OklahomaHorses Magazine September 2021

September/October 2021 • OklahomaHorses 17 Grand National & World Championship Morgan Horse Show continues reign in Oklahoma City by Lindsay Humphrey I n 1973, nearly 300 Morgan horses and their owners descended on the Michigan State Fairgrounds in Detroit for the very first Grand National & World Champi- onship Morgan Horse Show. Competitors from every corner of the nation were pres- ent, and that tradition continues in 2021. At that very first show, exhibitors had 64 classes to choose from which required only four days to complete — and only five judges were hired to sort all the classes. “The show was moved to Oklahoma City in 1975,” said Peggy Hatfield, who is show secretary for the annual event. “The show committee wanted it to be in a more central location because people from Cali- fornia to New England and all the states in between love to show their Morgan horses.” Forty-eight Years of Growth As Morgan horses became more popular, so did the Grand National. This year, the show committee is expecting at least 1,000 horses to fill its 477 classes. The eight-day event will use 17 judges to hand out cham- pionships in the wide variety of classes. “The Grand National really showcases our versatile breed, and we offer classes in 25 sections to cater to that,” Hatfield said. “We have everything from the high-step- ping flashy park classes to dressage, western and English pleasure, jumping, carriage driving, and lots more.” The heart-melting lead-line classes are always a crowd pleaser for exhibitors and spectators alike. “Over the years, the show committee has done a great job of giving the owners and competitors both what they want and what they need,” said longtime Morgan horse breeder, trainer, and judge Kelly Kraegel. “If someone wants to add a class, they will generally do it and see how it goes.” Having attended the Grand National since the early 1990s, Kraegel remembers when it did not offer showmanship as a class. She has watched it become wildly popular in a short time. Over the years, the committee has also added western dres- sage and ranch riding, among other classes. But one of the most notable additions was a master’s division to cater to the more mature riders who also enjoy riding and showing their Morgan horses. Moving Forward Although the show was held in 2020, it was severely restricted by COVID-19 protocols. The 2021 event organizers hope to bring back the social aspect of the show that so many people missed out on last year. “The Grand National is something I look forward to every year,” said Gina Green Pruetz, who has attended the show almost every year of her life. “It’s all about family and friends coming together to enjoy Mor- gan horses together. Some of those people I only see once a year, but I’ve known them for a long time because of this show.” The show committee navigated the murky waters of 2020 to provide Morgan horse enthusiasts an outlet on the tail end of an otherwise dismal show year. “The committee really put themselves out there by moving forward with the show [in 2020], and I know we were all thankful they had the show,” Kraegel said. “I think people were worried that nobody would VVM Another Dream and Phil Fountain are proud participants at the Grand National &World Championship Morgan Horse Show in Oklahoma City in 2020.