‘Mother of all breeds’

SANDPOINT — Horse enthusiasts from across the Northwest will gather in Sandpoint this weekend for Emerald Empire Arabian Horse Club’s September Showcase. 

The showcase will run today to Sunday, Sept. 22, and is scheduled to include a range of competitive events that demonstrate the capabilities of horses and riders. 

According to Denise Cummings, chair of EEAHC’s horse show committee, the event will be the club’s first show in about a decade. 

Once an active organization, EEAHC “went dark” 10 years ago due to declining interest, Cummings said. The club was revived three years ago and is finally prepared to host an event. 

“It’s taken us three years to get to the point where we thought we could have a show of our own again,” said Cummings. 

“This is it. We hope to be back every year after this, and hopefully it will grow and build on itself.” 

Among the many equine breeds, Arabian horses are uniquely remarkable, according to Cummings. 

“Arabians are the smartest,” she said. “They were born in the desert, and the only reason that they survived is because they were smart enough and calm enough to go in the tents with the Bedouins.” 

“They appeal to families because they're curious and they love kids,” she added. 

Notorious for their endurance capabilities, breeders have prized Arabian horses for centuries. Today, almost all racehorses have Arabian heritage. 

“Arabian is kind of the mother of all breeds,” Cummings said. 

The September Showcase, in addition to providing an opportunity for horses and riders to compete, will give the public a chance to see the animals in action. A special performance Saturday evening after 5 p.m. will show off the unique traits of the breed; the cost of admission is to donate a non-perishable food item to Bonner Community Food Bank. 

“It's just a good time to come out and see the horses and ask questions,” Cummings said of the performance. 

“We have a ton of people who will be here that would love to have you take your picture with their horse, pet their horse,” she added. “It’s all ages. It’s for everybody.” 

Profits generated from the showcase will go toward sending EEAHC’s youth members to the Arabian Horse Association’s national competition in Tulsa, Okla. 

“Last year, our group did really, really well,” Cummings said. This year, the club lacks the funding to send its youth members to the October contest. 

“We're trying to get this started to help them go next year again,” Cummings said of the showcase. 

Nurturing young involvement in showing and caring for horses is among the organization’s top goals — even as broad interest in the animals wanes. 

“I don't want to say it's dying, but there are less people doing horses because there are so many things to do,” Cummings said. 

“You're competing with gaming. You're competing with school sports,” she added. “All those things are competing for everybody's dollars and their time.”

For Cummings, who began caring for horses at age 14, the effect of being introduced to the animals has been lasting and profound. 

“For me, it's been a lifelong love,” she said. “Once you're touched by them, you're stuck.”