Big Five Horse Show banquet set for Saturday in Amarillo

AMARILLO, Texas (KFDA) - The Big Five Horse Show is wrapping up its season with a banquet Saturday at the Pete Schaefer Pavilion on the West Texas A&M University campus.

The banquet starts at 6 p.m. and will include the awarding of prizes from the show season.

Dianne Nichols, associate member, said RSVPs were due Monday and more than 370 people are expected to attend. The meal will be catered by Coors Cowboy Club and will include chicken fried steak and green beans.

Nichols said the association held five shows this year, starting in June and finishing in August, which is the origin of the name Big Five.

She said membership grew by 23% this year across all age groups, divisions and categories, including growth in the open division.

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“Volunteers include parents, grandparents and young riders from within the association, as well as people who do not ride but want to be around the environment. Volunteers help in the outdoor arena, including setting up barrels, raking around barrels, taking ropes off calves, putting up poles for pole bending and working a gate. Members of local FFA and 4-H clubs also volunteered this year and earned community service hours,” said Nichols.

Nichols said the banquet includes recognition of scholarship applicants, including their history with Big Five and why they applied.

She said last year, five applicants qualified and each received a $5,000 scholarship through the support of sponsors. This year, Nichols said there was one qualified applicant who will receive a scholarship at Saturday’s banquet.

Nichols said members must hold a Big Five membership from the previous year to apply for a scholarship the following year.

She said volunteering can begin as early as December or January, ahead of the show season, and does not require riding a horse.

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