BRITT – The gates to the 35th Annual Britt Draft Horse Show will open at 7 a.m. each day Sept. 2 through 4 at the Hancock County Fairgrounds. The show features eighteen of the finest draft horse hitches in North America, representing the best of the Belgian, Percheron, Clydsdale and Shire performance horses. This unique event draws thousands of spectators, young and old alike, from all over the Midwest.

Spectators can watch the crews ready their “gentle giants” for competition. Afternoon shows are held at 2 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday of Labor Day weekend. Competition is held in the ladies’ cart, men’s cart, team, unicorn, four-horse, and six-horse hitch classes, providing a complete performance each day. The highlight of Sunday afternoon is the competition of all eighteen six-horse hitches in the Classic Series Six-Horse hitch class, a qualifying class for the North American Six-Horse Hitch Classic Series. Competition is also held in youth classes and halter classes during the weekend.

The Britt Draft Horse Association is excited to announce that RFD TV’s weekly television series “Gentle Giants” will be filming at the show this year. The show spotlights the diverse world of draft horses, the most powerful equines, at work and play.

Gentle Giants is the network’s most popular equine show. It is hosted by Champion equestrians, Pam Minick and Kadee Coffman. Minick is a former Miss Rodeo America and host of more than 1000 televised equine specials, from the National Finals Rodeo to the Tournament of Roses Parade. Coffman has shown in cow horse competition, and has hosted rodeos and outdoor sports.

Minick notes “Kadee and I are so excited to come to Britt. Ever since we began this journey into the world of draft horses, we’ve heard about the Britt Draft Horse Show.”

More than 80 episodes of Gentle Giants have aired over the past 3 1/2 years, including specials on the North American Six-Horse Hitch Finals, as well as plowing, pulling, and pleasure competitions. Informative programs on hitching, driving, and heavy horse care are always popular with viewers. Gentle Giants airs Sundays at 4 and 11 p.m. Central on RFD TV. For programming information, visit RFDTV.com or connect with Gentle Giants TV on Facebook.

Admission for Friday is $2 for adults, $1 for children age 6-12, and children age 5 and younger are free.

The event is sponsored by the Britt Draft Horse Association and is put on with the help of local individuals, businesses, and organizations who donate hundreds of hours to put together one of the finest draft horse hitch shows in North America.

For more information on the show or commercial exhibit space, please contact: Britt Draft Horse Association, P.O. Box 312, Britt, IA 50423, or call (641) 843-4181 or (515) 320-0864.