OklahomaHorses Magazine September 2023

September / October 2023 • OklahomaHorses 13 I t’s not often that an equestrian can pick from almost 100 classes in a wide array of disciplines using a single horse. That’s the case for anyone who rides a Morgan horse because adaptability is one of the breed’s top claims to fame. Morgan breeders, enthusiasts, and showmen will gather in Oklahoma City on October 7–14 at the 2023 Grand National and World Cham- pionship Morgan Horse Show to celebrate the horse they love the most. The Morgan horse community comes together each year to cap off the show season with as much grandeur as the association can muster. “This is the time when everyone gets to show off; it’s the grand finale for all the hard work of the season,” said Kim Oplotnik, associate editor of the Morgan Horse magazine. “We’re all a big family, and we look forward to these two weeks each year that we get to gather from all over the country to share our love for the breed while cheering each other on.” Everything from carriage driving and parade to hunter-jumper and western dressage will be on display in Oklahoma City at the fifty-first annual Morgan event, which means there’s something for everyone. “It’s really neat to watch these horses, all of the same breed, carry riders as old as 80 and as young as six or seven in such a wide range of classes,” Oplotnik said. “There is a variety of events in four different arenas going on for the eight days of the show. Sessions start at 9 a.m., 1 p.m., and 7 p.m., so anyone can drop by the show all day long, and there will be something interesting to watch.” Special Events As a free public event, the show has several items on the schedule that will pique the interest of Oklahoma City. The Morgan horse is known as adaptable. Morgans can excel in the traditional high-stepping saddle classes and in western and ranch events at a show or rodeo.