Shelburne, Vt. - The 2017 Grand National & World Championship Morgan Horse Show® is shaping up to be another monumental event in the show's 44-year history. More than 1,000 of the finest Morgan horses from across the United States and Canada will meet in Oklahoma City, Okla., October 7-14 to compete for more than $250,000 in prize money.
Since 1973, the show has represented the pinnacle of achievement in the Morgan horse world. Matt Kwapich (Bernalillo, N.M.) will once again serve as the show's manager, and, this year, Sally Plumley (Monmouth, Ore.) will serve in the capacity of show chairman.
Oklahomans can be proud to know that all eyes from the Morgan world will focus on Oklahoma City in October as the city displays some of the best athletes of America's first breed. The Morgan horse community is honored to call OKC home since 1975.
Kwapich and a dedicated and hard-working show committee and staff join an impressive list of sponsors, officials, and volunteers who continue to make this the best Morgan horse show of the year.
Competition begins Saturday, October 7, with three shows daily through Saturday, October 14. Show times are 9 a.m., 1 p.m., and 6:30 p.m. CST. Admission is free throughout the week.
For those who are unable to attend in person, the show will be webcast live from start to finish for free at www.mgnlive.com beginning Saturday, October 7, at 8 a.m. local time.
The Morgan, America's first breed, was founded on a sire named Justin Morgan. His offspring have contributed to every other American breed of horse. Today, Morgans win in nearly every type of competition, from trail and jumping to reining and dressage. The Morgan horse is many things to many people. From a working range horse and scholar of obedience, to an animated creature of precision unparalleled in equine beauty, the Morgan horse excels in and out of the show ring, under saddle, in harness, or as a trail horse, roadster, or jumper.
Founded in 1909, the American Morgan Horse Association (AMHA) is a non-profit organization serving more than 50,000 Morgan horse owners, breeders, exhibitors, and enthusiasts throughout the United States. AMHA serves as a parent organization to more than 50 recognized Morgan horse clubs and national service organizations. It also provides an important link to foreign Morgan horse registries and clubs.
The Grand National & World Championship Morgan Horse Show® is owned by the American Morgan Horse Association and licensed to the American Morgan Horse Educational Trust, a not-for-profit organization committed to education and scholarship.
For more information and updates on the Morgan Grand National, go to www.morgangrandnational.com or visit the show's Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/MorganGrandNational/.
Find out more about the Morgan and all of US Equestrian’s 29 recognized breeds and disciplines in this Learning Center video. Join the conversation: follow US Equestrian on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram and use #JoinTheJoy.