in September 2008 following the close of the successful 27th annual show on Labor Day weekend. The show sponsor, the Britt Draft Horse Association, depends on the help and support of local and area businesses, organizations, and individuals who provide monetary support and hundreds of hours in donated time to put together one of the finest draft horse hitch shows in North America.

The Britt Draft Horse Show is featured in the video, "Gentle Giants: Window to Our Heritage", funded in part by a grant from the Iowa Humanities Board and the National Endowment for the Humanities. For many Iowans and others from a rural background, the draft horse is a symbol of their heritage. But, the era that the draft horse represents is one that has come and gone in less than a century. This video is a window to that heritage. It combines scenes from the show with footage of the way it was when draft horses were used to work the farms.

Celebrating the 28th annual Britt Draft Horse Show in 2009, the show continues to feature eighteen of the finest 6-horse hitches in North America. The 2009 show will feature some of the best Belgian, Percheron, and Clydesdale hitches traveling from homes as distant as Texas, Idaho, Indiana, and Nova Scotia, Canada.

The fairgrounds open at 7:00 a.m. each day and the public is invited to come early to have a chance to wander through the barns and visit with the crews. Spectators are also invited to visit the commercial building with booths offering everything from souvenir t-shirts and commemorative belt buckles for the show, to model hitches, ceramics and gift items, paintings and prints, livestock equipment, and many other items of interest. Food is available on the grounds and camping facilities are also available.

Admission for Friday is $2.00 for adults and $1.00 for children. Admission for Saturday and Sunday is $6.00 for adults, $1.00 for children age 6 thru 10, and children age 5 and under are free.

This unique event draws thousands of spectators from all over the Midwest. Most leave Sunday's show with the vow "this was great...we will be back!" There is not another show to compare with this annual gathering of the very best!

For more information on the show, commercial exhibit space, or sponsorship opportunities, please contact:

Britt Draft Horse Association
P.O. Box 312
Britt, IA 50423

or call (641) 843-4181
or (515) 928-2589

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