Recent Travel Brings Joy in Seeing Everyone at the Expos
I hadn’t attended an expo since March 2020 when I visited the Washington State Horse Expo for our sister publication, The Northwest Horse Source (NWHS). We were living in Washington and soon after Covid hit, the remaining expos were canceled. The following two years were spent moving to Colorado and getting established here. So, it was high time this spring that I go back and revisit the expos in the Northwest that I love so much.
Returning was bittersweet. The Washington State Horse Expo had been canceled and won’t return. We were still able to attend the Northwest Horse Fair & Expo in Albany, Oregon and the Idaho Horse Expo in Nampa, Idaho. They were smaller, much like the Rocky Mountain Horse Expo, but there was a glimmer of hope with many of the vendors I spoke with.
Expos were dwindling in size even before Covid, which has changed our world in so many ways. Meeting in person has changed to virtual, but for this girl, there’s nothing like being face-to-face. I love hugs, seeing my friends and colleagues in person, and getting the vibes of people around us. The downside is that the cost of travel has hindered many vendors and attendees from wanting to make the trip.
While in Idaho we enjoyed our stay with Alayne Blickle and Matt Livengood. We’ve been friends since the early years of the NWHS and they’ve both written articles for the magazines for years. Relationships like these will always be treasured. They generously put us up at their beautiful Sweet Pepper Ranch while we attended the Idaho Horse Expo in April.
Though I may not always be able to travel, I’ll always savor this trip to the Northwest. Colorado is my home now and I’m slowly working my way into the hearts of people here while never forgetting those who supported NWHS for so many years. I hope to bring good information and feature Colorado trainers, businesses, and young people.
I believe quality journalism will never go out of style, though the means of distribution may. Print publication may not last forever, but we’ll keep it going as long as possible with the support of our members. Membership means less advertising and more editorial for you, our readers. We’ll be bringing more coupons and discounts for our members as we grow. Consider joining today and supporting quality stories and information in print as well as online. Visit www.coloradohorsesource.com/membership. Thank you to those who’ve stepped up and supported us!
See this article in the July/August 2023 online edition:
July/August 2023 Issue
Owner/Publisher Karen’s lifelong love of horses began at a very early age when she wore out a couple of rocking horses before convincing her parents to get her the real thing. That ill-tempered bay gelding, Brandy, was a challenge for the young horsewoman, but it drove her ambition to become a horse trainer. After attending Canyonview Equestrian College’s Horsemanship Program, Karen realized she needed work that was a little more lucrative than training, so she took a job with Customs Brokerage to pay the bills. There, she discovered an affinity for computers and a talent for creating informative, entertaining newsletters. The Northwest Horse Source began as such a letter in December 1995, with a distribution of 1000 copies for its 12 black and white pages. Now 25 years later, it’s an online magazine and website with a reach of over 10,000 per month and growing! Not bad for the results of one woman’s dream to work with horses!
Today, Karen remains involved with every aspect of the magazine and treasures the community of thousands who share a common passion. Now excited to start a version of her original magazine in Colorado!