Horses and riders from across the mid-Atlantic region assembled at theVirginia Horse Park in Lexington, Va., to participate in the 3rd Annual Southern States Showdown held June 6th – 8th. The show was open to Quarter Horses, Palominos and Reining Horses.

Doubling in size since its inception, the Southern States Showdown Horse Show included 350 horses with 1500 entries this year. The three-day event offered over 200 classes. Those classes ranged from Halter to Western Pleasure to Reining to Hunter Hack.

"Horse owners enjoy the great facility and hospitality provided by the Virginia Horse Park and Southern States employees," said Jessica Lohman, Manager of Equine Marketing for Southern States Cooperative and Showdown Show Coordinator.

This year's judging panel included Steve Meadows of Nokesville, VA, Wayne Erwin of Bucyrus, Ohio., Steve Lackey of Greensboro, N.C., and Bob Mowrey of Pittsboro, N.C. Points were awarded by various associations including the American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA), Virginia Quarter Horse Association (VQHA), Blue Ridge Quarter Horse Association (BRQHA), Virginia Palomino Association (VPA) and the Palomino Horse Breeders Association (PHBA).

Southern States Showdown participants were a diverse group including elementary students to retirees, men and women, boys and girls. All entrants share a common love of horses and the camaraderie of spending the weekend with other horse enthusiasts. Riders enjoyed an Exhibitor's Dinner Friday night sponsored by Alltech. There were popsicles and water for everyone during the 98-degree days. The prizes and sportsmanship awards were also greatly appreciated.

Founded in 1923, Southern States is a farm supply and service cooperative that has more than 300,000 members. One of the nation's largest cooperatives, Southern States provides a wide range of farm inputs, including fertilizer, seed, feed, livestock and pet feed, as well as other items for the farm and home. The Cooperative serves its members and non-member customers through 1100 retail outlets in ten states.