Transcribed by AI with Human Review:
Ko'u Hopkins:
Hello everyone, and welcome to today's episode on Community Voices. I'm your host Ko’u Hopkins, and today we have a very special guest with us who is part of this year's Midwest Charity Horse Show. Could our guests please introduce themselves?
Carole Kennedy:
Hi Ko’u, thanks for having me. I'm Carole Kennedy. I'm the president and show manager of the 85th annual Midwest Charity Horse Show, June 9th through the 13th.
Ko'u Hopkins:
Thank you so much and welcome to the studio. But before we delve into our topic at hand, I know our listeners would love to get to know you. So how long have you been a part of horses?
Carole Kennedy:
My whole life. I'm a fourth generation member that's been supporting the Midwest Charity Horse Show. And my nephew is going to come out and volunteer this year, so that'll be 5 generations involved with the Midwest Charity Horse Show. My family raised hackney ponies and other breeds of horses in Taylorville, Illinois, and continue to do that on a little smaller scale, but still am actively involved in many horse shows in the management. Judging, showing, breeding, raising, training horses, it's been part of us. It's been one of the businesses my family's been involved with over the years.
Ko'u Hopkins:
I'm really happy to hear that and I know others will be too because I know there's a lot of horse lovers here in Central Illinois. But what is your favorite part of the horse life?
Carole Kennedy:
I've always, over the years I've really enjoyed the part of planning a breeding program, raising the foals, developing them as athletes over the years and showing them myself or selling them to others where they can enjoy them. And the beauty of showing horses is you meet people from every socioeconomic group. You meet people generationally at the shows. It's fun, social, but you meet people at home at your farm and then you meet them out on the road and it's just a really interesting lifestyle.
Ko'u Hopkins:
When you sell your horses, does that ever make you kind of tear up or is it more of a proud mother moment?
Carole Kennedy:
When you raise really quality animals and they go on and a breeding program comes to fruition when they go to the show and someone else is enjoying them, it's a great great moment for your farm, but also for myself when I've had those that I really personally enjoyed, I've kept them from the time I raised them until maybe they passed at 35 years old. So it really just depends on the animal, but I love it when others can enjoy them as well.
Ko'u Hopkins:
That's really nice to hear. And I'm glad that they can live such long and wonderful lives. I know that you take very good care of them. And kind of going on horses and where they go after you sell them, how long have you been a part of the Midwest Charity Horse Show? Some of your horses have been on the show as well.
Carole Kennedy:
I'm a fourth generation member of Midwest Charity Horse Show, so my family has been showing there since the show began in the early 30s. And I personally have shown at the show. Hackney ponies were my primary breed and my grandparents, my dad, we've all shown there and it's a great experience, great show, wonderful show ring at the Coliseum at the Illinois State Fairgrounds.
Ko'u Hopkins:
So exactly what is this show that we've been talking about? Could you kind of explain it in your own terms?
Carole Kennedy:
The Midwest Charity Horse Show. The great thing about it, we continue to be a unique show because we include multiple breeds in our show. So we have the American Saddlebred, Hackney Ponies, Morgan horses, Arabian horses, carriage pleasure driving, roadster horses. Roadster horses are Standardbreds and Dutch harness horses typically. And it makes for a real variety of a show, and it's fast-moving. We have traditional kind of organ accompanists and very good announcers that keep the show moving and fun for people to watch.
Ko'u Hopkins:
How many horses are there on average? Because I know that you said many types of breeds, but how many horses are there?
Carole Kennedy:
We are just under 700 horses at the Midwest Charity Horse Show. We are sold out right now, and I am struggling to get everybody in. We have a waiting list at the moment and we are maxing out all the stalls, and even with rental stalls, the space available for our group at the Illinois State Fairgrounds.
Ko'u Hopkins:
That's really exciting and I know that there will be many people, especially little kids, that would be wanting to see the horses. So would you say that this is a family-friendly event for all ages?
Carole Kennedy:
Very much so. We will; there will actually be some classes. We have like a lead line class and some walk and trot class that are actually classes that are actually for small children. But I think that any children that watch the show, they'll be excited to see some of the classes. Well, they'll see children that are 13 and under or the 14 to 17 group. And it just shows you the level of care that goes into showing at our show. I think anybody can appreciate the hard work that goes into preparing an athlete like the horses, but also to prepare the child rider. They really have to prepare, practice, work hard, study the rules, study the technical parts of showing.
Ko'u Hopkins:
How much time would you say a rider or a trainee would need to get their horse in the shape or even themselves in shape, brushing up on rules and things?
Carole Kennedy:
The horse business is kind of a 24-7 job for the trainers and the staff, the support staff that brings a stables of this caliber to the show. But the riders, drivers, trainers, They're constantly, they're thinking about it all the time. And even if you're an amateur exhibitor, just someone like yourself that wanted to show, you would still spend hours of needing to practice with your horse and your trainer frequently to get prepared for this. And you would also be studying and it's just like anything else. The more you study and practice and develop the technical skills and the athleticism it takes to be at a high level, it just all comes together at a show like this. And that's where the competition happens, getting prepared.
Ko'u Hopkins:
What are some of the ages of the riders? Are they all kind of middle-aged, younger?
Carole Kennedy:
It depends on the division that they're in. We have classes that are specific to, say, 13 and under children, or we have classes specific to 14 to 18. There's also, we have amateur rider master's class that's for somebody that's over 60. I know that when I was a kid I had to show against adults and then over time people have they've made more divisions at the horse shows so that people are showing more against their own age group as a rider or driver. But then we also have horse divisions that are about the age of the horse. So A skilled rider will be showing a horse that's two, three, four years old, or you'll have a class where they're showing the more mature horses that are veterans of the show ring and just enjoy their jobs and the riders are showing them. And it's a competition of skill of the rider presenting them in the best way. But that horse that has great athleticism and has been well prepared and they love their job, they really go out and make a great show. And the judges are looking for many different aspects of their way of going and their appearance. It's a competition like any other.
Ko'u Hopkins:
As a past rider yourself, what would you say is the hardest part of when you're actually showing? Is it the nerves? Is it the technique?
Carole Kennedy:
If you're really prepared and have a great partner in your horse or pony that you're showing and you feel like you've done everything to get there the right way. All you can do is go in and compete with the thought in mind that I am going to mind my business, stay on the rail, and get into the correct position for the judges to see the horse or pony in its best light.
Ko'u Hopkins:
I know that many will be looking forward to the awards. Is there going to be an awards every night or how will that work?
Carole Kennedy:
Every class. So every class that someone enters, there'll be a qualifying class. So say that an amateur harness pony goes in the ring, they'll go in the ring driving their pony to a buggy and they will go in the ring and the judge will ask for certain a park trot and they will go in the ring and then they'll reverse and do that again, line up and then in every single class, qualifying class, there's going to be a winner just like a race. And there'll be a presentation at the end of each class where the ribbons are handed out, a trophy, a picture is taken, and then they go out of the ring. And for every qualifying class, there'll be a championship towards the end of the week where they will go back again. So they'll get a second chance to go in and be ready to present their horse as a rider, and the animal will have that second chance to make their best show.
Ko'u Hopkins:
So for every day of the competition, is it kind of the same or is there a different schedule?
Carole Kennedy:
The show starts Tuesday, June 9th at 10.30 in the morning, and then there's a session at 6.30 p.m. in the evening. So every day we'll have about, there's about 25 classes that start at 10.30 and go till about mid-afternoon, and then the show starts again at 6.30, and there'll be about 18 to 20 classes in the evening, and that will be every day.
Ko'u Hopkins:
So what would you say would be the best day to go? Would it be opening day or closing night?
Carole Kennedy:
I think every day is a great day at the Midwest Charity Horse Show. I think one of the nice things for the general public, if they're just wanting to come out and visit, the best time is between about 10.30 and 2.30 during the day and about 6.30 to 9 o'clock at night. Anytime that you come out, you're going to see a variety of horse shows, a variety of breeds, drivers of all different ages. And we'll have small children to octogenarians out showing at this horse show.
Ko'u Hopkins:
That's really exciting to hear. So how much are tickets, or where can people buy them?
Carole Kennedy:
At our show, we sell reserved seating for the week, and then we also have upper arena seating that is free. So a lot of our stables that come to the show, they like to have a group of seats together that they reserve for their stable. We have some local people that they like to, they enjoy the show all the time, so they reserve a couple seats for the week. But the upper arena seating, that's free, no tickets.
Ko'u Hopkins:
I know that is very exciting to hear, especially as some college students like myself, we love the word free. So who are the riders? Do we have any heavy hitters this year? Because I know we talked before and you said there were some championship winners.
Carole Kennedy:
The Midwest Charity Horse Show has been known as kind of the bridge from the wintertime, foaling season, early spring, maybe someone regionally went to a small show to kind of get out there the first time. But the Midwest Charity Horse Show is really one of the first big shows that people jump in the deep water to go see if they're going to be prepared to go to a number of shows the rest of the season. The Midwest Charity is kind of the first leg of the big horse shows. So you'll see young horses, it'll be their first time to come out, the ones that will be the possible world champions coming up this year. But we do have some of the main world champion stables coming to the show that have got the current world grand champions in their barn. So we have multiples that do come to our show that are the current world champions.
Ko'u Hopkins:
Wow, we have many celebrities coming to Springfield. I know everyone will be very excited about that.
Carole Kennedy:
We have some celebrity riders and drivers at our show, certainly, that are known in the horse world. And sometimes we have a few that are known to everyone.
Ko'u Hopkins:
Do you have any names at the moment?
Carole Kennedy:
You know, in the past, they're not coming this year, but in the past, William Shatner and his wife regularly came to the show, and Carson Kressley on occasion has been at the show. They are very active in the American Saddlebred horse world and the Hackney Pony world.
Ko'u Hopkins:
Wow, I never knew that William Shatner came to these events. That's, oh my gosh, that's a star.
Carole Kennedy:
He's not, it's not planned for him to be here this year that I know of, but one never knows. But over the years, we've there's been a number of celebrities that the general public would be familiar with that do participate in horse shows. If you're in Devon, Pennsylvania this week, I know Carson Kressley is very active in that show. And if you're out in Southern California, I know William Shatner recently was involved in a show out there. And one of the beauties of showing horses is even if you're a small child or an older person, it is one of those things that helps keep you physically fit throughout the year. You meet people, like I said, from every different socioeconomic group, but they all have the love of their different breeds of horses or horsemanship. They have that in common, and it makes it really fun. As a kid growing up, there are people that you get familiar with and comfortable with that are your age, but then you also, because of that familiarity with a different breed of horses, you really get to know people of all different ages and develop friendships that really span the years.
Ko'u Hopkins:
So kind of touching upon the work that goes into this, I know that there are volunteers that are needed and volunteers that really can change the world around them.
Carole Kennedy:
Midwest Charity Horse Show has many dedicated volunteers that I've worked with over the years. And then we have other groups like the Boy Scouts, and over the years, the Golden Kiwanis used to volunteer with us. But I have to say, I have made lifelong friends by volunteering with this organization. And I think everyone, if you just take a few hours out of your week and if everyone takes a little bit of time to volunteer for some of our organizations here in Central Illinois, it really makes a difference. You can't have a large community event like this without volunteers. And our group at Midwest Charity Horse Show, we all volunteer our time so that the proceeds of the event can support local charities like SIU School of Medicine. The Pediatric Care Fund has been our focus the last couple of years. And for over 30 years, we supported Camp Coco for children with cancer and blood diseases, and many other service organizations. But the only thing that makes that happen is volunteers. Students can get volunteer hours by contacting me if they want to sing the national anthem or if they want to help with some traffic control or if they want to help organize trophies and ribbons and things like that. Every horse show I know, not just ours, needs volunteers to operate.
Ko'u Hopkins:
I'm really glad that all these charities were able to be a part of your charity and help benefit from them. That's always really important to think about, especially in today's world, that everyone needs a helping hand. And thank you so much, everyone, for listening to today's episode on Community Voices. I'm your host, Ko’u Hopkins.
