BRYAN, Texas — There is an event in Bryan where locals can find things for their horses as well as themselves all under the same roof.
The tight-knit community gathers to support one another by buying, selling, and trading various items.
Every third Sunday of August, the Brazos Valley Driving and Riding Club host Horseman's Market at the Brazos County Expo. It's their yearly one-stop shop for all things equestrian.
Vendors and shoppers from all over the state come to Horseman’s Market Day each year. It is estimated this year lassoed in about 1500 attendees.
Virginia Johnson, a frequent shopper and former member of the club, says she enjoys the social aspect of the event.
“What brought me out to the market today is to see all my friends, who are also in the horse business," Johnson said.
Johnson believes that despite the different disciplines and breeds, everyone’s love for the animal brings them together.
“It’s a great community. We have a lot of people that are very knowledgeable about horses. We have a lot of fun together, that’s probably the main thing," she said.
Vendors range from everyday people and small businesses to larger operations.
Various small business owners mentioned how long they've been in their disciplines with one saying she hand braids custom tacks, collars, and halters for several years, and learned from another man who has braided for twenty years.
National Recruiting Specialist for Alpha and Omega Services Lesley Price says she has come here for different reasons. She is a vendor of a larger operation. Price says her company is based out of the Woodlands and services there and the surrounding areas. Their company does mounted security patrol
“Just a lot of exposure to all the right amount of people. We are always looking for horse people to hire for our company and so this is the honey hole it seems like," said Price.
BVDR member Lee Fuermann says it's a win-win for everyone involved.
“Everybody was getting all this equipment, all this tack, all this carriage, and stuff, and they decided the best way to get rid of it is to have a tack sale and that’s how it got started," said Fuermann.
Although there are more things for sale than when it first began, Fuermann says it is keeping long-time attendees coming back.
“When we joined and started working with this, we were actually on campus at Pierce Pavillion. It was an air-conditioned facility, but much smaller. This is probably three times the size of when we were first working with that," Fuermann said.
Not only do events like this one help boost the local economy, but it’s a great way for the community to stay connected.