“By then they’ve made friends all over, and so they want to stay in the organization,” she said.

The show is slated to be in Tulsa through 2016.

Entry into the show each day is free and open to the public. Banister recommended people check out the versatility competition, which starts around 7 p.m. Thursday. She said riders compete in four events and must change tack — or a pony’s equipment — on the fly in the arena with only a wheelbarrow and help from two team members.

Buysse on Saturday was seated in the stands of Ford Truck Arena, watching others show their horses. She said the organization puts on fun events, such as handing out Frisbees to random exhibitors in events. At the end of the day, whoever throws a Frisbee the farthest wins a prize, she said.

“I like how it’s focused on the youth,” Buysse said.

Eleven-year-old Jordan Connelly and her friend Roseli Tadajewski, 13, both from Guthrie, were purchasing concessions Saturday afternoon at a booth just outside the arena. Connelly said her sister competed when she was a young girl, so naturally Connelly followed.