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Date: 8/7/2019
WEST SPRINGFIELD – For the 21st year, dozens of horses trotted around the Big E over the course of the three-day long Yankee Color Classic. Horses of all colors and breeds filtered in and out of the Coliseum, preparing for the chance to show their skills.
The event, hosted by the Western Massachusetts Appaloosa Association (WMAA), invites horse owners and riders from all over to come to the Big E and strut their stuff. While some riders come from as close as Palmer and Belchertown, they have also been known to come from as far as Florida and North Carolina.
The WMAA’s main goal is to keep a special breed of horse, the Appaloosa, alive and known. The particular breed is most known for its coat, which often boasts speckles and spots. President of the WMAA, Krissy Przybyla, told Reminder Publishing the Appaloosa is also “one of the original Indian horses,” and the Association works with the Nes Perce Indians to try to keep the breed alive.
What makes the horse so unique isn’t its coat or age though, but its ability to do a little bit of everything. “They’re a versatile animal, they can pretty much do anything,” Przybyla said. “Some breeds can only do one or two things, they [Appaloosas] do a little bit of everything, showing, trail riding, jumping.”
This was showcased at the Yankee Color Classic as horses carefully maneuvered in and out of wooden posts on the ground, trotted in specific patterns, turned inside a small designated area, and even stood on a wooden platform.
However, Appaloosa horses weren’t the only breeds welcome at the show. Dozens of different horse breeds were housed at the Big E throughout the weekend of July 26 to 28. Przybyla said in a typical Yankee Color Classic, 80 to 100 horses of all different breeds perform.
Katelyne Tiffany, who is on the WMAA Board of Directors and competed in the classic with Pat O’Dell Performance Horses, began riding when she was just 8 years old.
“I went with a classmate to a lesson, and I was hooked,” she said. “I’ve just progressed through the years from youth, to now my adult career.”
While she enjoys the hobby, and how rewarding it is, Tiffany couldn’t deny it was a lot of hard work. “You work for everything,” she said.
For some, the classic is the show they’ve spent all year preparing for and working toward. However, for others it’s part of a larger picture. Tiffany said throughout the year, riders accumulate points in shows like the classic, which then factor into their national standings. Their standings are important when they go to national and world championships in Fort Worth, Texas.
But it’s not all work all the time. After the hard work of the day was over, riders enjoyed well deserved activities and socializing. With taco bars, exhibitor parties, and corhole tournaments riders were rewarded for all the hard work they put into the show.
As for next year, Tiffany said she hopes more people come out to support the club.