Outdoors Recreation

Davis Ranch Hosts 3rd Annual Fall Open Horse Show

Davis Ranch Annual Fall Open Horse Show

Along with offering horse boarding, arena rentals, training and pony camps, Davis Ranch collaborates with Etowah Riding Club for the 2024 Championship Series of shows. The 3rd Annual Fall Open Horse Show is the fourth show in the series, and will be held Saturday, October 19, at the Davis Ranch Leicester location. This show is for people of all ages and all levels of riding. Gates open at 9 a.m., and the show starts at 10 a.m. Pre-registration on the Davis Ranch website is highly encouraged to help keep the morning running smoothly. There will be $1,000 prize baskets for Adult and Youth Rider Champions.

“All are invited to come out and cheer on the local equestrians at this fun community event,” says Jason Davis, owner of Davis Ranch. “Bring a chair and enjoy the food truck, vendors, Ridin’ on Faith rodeo drill team and the Halloween Costume Contest.”

The equine industry has always had an important role in Western North Carolina’s agriculture, including the ways horses helped till the soil prior to the days of farm machinery. In addition to pulling the plow, horses were also used for other farm work such as herding and working cattle as well as in hunting and recreation. Even today many of our public lands support recreation on horseback. And, there are groups such as the Back Country Horsemen of Pisgah who rely on horses to assist in instrumental trail maintenance within Pisgah National Forest.

“It is safe to say that in 2024 there are as many horses as there are cattle in the livestock industry,” says Davis. Equestrians enjoy many disciplines: dressage, eventing, English, western and performance horses. There are many breeds and disciplines, and WNC appeals to all. The addition of the Tryon International Equestrian Center in 2014 further increased the influence of the horse industry in our region.

Davis Ranch is a growing operation that has properties in both the Leicester and Mills River communities, and is committed to advocating for and promoting the horse industry in WNC. Davis enjoys seeing the forward momentum.

“Equestrian businesses are so important to sustainability in agriculture, our communities and the rural way of life,” he says.

For more information or to register for the upcoming show, visit DavisRanchWNC.com. For current news and information, follow Davis Ranch on Instagram @davisranchwnc and on Facebook at Davis Ranch LLC.

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