Mary Fellows and Anne Vogel have been friends for a long time. Their daughters both enjoy horseback riding, and throughout the years in neighboring towns, the two women have held events that feature horses as a way of supporting the horse community.
Now, Fellows and Vogel are bringin’ it back home by hosting “The Commandants Cavalcade”, an event that will celebrate and support the agricultural and equine aspects of Newtown.
The idea was born when Vogel and Fellows were chatting one day about the struggles the Governor’s Horse Guard has been through in recent years. They considered doing an event to support the Horse Guard, when Fellows made an off-hand comment and said, ‘We should get Tommie Turvey.’
“So I called up Tommie Turvey and asked him to get involved,” Vogel laughed, “and he said yes.”
Vogel is used to making things happen. She began her career as a graphic designer and is now the owner of Vogel Marketing Group. Fellows is also an accomplished businesswoman. According to a press release, “...her wholesale/retail private label business as well as show and event planning includes being the founder and operator of Newtown’s farmer’s market (now in its 10th year) as well as the founder of the Sandy Hook Tree lighting.”
Plans evolved and now, the Commandant’s Cavalcade will include additional performers, vendors that specialize in agricultural, equine and other animal specialty items such as arts and crafts, and many food vendors. “We are expecting 100 to 150 tables in the marketplace,” Vogel said.
Tommie Turvey is an accomplished trainer and performer who has worked as a stuntman and with horses and movie stars. Material submitted to Patch reveals that Turvey started his show, “Equine Extremist” in 1997 with his sister, Karen. Tommie travels the world performing his signature acts to sold out crowds at from the biggest shows in North America, including: the National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas, the Hollywood Charity Horse Show, the Toronto Royal, the PA Horse Expo, and the Washington International Horse Show.”
Fellows and Vogel said that they wanted to develop an event that could be hosted annually, and that might become a regional destination event similar, but smaller in scale, to the old Danbury State Fair.
Major Gordon Johnson of the Governor’s Horse Guard is excited about the event. “This is not just for horse people, it is a show. It’s something completely different. With a regular festival there’s food and same ole and same ole, but this is an outdoor show.”
Johnson described what this event could mean for the horses and for the Governor’s Horse Guard, in general. “It is always a challenge to raise funding, and we are now down to ten horses. We are always having to figure out how to raise funds to bring in more horses. I pray for a year that we wouldn’t have to raise money. It’s always sink or swim.”
This may be the year. The Commandant’s Cavalcade takes place on August 11, 2012, with a rain date of August 12. Tickets are on sale now, on line at www.friendsof2ghg.org
The show will be held at the Governor's Horse Guard. Tommie Turvey will be giving a training clinic in Redding the weekend before the show. See the PDF media kit for more photos and details in the gallery for full information.
