A real live unicorn is coming to the Town of Erin this May, in celebration of international Horse Day.
The local event, HorseDay Erin, was first launched by Equine Erin in 2019, in partnership with the Erin Agricultural Society and Ontario Xtreme Cowboy.
Equine Canada designates the first Saturday of June as a day to celebrate horses, and Bridget Ryan, who runs Equine Erin, along with Karen Dallimore of OXC felt there was a need to celebrate the day in the Erin community, which she said has a rich horse culture, including several racing champions.
The event runs from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on May 27 and will take place at the Erin Fairgrounds.
There will be more than 35 vendors, face painting, food trucks, animals from the Small Hooves/Big Hearts Petting Farm, and several horse breeds in the Equine Education Barn.
The day will also feature lots of events, including a special dog agility show at 1 p.m., followed by a dog versus horse race.
The OMSSU Mounted Patrol will perform a precision drill, which is something between synchronized swimming and ballet, but on horses, Ryan said.
Everything will be wrapped up with a horse parade at 4 p.m. that includes at least one live unicorn.
“There’s some talk that we’ve had several beautiful, magical white beasts come forward. So we may have a unicorn row, but that’s still developing,” she said.
“When it walks away, there are two prints that are in the shape of a horseshoe but with glitter. (It’s) fairly shy, but very beautiful.”
For the horse aficionados, there will be activities and workshops for both kids and adults.
Kids will have the chance to see what it’s like to ride a horse for the first time; they can learn how to braid a horse’s tail, and more. The Western Ontario Regional Pony Club will also be hosting the Prince Philip Games, an all-day competition where kids learn skills and compete for ribbons.
For the adults, Dallimore will be hosting a clinic to teach people how to navigate obstacles on their horses. There will also be a farrier and a horse adoption agency.
A portion of the proceeds will be donated to the Erin Agricultural Society’s Horse Heritage Foundation, as well as the Equine Guelph horse welfare program and Breast Cancer Canada.
The event is rain or shine. Tickets cost $5 for children and $10 for adults. You can get them here.
