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Women riding sidesaddle in voluminous skirts, riders in chaps and cowboy boots, English riders in classic jackets – all these and more will be participating in the Golden Gate Arabian Horse Association’s show at the Pleasanton Fairgrounds this weekend.

You don’t have to own a horse, or even know much about them, to enjoy the association’s 66th annual show at the Pleasanton Equestrian Center in the Fairgrounds, according to the association’s president.

“It’s family-oriented, and much of our audience is members of the public,” said Julie Feldman, who is also competition manager for the free event.

There’s plenty to watch at the event, which takes place at a large outdoor arena. About 50 horses and their riders will compete in Western, English and other riding styles.

In the Western competition, the horses will be judged on factors including their gaits – walk, jog, lope. Every gait has a distinctive pattern, with one or more hooves leaving the ground at a time. The jog is faster than the walk, and the lope is faster still, according to Feldman.

“The horses are judged in their manners and how well they do the three gaits. It’s meant to look very natural and comfortable for both horse and rider,” Feldman said. The judges place the horses with different ribbons, with the traditional blue ribbon marking first place.

“We will have sidesaddle riders as well, which is always a crowd favorite – women wearing fancy long skirts called aprons. It’s traditional sidesaddle attire,” Feldman said.

The Golden Gate Arabian Horse Association was formed in the mid-1950s by 14 horse enthusiasts in Novato. The horse shows began in 1958 at the Sonoma County Fairgrounds in Santa Rosa.

“We have been hosting the event in Pleasanton for the last two years. We moved from Santa Rosa to Pleasanton to be more centrally located for folks in the Sacramento Valley,” said Feldman.

This year’s event will run both Saturday and Sunday at the Pleasanton Equestrian Center, 4501 Pleasanton Avenue.

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Copyright © 2023 by Bay City News, Inc. Republication, Rebroadcast or any other Reuse without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited.

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