Fairgrounds turns Grant County into a destination for horse competitors
JOEL MARTIN | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 4 months, 1 week AGO
A WAHSET rider competes in a meet at the Grant County Fairgrounds Ardell Pavilion.
JOEL MARTIN/COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD
A barrel racer takes a tight turn at a Best of Barrels competition at the Grant County Fairgrounds.
A high school WAHSET competitor warms up outside the Harwood Pavilion at the Grant County Fairgrounds before a meet.
Joel Martin has been with the Columbia Basin Herald for more than 25 years in a variety of roles and is the most-tenured employee in the building. Martin is a married father of eight and enjoys spending time with his children and his wife, Christina. He is passionate about the paper’s mission of informing the people of the Columbia Basin because he knows it is important to record the history of the communities the publication serves. | April 28, 2026 3:20 AM
MOSES LAKE — The sound of hoofbeats is a constant at the Grant County Fairgrounds.
“We have a horse event almost every weekend starting in March through October, not including August because we’ve got the fair going on (that month),” said Events Administrator Shayla Anderson.
The fairgrounds boasts two pavilions, a 5,000-seat rodeo ground, 444 horse stalls, more than 450 RV camping sites, located in the middle of the state and with a sunny desert climate. That combination draws horse enthusiasts from all over Washington.
“Grant County is the only facility on the eastern side of the state that’s big enough,” said Amy Peterson, Washington High School Equestrian Team Board Chair for District 5. “The two arenas are really crucial. We’re running, like, 70 kids through an arena. Obviously, that’s time-consuming, so to have two arenas is really nice.”
WAHSET District 5, one of two districts that use the Grant County Fairgrounds, includes schools all the way Columbia Gorge to Colfax to the Idaho state line. That’s a big territory and a long way to bring students, but the camping facilities make it possible, Peterson said.
“Some sites maybe have great barns, but not very many campsites,” she said. “It really is the most inclusive spot that we can go to. And the arenas are really nice to ride in. They’re very well maintained. Everything’s taken care of.”
Keeping the facilities ready for the equine enthusiasts is no small feat, Anderson said.
“At this time, we have 444 horse stalls, and they all have power and water,” Anderson said. “For the two biggest barrel races of the season, we completely fill all of those stalls, and we actually have to put up some temporary stalling as well. We take pride in all the stalls that we have to accommodate these shows.”
The riders appreciate the facilities.
“I love it,” said Sami Jo Sartin of Sunnyside, a Best of Barrels competitor. “I keep coming back for almost every (event).”
A barrel racer takes a tight turn at a Best of Barrels competition at the Grant County Fairgrounds.
A high school WAHSET competitor warms up outside the Harwood Pavilion at the Grant County Fairgrounds before a meet.ARTICLES BY JOEL MARTIN
Quincy National Night Out scales down
QUINCY — Quincy’s National Night Out was more compact this year, which worked out well, said QPD Sgt. Joe Westby, who’s in charge of event planning for the Quincy Police Department. “National Night Out is a big event, and the fact that we’re able to shrink it up is like a breath of fresh air,” Westby said. “If you're always doing the same thing, it's kind of nice to switch things up and see how it works.” National Night Out took place Thursday on the block of C Street next to the police station, a shift from previous years when it was held at Lauzier Park. The smaller space meant fewer emergency vehicles for children to explore, but it also meant less walking for attendees. Grant County Fire District 5 brought a fire truck, and the Grant County Sheriff’s Office had a patrol boat. Renew, the Grant County behavioral health agency, had a booth and so did Quincy Partnership for Youth. Veterans Operation Creation sang the national anthem, and the Quincy Animal Shelter brought kittens that piled over each other making friends with passersby. As before, the QPD served grilled hot dogs.
Quincy Police retirements leave big shoes to fill
QUINCY — There are some big shoes to fill at the Quincy Police Department. “We’re losing 48 years of experience between them,” Quincy Police Chief Ryan Green said at the retirement party for Capt. Jorge Trujillo and Det. Damon Powell Thursday. Trujillo, who grew up in Sunnyside, has been with QPD for 19 years, he said, coming on as a patrol officer fresh out of the military. From there he served as a field training officer, a detective and finally captain. “I consider him my left-hand man,” Green said. “He runs the operations side of the house … He knows the agency very well, and he knows the community.” Trujillo has some projects around the house to tackle now that he’s retired, he said.
Big fun on a small scale
Wheat Land Communities’ Fair opens Thursday
RITZVILLE — The Wheat Land Communities’ Fair isn’t as big or as flashy as some of the county fairs around central Washington, but the folks who keep it going like it just the way it is. “It’s somewhere you can go and get an old-time traditional feeling, and you’re comfortable letting your kids roam the grounds and experience all that it has to offer,” said Board Member Lori Williams. “It’s more of a feeling than (one) specific thing,” The fair starts Thursday in Ritzville and runs through Sunday. Starting Friday, the 56th Ritzville Rodeo will take place alongside the fair at the rodeo grounds. This year the entertainment budget was expanded, Williams said, to be able to offer more fun that’s covered by the cost of admission. For the kids, there’s face painting, balloon art, Lego crafts, races, contests and games. Children can also ride on a little train towed around the fairgrounds behind a tractor.