The Western States Classic completed its Buckeye stop last weekend at the Equestrian & Events Center in Buckeye, Arizona — one of two anchor events the series holds in the Southwest each spring before competition shifts east for the summer circuit.
Eleven six-horse hitch teams competed across the three-day event. For a western show in March, that number reflects meaningful commitment from teams managing the logistics of early-season travel while the Midwest schedule is already underway.
Competition Overview
The show ran Thursday through Saturday with evening start times — a practical decision given March temperatures in the Arizona desert. The format included the primary hitch classes alongside farm team obstacle events and feed team heat races, which broadened the competitive program and gave attendees unfamiliar with the sport additional context for what they were watching.
Cart classes proceeded through junior and peewee divisions. The WSC has consistently prioritized youth development within the program, and the depth of those divisions indicates that investment is producing results.
Barn tours were available throughout the event — a standard feature of WSC shows that serves a specific purpose: giving first-time attendees direct access to the horses. There is no more effective introduction to the scale and character of draft horse competition than proximity to the animals themselves.
Series Context
The Buckeye and Scottsdale shows constitute the western leg of the Six-Horse Hitch Classic Series, a national points circuit culminating at the World Finals in September. For operations based west of the Rockies, these two Arizona events carry disproportionate weight — they represent the most accessible points opportunities before the circuit moves to the Midwest and Great Plains for the summer schedule.
Next: Scottsdale, March 26–28
The series continues at WestWorld Arena in Scottsdale, presented in conjunction with the Carousel Charity Horse Show. Following Scottsdale, the next WSC stop moves to Grand Junction, Colorado at the Mesa County Fairgrounds on May 15–17.
Information and tickets are available at westernstatesclassic.com.
The Unhitched Ranch follows the six-horse hitch circuit and the working draft horse world from Brookings, Oregon.