Carpenter shows horses at Equine Affaire

by Staff Pioneer Times
14 years ago

    Each fall, the Equine Affaire takes place on the grounds of the Eastern States Exposition in West Springfield, Mass. The Equine Affaire is the largest equine trade show east of the Mississippi, showcasing several hundred vendors, many clinics and demonstrations to an estimated 85,000 visitors over a four-day period. 
    This year, Houlton-based Carriages of Acadia was invited to participate in the evening extravaganza known as Fantasia. Mike and Emily Carpenter, joined in Massachusetts by two of their summer employees, Grace Drummond and Colleen Sargent, journeyed to West Springfield with Doc and Duke, their big Suffolk geldings, and one of their carriages.
Contributed photo
FS-docduke2-dcx-pt-49SHOWING — Michael Carpenter’s daughter Emily, right, took their horses Doc and Duke, Suffolk geldings, and one of their carriages, to the Equine Affaire this past fall for a show.
    “Our job was to bring in the quartet to sing the national anthem each evening and I have to tell you the challenges of performing in front of 5,000 screaming people was some kind of exhilarating,” said Mike Carpenter. “Emily and Grace took turns driving, while Colleen and I stayed at the horses’ heads. The horses were great — they never flinched.” 
    When the horses weren’t taking part in Fantasia, their job was to hang out in the main barn and greet the thousands of visitors who made their way through, looking at the various breeds. Carpenter said that the horses were photographed by dozens of people. 
    “Doc and Duke became rock stars — they would sulk and paw the floor if they were put in their stalls with the door closed,” he said. “They clearly enjoyed all of the attention and they were great ambassadors for our business.”
    The Suffolk breed is not real common so even many veteran horse people were interested in checking them out.
    “I’ve worked in a lot of venues with horses, but I must say that participating in the Equine Affaire is near the top of my list of fun things I have done with horses,” said Carpenter.