Midwest Horse Fair

Way too much to see in the two days we were there! What we really enjoyed was the rodeo on Friday night. The rodeo was so very well organized and choreographed that there was little time between the events and and the number of entries in each event were small enough to keep our interested. The special events, the 6 horse hitch and wagon really showed what a great teamster can do and the one arm bandit was amazing,

This was a fantastic show. I totally enjoyed it and would love to go again!

There was an awesome variety of performances from speed to grace and beauty. My only disappointment was that they didn't have chairs set up for the seats I paid $25 a piece for, but they went and got some folding chairs (that were actually pretty comfy) so all was good. I'm hoping to purchase AS SOON AS they become available next year so we can get much better seats.

I think there was less participants and less entertainment. It may have to do with the EHV-1 outbreak too. Just a little disappointed this year.

The horse fair was awesome thank you so much for all

Not as good as last epic night of the horse but ok

Went to the show Saturday nite and it was fantastic and well worth the price of the tickets! All the horse acts were amazing: we laughed, we cried, we were awed by the talent shown between these normal, everyday people and their horses! The other professional entertainers were also fantastic!! Thank you Midwest Horse Fair-we'll see you in 2018!!

Shopped and found everything I needed and more! Really enjoyed the rodeo, but ranch horse challenge had me on the edge of my seat!

Our family recently attended the rodeo at the Midwest Horse Fair in Madison WI. We had such a great time!

The performances were amazing! If you love horses you will appreciate this show.

We enjoy rodeo and found the Epic night of the Horse to be a very entertaining alternative. We hope they continue to offer it.

Not as exciting and good as expected or advertised.

I was expecting a professional performance. It's nice they can incourage new talent, but some were so amateur that I felt I wasted my money and hotel room.

The Epic Night of the Horse in Madison WI was magnificent! A very exciting show, and fun too! I would like this to become an annual event.

I did not think it was worth the price! I was glad we got cheaper seats!

Enjoyed the show, especially the audience participation in the judging. I was a little surprised that if these were the top 5 acts in each division from through out the country that the caliber wasn't higher. In each division there really wasn't any doubt as to who were the top 2 acts.

First I think the performers should have been in different categories, armatures, up coming performers, professional, or maybe even a 17 and under group and or 50 and over? Too many of the same types of acts, liberty/whip training. I would like to see some good Cowboy singing at the fair. Too much dressage, gets old after a while. Maybe even singing competition entertaining and different from all day long. Text voting should only be 10% or less we couldn't even vote. Entertainers or Professionals that have large followings will win. As a horse owner I really get a little tried of hearing about the sad rescue stories, its not that I don't have a heart but we all go through sad things in our lives. Shorten the intro of each contestant. Loved the Cowboy shooting and Bojangles, very professionally done. It was too easy to pick the winners in each category. I love the horse fair and would still buy tickets for their events.! Hats off to all the performers!

Spotlights not focused on object/act in arena many times. Didn't agree with method of reduced lighting for entire program. Seemed like first half of program was in a haze due to pyrotechnics. Actually wondered how inadequate lighting would be for mounted shooter who needed good lighting. Loved most all of the acts. Good idea to do this. What percentage of attendees used their phone to vote? That will tell you whether that worked satisfactorily or not.

The show was not acceptable. Should have been Saturday & Sunday free performances. (Yes, some were) Technical glitches added to frustration & disappointment (but wouldn't have just on their own if performance was better)

This show completed the day at Midwest Horse Fair. It was fun watching the acts and how well they have trained the horses.

This show most closely resembled a bad amateur night plagued with technical difficulties all over the place. The opening ceremonies are dragged out for what felt like 20 minutes with nothing really happening. It was like attending a middle school talent show for beginning riders. I had no idea this is what we were paying for. The pacing was too slow and the acts they put in-between the performances were not good for anyone from children to elderly. There were a handful of good tricks and a few really good performances, but it was like waiting through a disaster to get to them. Epic Night of the Horse had pretty much no description. We got up and left before it was over It was pretty painful. They also have the audience text to vote my carrier warned me of charges before I sent any messages I would advise against voting. Medically the show is filled with loud bangs, pyrotechnics, flashing lights, darkness etc. and loud random fireworks before the show starts were pretty obnoxious and had no warning/were out of place. This might be a problem for some. A person behind us had some kind of reaction so I mention this as well. The quality of the free acts and clinics during the horse fair are much better than this performance. Go to the stunt drill team clinic if you want to see something good and theatrical.

I was expecting the Wonder Horse, based on the name of the event and got an amateur hour instead. While I appreciate the talent and skill of the contestants, I expected a show on par with other MHF shows I've seen. I expected a spectacular best of the best kind of show, especially considering the name of the event. I won't attend next year if it's another amateur hour. There is so much that could have been shown during this exciting night to showcase breeds and professional talent.

Bring back the High School Rodeo. The youth competition is amazing.

So exciting to see the talent in the young people. They were all winners in my eyes. I needed a box of tissues it was a moving evening. The event was planned. Our family loved it.

It was very entertaining! The clown was hilarious, both my kids loved it! The organization could be better, but it was the first year and I'm sure they will just keep getting better with it. Would love to go again next year!

This was the first time we stayed for a night time event at the fair. It was awesome! Will definitely do this again! Loved the clown and the crowd interaction. The little girl singing the national anthem was awesome! What a talented little girl. Really set the tone for the evening. Beautiful show!

Thought the talent would be much deeper. Dressage was the best. Bring the buffalo guy back. I spent $200 on tickets. Not again

Previous Midwest horse fair rodeos more entertaining with better riders and comedy. Absence of John Harrington big loss.

Anorher great night of rodeo. I will be returning next year

Breathe taking show young and old, can't wait till next year.

This was one of the best rodeos my husband and I have been to. Looking to buy tickets for next year and maybe stay the weekend in Madison to see more of the Fair.

Always a great time. Never disappointed. If you love horses, you'll love this event.

We thoroughly enjoyed the entire rodeo, as well as the Midwest Horse Fair!! Will be going again next year, can't wait to buy our tickets! All the cowboys and the clowns were terrific!

Love the Midwest Horse Fair. You can find anything you want there that is horse related. Very entertaining, very informative. Learn a lot every time we go. Best to go all 3 days if you want to see everything.

TIcketmaster was again the go to place to purchase tickets for this event in Madison WI however we were not able to pick seats from the venue seating chart as we have been able to from other venues in the past. This was a NEGATIVE part of the whole experience as we saw better seats go unfilled because we weren't able to choose-we were forced to go with the "best available" option only. Otherwise the show was good but the tickets were marginal

I was worried...the venue was nearly sold out when I bought - I ended up 3rd tier, one row from the back wall. So bummed until I got there and they were totally OK. The Midwest Horse Show overall was outstanding! The facilities were great. Very easy to find. Once there, it was easy to go from building to building. The activities, events and clinics were great. Loved seeing all the horses - rodeo was awesome. Even the number and variety of vendors made the shopping fantastic. Can't say enough good about this. Will absolutely attend next year!!

Very well organized event!! We go every year and it never gets old!!

I got my tickets online and had them so I didn't have to wait in line... I watched a very good show. I enjoyed watching the monkeys...

For the third largest equine fest in the country, this is an amazing event that is HUGE! Tons of vendors and great clinicians. Midwest hospitality. Mostly outdoors, so some days it was cool and chilly but not unbearable. Go early as it gets very crowded. Only complaint I have is when they put the better, more popular clinicians in other, smaller buildings for their seminars as there is not much room for viewers. These top pros need to be seen in the Coliseum where there is much more seating and better viewing possibilities.

My first visit to the Midwest Horse Fair will not be my last!! We stayed at the Sheraton and could walked to the event. There were many delicious food vendors and good music. We visited rows and rows of vendors selling everything horsey! Beautiful clothing and boots. The schedule was easy to follow so we could see the events and horses we wanted to see. Shows and seminars ran on time. Overall a wonderful day for this Horse Lover!

What a wonderful time for horse lovers of all ages! The rodeo was fantastic! Great performances!

If you've went to other Midwest Horse Fair rodeo events this was no different than any other past years. The children are entertained but not much new stuff to entertain the adults. If there is a rodeo one year to the next the entertainment part of the show needs to be changed up.

The rodeo on Saturday night at the Midwest Horse Fair was really fun! Lots of good old family friendly entertainment as well as competitive cowboys!

Contestants all either had an off night or their skill levels were too low. The final act by The One-armed Bandit was awful and the entertainer was totally sketchy.

first time going and we had a great time, it was a blast.

PRCA and Midwest Horse Fair really went all out this year with fireworks and great entertainment. Throughout the rodeo there were different presentations that made the evening even more exciting and enjoyable.

Good rodeo, The Specialty acts were the highlight for me.One doesn't expect that high of quality acts at a rodeo in Madison WI. Calves and steers weren't fresh and outsmarted most of the cowboys. The rough stock was excellent and were more of a match than the quality of the contestants but offered exciting action even though the number of qualified rides was limited.

Too much clowning around during events, too much hype. Quality of livestock questionable, which affected the contestants and their performance.

The riders where great and no one got hurt so it made it even better

Great! Always is! Can t wait for next year!! Rodeo and fair a great family event!

Incredible value and outstanding entertainment ! Will definitely be back!

There was so much to see and do this year! Lot's of food, vendors and horses to watch! My daughter's favorite was the pony rides, which were very reasonably priced.

This is a great venue & really not a bad seat in the house!

First off, could not have had better weather for all the venue's: dry! HUGE Event with many interesting workshops going on simultaneously. Loved the Grand Marshall Parade of breed of horses. Walk through of the stalls was not overly impressive with a couple of exceptions by those farms that went All out to make sure you viewed the best of their best... I.e Young Living and their Percheons! Loved the Rodeo; announcer great and very entertaining. Seemed vendors were very "Western " saddle, apparel and home knick knack oriented. I would go again.

For some reason this year's rodeo fell short of the mark from previous years. The judging seem suspect at time. The intro was poorly planned and executed. It seemed like they were trying to be a big rodeo when they should sick to what they know.

Loved it! If I could go back I d get VIP tickets because it was amazing! Any seat in the arena were good but the closer the better since it s such an amazing show

Every year it s changed up a bit and it s always fantastic.

If you have never been to a rodeo, this is a nice event. The announcer was great and explained what was going on in the arena. The clown was also great. The events were short, only 6-8 riders/teams in each so the rodeo fit into the evenig. The participants, cowboys, were ok. For this being a pro rodeo, I would like to have seen more of them succeed at what they were doing. Lots of missed swings and cows. I understand the arena is small for this type of event but when 6 out of 8 teams missed a catch, there was not a lot to watch. Overall it was a fun event. Great for first time rodeo goers.

Was really light on Rodeo. Entertainment was so so .... Not worth $30 per person.

As always, a great time. Beautiful horses, friendly exhibitors, awesome vendors and food, and insightful presenters.

I did not feel the star search competition was appropriate for the Epic night of the Horse. It has always been a mind blowing event and this was less than that. Don't get me wrong the talent was good for the horse fair but should not have been the starlight show. I brought new horse lovers and they were not impressed with the show since I had talked it up with professional clinicians, music and fun!

I was excited for this performance as I had attended the Midwest Horse Fair and had an amazing time. However, throughout the event, the audience was flooded with constant reminders of how "America is the best country in the world". The initial performances were disappointing (ex. welcoming ceremony was cancelled due to motorcycle problems, intro videos played for the wrong trainers, horses didn't cooperate during the first acts) but I know this happens. The acts got better but there was a contestant who literally just rode in circles holding the American flag. The judges, including one woman who was just introduced as "a women of profound faith", gave any act that included America high scores. The announcer also made racist and homophonic remarks throughout the show (ex. Real men don t do Brokeback Mountain ). Overall, if politics and religion were simply cut out of the event I would recommend going.

I've seen better. Not interested in video of each contestant. Also not interested in amateurs in action. Love professional

Midwest Horse Fair has become a yearly event. Although we're not always able to attend.

The rodeo was fantastic. Lots of great rides and wonderful competitors. If there was one issue it was the sound system. Sat in the 300 level which were great seats but could hardly understand what the emcee was saying. It might have been better in the 100 level seats but not up high. Hopefully they can fix that. It would have been fantastic show if we could hear better.

What a great show. It is amazing to see the bond between horse and trainer. Very entertaining night

I always love this event! It is by far the highlight of my year every year! Great way to go and learn about different breeds and disciplines!

event was unbelievably great! New barns are wonderful.

Had a great time at the rodeo. The 2 1/2 hrs went by very quickly. The interaction between the announcer & the clown was great. The clown was so funny. I believe this was my first rodeo, but it won't be my last. Can't wait for next year's PRCA Rodeo at the Midwest Horse Fair.

When I come to a horse show, I don't expect to wait 15-20 minutes before I see the first horse. The 'back story' involving the dreaming girl, a fairy, and fairy in training was annoying and amateurish. The fairy-in-training's jokes were often inappropriate (really? having a man dressed up as a woman and call him a 'fairy-in-training'?), and the fairy's one-liners were used out of context. This extra material made the show seem like it took forever. I enjoyed seeing the horses; some of the acts were better than the others, though. Some seemed not well planned out or practiced. I understand this was an inexpensive show, so I wasn't necessarily expecting absolute perfection, but it could have been so much better. I would have much preferred an announcer describing the act and introducing the horses and riders.

Excellent jam packed show!! Well worth the money and would love to see it again!!! It's a must see!!

The extremely long and boring intro and the constant bad rhyming and bad acting be the lead fairy completely distracted from what should have been the stars of the night, the horse acts. I saw multiple people leave early and it was extremely painful to stay and watch. It was like the worst open mic night poetry reading you could imagine. However, the rodeo clown almost saved the day. His humor was appreciated even if the pink fairy couldn't provide a reliable straight man.

Best show we've seen. Great for families. Plan to go next year.

The story line was weak, too long and drawn out...was 30 minutes before a horse came into the arena, boring. The horse acts were great, some repeated but would have been great to know who they were out there.

Most of the presentations were lovely -- very talented riders and trainers -- with beautiful and well-trained horses. The dressage and Parelli trained horses were especially impressive and very enjoyable to watch. However, the side story would have been better left out -- amateurish and often distasteful. It turned what could have been a mostly excellent show into a long evening of attempting to focus on the horses so as to endure. We brought others with us as a gift and ended up apologizing.

Epic night of the horse show seats were really bad!!!

The performers are always top notch. The themes always showcase the best of the best. I have attended the Midwest Horse Fair for several years and look forward to experiencing the creativity displayed in the choreography of these events.

We've seen some other wonderful performances during the Midwest Horse Fair, but this one added some great acting skills, live narratives and improvisation by the cast members. As always, the horse performances were top notch with plenty of variety, but the wonderful use of some highly skilled trick riders playing different roles was most entertaining.

Too much talking at the start of the show. Stupid witches or fairies or whatever. The clown dude was funny when doing horse related things. The other witch was blah. A whole half hour at the start was pointless yapping. A better why of doing it would have been to have the girl explain (in voice over or recording, they didn't need to be there) that she loved horses and wanted to work with them and have the other kids laugh at her. Then have the good witch say, don't ever give up on your dreams Dream big Halley, (or whatever the kid's name was). Then the rest of the show could have been just the performers doing their thing and that would have been her dream. Or just have the clown witch (with a lot less yapping) do the whole thing, sometimes messing it up, but getting it right in the end.

Too much talking in the beginning. I would like to have used the time for more horse acts. Let the hitches in the arena for a little longer so people can see them a bit more. Good variety of type of acts in the show. Fade the lights in and out between acts instead of all dark to all light. The person in the green dress/trick rider was excellent.

Great Show!!! Very well thought out show - the BEST I've seen at the Midwest Horse Fair. Loved the story line and theme of the show. My suggestion would be to do away with the smoke and pyrotechnics for the health of all human and animals - this could be replaced with more light show activity. My niece has asthma and with her maintenance and rescue medicine it wasn't enough, she ended up in the ER with two breathing treatments and was really shaky all day. The pyrotechnics aren't worth our health or lives!!!

I was very disappointed in the epic night of the horse. It was way not what my family expected. We brought friends and told them how extraordinary all of the performances have been in previous years. We were very extremely disappointed this year. Based on this performance I would definitely not go to the Saturday night performance next year.

I was board and disappointed. didn't like the whole narrated teach thing. the trick rider, fake fairy was funny but didn't need a whole show on it. Didn't like the amateur circle type things. Loved the professional dressage, cliniitions but wasn't much more then what they could do in their clinics. sorry, wouldn't go back.

It was kind of slow moving. I expected a lot more exquisite performances. It really didn't leave you wanting more

Show was ok. Same old same old. The beginning was long and boring. Time to do something New horsefair. I paid to see horses and trainers do unbelievable things not see girls twirl around.

The "dream" dialogue took up too much of the time - not enough horses. Horse acts also very repetitive. The Midwest Horse Fair has has a similar format for too many years - time for something new on Friday/ Saturday night. What about a Mustang Challenge that would end on Saturday night foe the entertainment?

Extremely entertaining, fast paced, full of action and a variety of talented people and horses. The action never stops with one act right after another. An opportunity to see countless ways people can connect beautifully with horses.

A very cute plot to weave the horse acts together. Lots of laughs too. It would have been nice to know who was performing, but all the acts were amazing.

We have returned to see this rodeo for three consecutive years now and plan on continuing the tradition. They don't disappoint.

This show is so much fun that I want everyone to know they should see it at least one time. The ring announcer and clown keep things lively and fun the entire show. They banter with each other and tease the audience to keep everyone interested and involved. The cowboys are very athletic and fun to watch. The riders are one with the horse and it is almost impossible to imagine riding as fast and dangerously as they do. There is plenty of variety for the entire family. They keep it moving constantly with the events, music, dancing and flying t-shirts (you have to be there.) It was my first, but not my last.

Been attending the Midwest Horse Fair for several years. Always look forward to the PRCA Rodeo. The professionals are awesome! Well organized in a great environment. This event is something to see!

It was absolutely worth the price, first time we attended and my granddaughters truly enjoyed. A nice variety of events would definitely recommend it to anyone. Great family outing and the new horse barns are fabulous, Kudos to the Alliant Energy Center for such a nice facility. Thanks

This was my husband and I's 1st rodeo and it was absolutely amazing! I kinda knew what we were in for but they provided so much more. There was an excellent host who kept everyone laughing along with great guys and girls performing; so happy that I bought the tickets!

Great seats, reasonable prices, and great entertainment by the cowboys, rodeo clowns, amd the emcee for the night ! Would gladly pay up to double the price to watch them all in action again.

I attended the PRCA Rodeo at Midwest Horse Fair on Friday night and it was great! The clown Keith Isely was so funny and kept the crowd going. The rodeo covered all the events and was over in about 2.5 hours. I highly recommend the rodeo and the horse fair to all horse lovers!!!

Main reason for attending was to watch the "Trick Riding" between the breaks of the main events. And you eliminated all aspects of Trick Riding. Please bring it back for 2017 show!!!

Great rodeo performance. Not a bad seat in the house. Quality entertainment

The rodeo was great. The tickets, however did not get us on a event! They were for general admission with seat number s.thankfully they refunded our tickets. Very disappointing exe.

Disappointed. Stupid fire works could not breath in the upper levels. Horrible clown and could not hear. Entertainment sucked.. Tommy Turvey year was the BEST. Not enough rodeo.

I absolutely love the Midwest Horse Fair. It is a great family event and everything about it excites me! The rodeo announcer and Clown are half the excitement!! The 4-H tack sale is the reason I go so early. I love getting quality tack and western attire at an affordable price. The people are so friendly and the animals are beautiful. I would really like to see some Muttin' Bustin' tho..............would be great in the future.