The 28th Evergreen Classic, the largest and most prestigious hunter/jumper show in Washington State, is getting ready to take place at its new home at Remlinger Farms Equestrian Park in Carnation, WA, August 8-August 12. After spending the last four years at Evergreen State Fairgrounds in Monroe, WA, everyone associated with the show is very excited about this new venue. The show site consists of 80 acres of grass fields nestled between the Snoqualmie River and downtown Carnation with views of the Cascade Mountain Range and Mount Rainier. The property is owned by Gary and Bonnie Remlinger, who also own Remlinger Farms, a 200-acre tourist and corporate picnic center located just two miles down the road from the show site.
The new venue will support five competition rings as was previously available when the show ran at Marymoor Park in Redmond, WA. While at the fairgrounds, there were only three rings and the show always sold out due to a limited number of stalls. The show management team plans on having 550 portable stalls brought in for this year’s show, with plans to expand in the future since the site is large enough to support additional exhibitors. There will be two jumper rings and three hunter rings with plenty of room for warm-up areas. All the rings will be on the grass turf. The show managers hired a turf consultant to come in to develop a plan to make the footing first-class. The turf plan includes a top dressing of the highest quality sand, over-seeding, aerating, fertilizer and watering.
Exhibitors and spectators will also notice a new concept at the show—a grand hunter field, which will be adjacent to the grand prix ring. With the United States Hunter Jumper Association working to implement some “Return to our Roots” updates to the hunter discipline, and many top experts rallying to improve the rated hunter divisions, show managers have created a large space that will allow the hunters to gallop across an open field to demonstrate their talent. Course Designer Mike Galloway is planning to provide some outstanding natural courses and new jump designs for the grand hunter field. The Evergreen Classic is one of the seven World Championship Hunter Rider competitions in the Northwest region.
A number of special classes are planned for the show, including the $5,000 Potcreek Meadow Farm Welcome Jumper, the $5,000 Thomas M. Thomure Memorial Hunt Team Classic, the $5,000 Harbor Equine/Markel Insurance Mini Prix, the $3,500 Bunny Coffin Working Hunter Classic, the $2,500 Northwest Braiders Pre-Green Hunter Classic, and the culminating event, the $25,000 Evergreen Classic Grand Prix, sponsored in part by Rural/Metro Ambulance. In addition to the equestrian activities there will also be a golf tournament held at nearby Carnation Golf Course and the Tolt Fair will run in the picnic area of the show grounds. There will also pony rides for the kids and a great variety of food and merchandise vendors on site.
This year’s show will be a benefit for Camp Korey, a camp for seriously ill children. Camp Korey just recently announced the purchase of the 818-acre Carnation Farm from Nestle USA. This historic farm is just a few miles from the horse show site. The camp will run year-round and is a proposed affiliate of “Hole in the Wall Gang Camps,” founded by actor Paul Newman in 1988. Camp Korey is scheduled to open summer 2008.
For more information, please see the following web sites:
www.evergreenclassic.com
www.remlingereqpark.com
www.millersarts.com/Tolt%20Fair/toltfairhome.htm