Ponies and horses show off at York Country Day Horse Show

If you go

What: York County Day School Horse Show and Country Fair

When: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.,Sunday, May 17. The Country Fair will be noon to 3 p.m.

Where: South Branch Farms, 6259 Reynolds Mill Road, Seven Valleys

Cost: Free and open to the general public

Details: If you're interested in riding, the show is a good place to meet local trainers. For more information about the Harford Horse Shows Association, visit hhsamd.org . For more information about the show, visit www.ycds.org .

Riders, trainers and horses will be strutting their stuff at the 18th annual York Country Day Horse Show and Country Fair on Sunday, May 17.

Equestrians from the Maryland and Pennsylvania area will be participating. All proceeds will benefit York Country Day School's scholarship fund which provides tuition assistance to low-income families.

The free event is open to the public and will feature interactive games, creek exploration with a YCDS science teacher and craft stations. Food and beverages will be provided by Carroll Concessions. Local vendors will also be selling items including soap, lotion and jewelry.

"The show is a lot of fun, well-run and for a good cause," said Nancy Ogrysko, board member with the association for the past 12 years. She likes that courses outside of the ring are offered. It means you have to have more control over the animal, she said.

Last year, the show had about 120 people including riders, trainers and spectators, she said. Spectators usually hang on the fence to watch their kids ride, but you can bring snacks and chairs because people spend all day there.

Because the kids are in school, finding time to practice can be difficult, but most riders have a lesson with their trainer for about an hour at least once a week and they might practice two other days per week.

Before the show, riders wash their horses or ponies to make sure they're ready. They might even put a light blanket on them so that if they roll, they won't get dirty again.

(What's the difference between a horse and a pony? Their different, and are determined by their height which is measured by a hand, Ogrysko said. The tallest a pony can be is 14 hands 2 inches, if it's taller, then it's a horse.)

The show will be sanctioned by the Hartford Horse Shows Association. Their members will be attending the show to earn points that accumulate for awards at the end of the year.

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