MADISON, Wis.— Horse lovers across Wisconsin didn’t let the rain or bumper-to-bumper traffic stand in their way of attending the opening day of the Midwest Horse Fair on Friday.

It’s the largest horse fair in the country, dating back to 1979.

What You Need To Know

  • ​Midwest Horse Fair brings in about 60,000 equine enthusiasts from Wisconsin and beyond
     
  • The Midwest Horse Fair has an 11 million dollar impact on the local economy

  • The Midwest Horse Fair began in 1979

After a two-year hiatus because of COVID-19, the Alliant Energy Center transformed into a horse lover’s paradise for the three-day event.

From clinics by top trainers, to entertainment and shopping, there was something for everybody.

According to Megan Hanuszczak, Midwest Horse Fair’s executive director, the event brings in about 60,000 equine enthusiasts from Wisconsin and other parts of the Midwest. 

“The Midwest Horse Fair has an 11 million dollar impact on the local economy. We are also huge supporters of the equine community in general. All of the money the fair generates goes back to the Wisconsin Horse Council and gets pumped back into the industry,” Hanuszczak said. 

Michelle Endries, the owner of Horsey Habit Saddlery in Manitowoc, Wisconsin, is one of 500 vendors who has looked forward to this day for a long time.  

Endries has been going non-stop since the Alliant Energy Center opened its doors.

“We already went through our giveaway bags and socks,” Endries said. 

What makes events like this even greater for vendors like Endries, is that in just three days, she expects to make more than she will the entire year. 

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