Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

By Mark Rogers

The Lowndes Signal

Competitors rode through an obstacle course, attendees line danced on stage and people got to hear the sounds of Jessie Lynn, “Alabama’s Singing Cowgirl,” as part othe the inaugural Horse & Country Fair in Fort Deposit last weekend.

Organizer Lori Cummings said the event was a busy two days for horse lovers.

“We had trainers that came from North Alabama,” she said. “They came here not knowing how many people were going to show up. They came here just to support the horse community. We’re having fun with it. When you see the horse do the obstacle course, it makes you smile.”

The Southern Cross Drill team performed and there were many other activities for those in attendance.

“We had a mechanical bull, we had vendors with food and fudge, you name it we had all kind of items from homemade to tack, new and used,” Cummings said. “We’re trying to establish it here at Calico Fort. This is the first event other than Calico Fort other the Calico Arts Festival in the last 48 years.”

On Sunday attendees enjoyed “Cowboy Church,” according to Cummings.

“It was really cool,” she said. “We also had a guy that is a military veteran that did some shooting off his horse and all kinds of patriotic stuff.”

Cummings said there were many chances for people to get an education into different kinds of horse-related topics.

“People could work with trainers,” she said. “It was all different kinds of genres. We Western Dressage and we had one that if your horse isn’t working well with you, they’ll train you and it to work with you. We also had people training riders to do the obstacle course. We’re really happy for the folks that came out and we hope to make it an annual event.”

Becca Salamone of American Horse Talk and Becca’s Barn Dance said she looked forward to the event.

“I’m here as both,” she said. “American Horse Talk is my business – I’m online and on Facebook. I interview horse people about their lives and tell their horse stories. I’m from Chelsea, Alabama and I enjoy coming to events like this.”

Salamone was also on stage getting the crowd to join in line dancing.

“Lori had asked me to come down here and teach line dancing,” she said. “I teach every Tuesday at Van’s Bar in Leeds.  I just wanted to get out and teach the crowd a few steps and have some fun. This is the first time I’ve ever been to Calico Fort and it’s really set up nice for a festival. I hope she’ll have this every year.”