Celebrating 15 Years of Martinganza! A Look Back in Time…

By: Brittany Bevis

How time flies when you’re having fun! It seems like only yesterday that a new show nicknamed “Martinganza” broke out onto the AQHA show circuit. In actuality, the  Martinganza Quarter Horse Show and Futurity will be celebrating its 15th anniversary this week when the event takes place April 2-5 in Williamston, NC.

As trailers begin to pull into the show grounds for move-in day at the Senator Bob Martin Eastern Agricultural Center, we thought we’d take a look back over the past 15 years to see how Martinganza first began.

The very first Martinganza took place in 2001 at the same agricultural center in North Carolina where it is held today. At the helm of the first Martinganza Steering committee was Ken Johnson, Sr., President; Alvin Crandell, Beth Tew, Carrie Kearney, Diane Phelps, and Jim and Susan Rouse. During the second meeting, Alvin Crandell suggested the name “Martinganza,” and the group began to outline the goals and objectives that would guide the show for the next 14 years.

Those basic principles included creating an organization that would benefit the economic growth of Eastern North Carolina as well as local and regional horse owners, create a rewarding experience for exhibitors, and focus on putting the industry ahead of individual reward through fiscal responsibility. As a way to give back to the local horse community, Martinganza helps provide partial funding for the Equine Technology Program at Martin Community College, the only public two-year equine studies program in North Carolina.

In late 2008, then Martinganza President Ken Johnson, Sr. approached the District IV North Carolina Quarter Horse Association about taking over leadership of running the show. The 2009 Martinganza took place with a new steering committee consisting of Linda Falls, Susan Daniels, Kenneth Daniels, Eric Armwood, Denice Lawrence, Scott Carroll, Farley Barbera, Jason Tew, Amber Nead, Jean Beadle, Eileen Coite, Susan Mullin, Torre Edgerly, and advisors Ken Johnson, Sr. and Steve Reams.

The Martinganza has certainly faced difficulties over the years, namely wintery weather conditions of snow, ice, and frigid temperatures that are common in North Carolina in February. However, in August 2013, the steering committee worked with AQHA and an AQHA Novice Show, also held in North Carolina, to move the show dates from February to the first weekend in April.

The change in dates was a HUGE hit! With 456 permanent stalls on the grounds, the show was booked to full capacity two weeks prior to the event. An additional 30 temporary stalls were brought in to accommodate the overflow.

With both AQHA and NSBA classes, the show boasted a combined total of almost 5,000 entries. Of that grand total, 3,974 were AQHA entries.

Now, with two days left until the start of the 2015 Martinganza, the show is once again booked to full capacity and there are a few new additions to the schedule this year. New for 2015 will be Random Trail, and Novice Amateur and Novice Youth Ranch Riding have been added to the Thursday and Saturday schedule. Judges for the show will be Kelly Chapman, Timothy Abler, Laura Gilmer, Kenda Pipkin, and John Pipkin.

Stay tuned to EquineChronicle.com for results and fun photos coming from the show. In the meantime, scroll below to view a selection of photos from Martinganzas’ past.

Click here to view the class schedule for Thursday and Friday.

Click here to view the class schedule for Saturday and Sunday.

Thursday/Friday Patterns: http://www.ncqha.com/files/5248.pdf

Thursday Horsemanship Patterns: http://www.ncqha.com/files/5249.pdf