| | The sun was shining as the 5-day Region 3 Experience opened at the Minnesota Fairgrounds in St. Paul. Exhibitors from as far as Missouri and Manitoba were ready to meet new friends, learn from AQHA's Professional Horsemen, shop and show -- and they got to do all of that and more. Dianne Eppers gave a showmanship clinic in the morning, and the evening was rounded out with a session on trail by John Briggs. Exhibitors cooled off with ice cream as the competition heated up in the pen. And this is only the beginning! Got a story idea on an exhibitor at Region Three? E-mail acaudill@aqha.org. COMING SOON: Purchase photos from the 2008 Region Three Experience! Visit AQHA's Photo Gallery!  |  | Tru Skips Conclusion and Marty Heintz of Pipestone, Minnesota work through the halter class pattern in the 2-year-old gelding class. | Invest In Your Chips, owned by
Lisa Kroll and shown by Brittany
Kroll of New Richmond, Wisconsin,awaits his halter class. |  |  | | Ken Pautzke handed out ice cream to a long line of eager Region 3 goers at the ice cream social sponsored by McDonald Quarter Horses. They were serving vanilla, strawberry, chocolate chip, cookie dough and root beer floats. | A family affair: The Francisco family from Grand Rapids, Minnesota, gets ready for competition. Dad Chris cleans Sonnys Glamour's feet. Liesl straightens his forelock while mom Gaye and sister Kaija look on. The girls, veterans of the open shows, were trying AQHA. |  |  | Trainer Hannah Lind adjusts the halter of Charlie Dont Dance before the youth geldings 3 & Over class. Exhiibtor Elizabeth Forney adjusts "Charlie's" shank while mom Ann Forney looked on. The Des Moines, Iowa, residents bought the 7-year-old gelding last year and came to the Regional Experience to visit with his former owner, Victoria Burger, who is also showing. Elizabeth and Charlie finished fifth out of 13 in the class. It was only Elizabeth's second show -- but Charlie "has been doing this forever!" | Horse show burnout kept Christine Zwiefel from the competion arena for a long time, but she returned to the Regional Experience to show halter with Im About Touchdowns. The Stillwater, Minnesota, resident and "Bobbie" took home buckles in the amateur mares 2-year-old and under and 2-year-old mares classes while her husband and daughter cheered from the stands. She also won the WCHA Limited Non-Pro Mares class. "This is fun!" she said. |
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