The Day of the Horse equestrian celebration attracts nearly 2,000 people to Woodside each year on the weekend of the second Saturday in October.
Saturday is the day that the Town of Woodside has proclaimed as The Day of the Horse.
2005
The Beginning
The Day of the Horse is the brainchild of Donna Poy and M. Fentress Hall, two Woodside horse lovers who wanted to bring the community together in support of the horse. Made possible by a public-private partnership of Woodside-area Horse Owners Association (WHOA!), the Town of Woodside, the Woodside Community Foundation, and the generous support of many sponsors and over 120 volunteers, it gives the rest of us a chance to pay tribute to our equine friends with fun and festivities.
Signature Woodside Event
The Town of Woodside RESOLUTION NO. 2002 – 6335 was passed on June 11, 2002. It recognises the contribution of horses to the history and heritage of the State and of the Town and declares the second Saturday in December as the Day of the Horse in the Town of Woodside.
Resolution No. 2004-6488 was passed in 2004, which moved the Day of the Horse to the second Saturday in October, a time of the year more appropriate to celebrate the horse through community activities and events.
A Major Fundraiser
To date, donations from our riders and sponsors have allowed us to gift over $213,000 to several important projects including the restoration of the historic Folger Stable, the Woodside Junior Riders Program, the Maintenance of Equestrian and Pedestrian Trails in the Woodside Trail System, County Parks and MROSD, Large Animal Rescue Equipment, and the Veryl Goodnight Sculpture “Spring and Sprite” in downtown Woodside.
2019
Our 15th Year
Beginning in 2019, Day of the Horse expanded to three days, with an opening reception and art on Friday, trail ride on Saturday and horse fair on Sunday.
Importance of the Event
The horses, barns, pasture lands and backyard trails which define the rural character of Woodside are in steady decline. New residents and visitors are often unaware of the rich legacy that the horse has contributed to Woodside.
In fact, it is the horse and the zealous protection of its environment by resident horse owners that laid the groundwork for the zoning of the town into large parcels, the development of the trail system and the formation of the Woodside General Plan which encourages the preservation of open space and the location of barns and horse paddocks along the town’s scenic corridor.
Our goal is for Day of the Horse to educate the general public, encourage prospective riders and leave people with the understanding of how profoundly important horses are to the quality of life in Woodside.
