Local Area Horseman to Officiate at Midwest Horse Fair

IRONWOOD, MI - Friday, April 16, 2010 - Ironwood professional horseman, Doreen Passuello, has been chosen to be one of just two official judges for the Horse Judging Contest at the Midwest Horse Fair. The judging contest runs this Friday afternoon with individual and team divisions for tiny tots 7 & under, youth 8 to 13, youth 14 through 18, and adults. Contestants will judge and place two different halter (in hand) classes and two different riding classes. Their scores will be compared to the Official Judges’ Scores. The Official Judges will also listen to contestant’s reasons for why each contestant placed the class as he or she did. The score for the reasons, class placing, and scores from a short horse knowledge quiz and twenty questions will be added together to determine each contestant’s final score.

Horse judging contests were developed to help train future judges and all around horsemen. They are popular within 4-H, FFA and collegiate ranks. The contest at the Midwest Horse Fair is a great opportunity for youth and adults to gain experience in judging equines.

Passuello, who owns and operates Spring Valley Ranch, an equine breeding, training and boarding facility in North Ironwood, is uniquely qualified as an official for horse judging. Besides 25 + years experience in training and instructing, Passuello has shown horses and cattle all of her life. She holds a Wisconsin State Horse Council judges card as well as Wisconsin Fairs Judging Cards for horses and all species of livestock. Passuello judges horses and livestock at numerous horse shows, county fairs and state fairs each year.

The Midwest Horse Fair is one of the largest equine exhibitions in the country. It runs Friday through Sunday at the Alliant Energy Center in Madison, WI. This year’s event also includes a $40,000 added money Grand Prix Jumping event, a PRCA rodeo, numerous clinics and demos, stallion exhibitions, breed exhibitions, and enough vendors to keep every horse enthusiast happy for a whole week-end. The Midwest Horse Fair is one of the largest conventions in the state of Wisconsin each year.

Please Note: Mrs. Passuello considers herself a HORSEMAN, not horsewoman. This is NOT a typo!