By SALINA POST
EquiFest of Kansas is returning to Salina this Thursday. An entire lineup of clinicians and presentations will be held in the Tony's Pizza Event Center (TPEC) Arena, alongside workshops and more in the nearby Ag Hall Arena.
Those aiming to view the shows and see the hundreds of vendors can purchase wristbands at the box offices on both the north and south sides of TPEC.
Wristbands will go on sale on Thursday, March 14, with single-day wristbands costing $25 and three-day wristbands at $60. Sunday will have free entry due to the short lineup of events.
EquiFest workshops and presentations will occur in two locations this year, with some on the 4-H Building stage or in the workshop rooms upstairs in TPEC.
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Check out a few of these:
• Trail Riding Tips from the Trailmeister with Robert Eversole
• Finding Your Dream Horse with Julie Goodnight
• Fitness for Equestrians with Ifa Simmonds
• Riding In College with Sally Batton
• Special Coffee Talk Discussions, an informal but entertaining discussion session
Vendors will set up shop in Tony's Pizza Events Center around the arena concourse and in the Great Plains Manufacturing and Convention Hall. More shops will be in the Saline County Expo Center alongside some outdoors in front of the Ag Hall.
This year, attendees can ride in a carriage at one of the vendors near Barn Two. Food trucks will line up outside of the Ag Hall, but attendees can find more food at the TPEC concession stands on both sides of the concourse.
TPEC Arena will host clinicians alongside multiple shows and presentations from equestrians across the state and some from across the United States.
For the kids, a Kids Corral will be set up on the north end of the TPEC Arena concourse, where children can entertain themselves alongside learning from some displays and available games.
To kick off the annual event, a Celebrate Equifest World of Horses presentation will be held in the main arena at 7 p.m. on Thursday, March 14. Throughout the festival, staff can provide stall barn tours for those who want a closer look at all the horses.
The Foundation Silent Auction will be available to patrons throughout the event. Funds from the auction will go toward scholarships for young equestrians in the state.
2024 Clinicians for Equifest
GUY McLEAN
Guy McLean started his life and subsequently his career with horses by working at his family’s 1660-acre Homestead Resort in the Queensland Bush, where he would be responsible for 50 plus trail riding horses. From training horses to becoming suited trail horses for guests with no riding experience to being head trail boss looking after horse and rider on 2.5 hour rides through the bush.
Guy’s dream was to share these amazing animals with a larger audience, but how would this shy boy do that? An opportunity presented itself when Guy’s father, Norm, found out about Guy’s love for bush poetry and wanted him to recite the ‘Man from Snowy River’ poem for 100 travel agents that were going to be staying at the Homestead. Guy only agreed to it if he could have his horse with him which gave him the strength and confidence to make it his own. So, Guy’s entertaining career began with riding his stallion, Nugget, bridleless and saddleless into the middle of his father’s restaurant, reciting poetry for 1 hour for 100 people at a time. The word had gotten out about the “Horseman from Susan River” on his stallion and they soon started performing at festivals, on music stages, and leading street parades. Since then, Guy now has three amazing liberty performance teams on two continents demonstrating his complete and utter dedication to everything that is horse.
JULIE GOODNIGHT
Julie Goodnight established a connection with horses at a young age, and after a successful run as a youth rider on jumping horses, she galloped her way through college riding racehorses. For nearly four decades, she’s been at home in the Colorado Rockies, pursuing wilderness sports and riding cow horses. Founding her training business in 1985, Julie’s reputation as a horse trainer grew far and wide.
In 2008, she began producing Horse Master with Julie Goodnight, a popular how-to horse training series that aired weekly for more than a decade with 260 episodes. She now travels the world to produce compelling horse TV, and educates horse owners everywhere through her online training programs at JulieGoodnight.com/Academy.
SALLY BATTON
Sally Batton was Director of Riding at Dartmouth College in Hanover, NH, and head coach of the Varsity Equestrian Team for 30 years. She was named the American Riding Instructor’s Association 2008 Instructor of the Year, was awarded the 2013 Intercollegiate Horse Shows Association (IHSA) Lifetime Achievement Award, was inducted in the 2020 IHSA Hall of Fame class and is the Founder of the Athletic Equestrian League. In 2022, Sally Batton’s book, The Athletic Equestrian, was published. Whether competing in the show ring or riding at home on the trail, every rider wants to be more secure and balanced in the saddle. This innovative guide uses highly effective exercises honed over Coach Sally’s 35-year coaching career.
JERRY DIAZ
Gerardo "Jerry" Diaz comes from the exciting world of Mexican horsemanship and rodeo. A true Charro, Diaz makes his living following the grand tradition of his heritage in Mexico. He performs his horsemanship skills and rope artistry at rodeos around the country, producing and directing Mexican Rodeo Extravaganzas and equestrian events for special entertainment. Jerry Diaz embodies all of the qualifications of the Charro's strict code of honor including chivalry, high ethics, expert horsemanship, and dedication to family and Charro traditions. He has earned the Federation of Charros' Golden Spur Award for his outstanding contributions and commitment to the Charro tradition. Famed for his expertise with the maguey rope, Jerry is a renowned crowd-pleaser. Unaided by swivels or gimmicks, he spins the rope with ease while on foot, riding, or standing atop his horse. He was inducted into the Texas Trail of Fame, Cowboys of Color in Fort Worth, and the Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame.
NICOLAS DIAZ
Nicolas Diaz is a fifth-generation horseman. He is the son of horseman Charro Jerry Diaz and horsewoman Staci Anderson Diaz. Horsemanship runs deep in his blood. His father, Jerry Diaz, carried him atop his first horse when he was only 3 days old. Nicolas has continued to ride ever since that day. He has been a very successful trainer and competitor. He has won over 20 national champion titles. In 2022, Nicolas was awarded the “Youth Horseman of the Year” award. In 2022 and 2023 he was awarded the “Elite Horseman of the Year” Award. He has performed at some of the most prestigious shows and rodeos in the world. Including the National Western Stock Show, Fort Worth Stock Show, Equine Affaire, Ponoka Stampede, Houston Rodeo, Rolex Jump Offs, and the Pennsylvania Horse Expo just to name a few. Nicolas is riding Jalon pronounced Halon, a 12-year-old black Andalusian stallion imported from Barcelona, Spain. The horse has won four national titles and has been training with Nicolas for 6 years and been performing for the past 3 years. Jalon is used for breeding at the Diaz Ranch and has produced beautiful offspring.
STACI ANDERSON-DIAZ
Staci Anderson-Diaz has entertained audiences all across the US at some of the most prestigious shows. She has performed in her father’s Wild West Shows, rodeos, fairs and circuses since she was 3 years old. She is a third generation performer and artist mostly known for her Roman Riding six up team of horses, driving horses in tandem while standing atop the back team, dancing horses, trick riding and stunt doubling in several movies. Passed down through generations, Staci comes from a family who has a history with Liberty and Dancing/High Schooled trained Horses. Both her parents and grandparents were equine and animal trainers and performers. Watch Staci interact with this beautiful black Andalusian stallion Conquisto while working at Liberty. With their thundering hooves and flowing manes, horses are one of God's most majestic creatures. The horse’s beauty unsurpassed, strength and immeasurable grace unlike any other.
PATRICK SULLIVAN
At 26 years old, Patrick took his first horsemanship lesson in March 2015. He did not grow up around horses, nor was he passionate about them until much later in life. Patrick grew up in Dallas, TX but was not involved with horses, instead had a passion for soccer. He played high school, collegiate, and professional soccer. Patrick coached collegiate soccer for 4 years starting in 2011 and was the head soccer coach for a high school. In 2015, Patrick graduated with his MBA in International Management from the University of Houston-Victoria. Once Patrick found horses in 2015, he was hooked. He was constantly learning and wanting to develop his skills. Over the past 8 years, he has accomplished as much as he could have ever imagined in such a short period of time. He has developed a passion for liberty horsemanship and the power it has to transform the horse-human connection. During the 8 years, Patrick has done the following: studied and interned with Ryan Rose, professional Brooklyn, WI, and worked with Dan James, of Double Dan Horsemanship from 2019 to 2021. Since then, he has competed in the Mustang Makeover (TX), finishing Top 20 and second in the newcomers. He finished second in the Freestyle Pro Division in the ILHA Championships 2020. He started a non-profit called Gamilah Unbridled that helps provide liberty horsemanship to youth and rescue horses. Through Gamilah Unbridled, Patrick accomplished the following: Riding 2500 miles from California Kentucky completely bridleless. Visited 20 non-profits. Rescue Horse Project – transforming seven of the toughest rescue horses in the country using only liberty techniques. The Extra Mile – turning some of the most challenging rescue horses into advanced liberty horses. Upon completion, they were working in four-horse liberty teams. Earned the Grand Champion title in the 2022 Appalachian Trainer Face Off professional division.