Special Olympics Maine athletes will converge Saturday, Oct. 3, on the Skowhegan Fairgrounds for the 18th annual State Equestrian Competition.

Athletes will compete in Showmanship, English and Western Equitation, Driving, Working Trails, Unified relays and Speed Barrels, according to a news release from Special Olympics. The event will run from 8:30 a.m. until 3:30 p.m., with opening ceremonies scheduled for 8:45 a.m.

Equestrian Teams completing include Creative Trails, Lewiston; Double J Stables, Anson; East Ridge Stables, Charleston; Equine Journey; Frank Beckett Center, Calais; Friendship Stables, Augusta; Healing Horses Bowdoin; Hearts and Horses, Buxton; Infinate Potential, Denmark; Momentum; Muck-N-Me 4H, Livermore; Pendragon Farm, Cornville; Saddleview Farm, Rangeley; Salus Equito Therapeutic Center, Chesterville; West Street USA, Gardiner; Intervale Farm, Saco; Healing Through Horses, New Gloucester; and Wilson Break Farm, New Gloucester.

Special Olympics Somerset County, along with members of Good Sam, will run a concession stand throughout the day.

Maine was one of the first states to begin an Equestrian program and was even featured in SPIRIT magazine (an International Special Olympics magazine) for their groundbreaking efforts, according to the release. At the first competition 18 years ago there were only about 30 athletes. Today Maine has one of the largest Equestrian programs in the country with 133 athletes and 18 teams.

Special Olympics is a year round athletic training and competition program for adults and children with intellectual disabilities. In Maine there are more than 4,000 athletes who participate in the program. For more information on Special Olympics Maine, visit somaine.org.

For more information about the Equestrian event, call the state office at 879-0489.

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