OklahomaHorses Magazine Sept 2022

12 OklahomaHorses • September / October 2022 I t’s difficult to traverse the Red Dirt State without passing multiple horse trailers on the road and pastures chock-full of those four-legged friends. Oklahoma is easily recognized as horse country on a na- tional scale, and the positive impact the equine industry has on the state far exceeds the financial benefits. Based on recent industry statistics, more than 252,000 horses reside in Oklahoma. It shouldn’t be surprising that most of those are quarter horses being used for recreational purposes. What might be new information is the fact that 41 percent of the equestrian population is older than 40. And there’s one Oklahoma cowgirl who more than doubles that statistic. VirginiaWalker placed in five of her eight events at the Grand National Horsemen Association National Finals in 2022. Photo by Jess Trenner Photography. Riding through the Years Oklahoma Horsewomen Stay Active by Lindsay Humphrey