Around the Rings – 2023 Michigan QHA Easter Eggstravaganza

By Delores Kuhlwein

April 5 -9, 2023, marked the dates of the MQHA Easter Eggstravaganza at The Pavilion on Michigan State University’s campus. The event offered 6 judges, and it was AQHA/MQHA/NSBA Approved.

Judges were as follows: April 5-7 – Pierre Briere, Kendra Weis, and Leanne Williams; April 7-9 – Tony Burris, Sandy Jirkovsky, and Andrea Simons.

“The MQHA Easter Eggstravaganza was a big success with some Level One Amateur classes having over 40 exhibitors and 35 showing in the Open trail,” explains member and Equine Chronicle writer Minae Kroeze. ” The days were long but broken up by fun activities including an exhibitor lunch and Easter Egg hunt for the kids!”

Minae explains that MQHA also crowned their 2023 Queen, Rachel Bowers, and Runner Up, Delaney Bakker. “The 2023 Queen won a saddle, belt buckle, and a custom hat, among other sponsored prizes,” she says.

Also in the arena to assist were Princess Brylee and Jr. Princess Mallory, according to MQHA, who thanks the the Interview Judges, Paula Hitzler, Hannah Brink, and Cyndy Smith, as well as Minae Kroeze, for all her efforts to make the event wonderful.

A big thank you goes to the official photographer, Lisa Anderson of Lisa Anderson Photography, for photos of the coronation of the new 2023 MQHA Queen, Rachel Bowers, and the outgoing 2022 MQHA Queen, Katherine West.

We’d also like to thank Lisa Anderson Photography for all the wonderful candid photos of the show below!