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Three generations of Birens participate in draft horse shows

SLAYTON – When it comes to draft horse shows, it’s all about family for the Birens.

Jonni Biren is a third generation draft horse driver and participated in the Murray County Classic draft horse show last weekend.

“My grandpa Leroy Biren actually started the Murray County Classic with a few of his close friends. That was 11 years ago” Biren said. “My grandpa started with a team of grey Percheron mares 40 years ago. Throughout the years, grandpa Biren along with the rest of the family have grown the team and program into what it is today.”

The whole Biren family pitches in to help with shows.

“I would be the third generation in my family for driving and helping out with the draft horse shows” Biren said. “My uncle Joe Biren drives and trains a team of Shire draft horses that are owned by Hugo, a family friend; the hitch is called Dakota Thunder. My mom, Carol Biren, drives in the ladies cart, and Joe drives basically everything else. I ride with him sometimes, but I also drive in the junior events.”

Joe Biren laughed when asked how long he has been driving draft horses.

“Well, I guess I was driving draft horses since before I could drive a car,” he said.

Jonni Biren said she started driving horses in junior classes at around 9 years old, but she has been helping out with the horses for much longer than that. Both Jonni and Joe Biren said their favorite parts of showing was spending time with family .

The Birens participate in shows all over the United States and have even been in the Rose Parade, where they were featured on National Television with their hitch.

“The big draft horses are pretty gentle. They are just like any other horse, honestly.” Jonni Biren said.

Jonni Biren described all of the intricate steps that are taken in order to prepare the horses for the show arena.

“Before shows, we wash the draft horses. Then, we brush them out. Next, we braid their mane, tail, and fore-tap. After that, we harness them up. Harnessing the horses starts with the collar back-pad, and then the britchen or spider, depending on if the horse is in the wheel or not, Jonni Biren said.

The wheel team consists of the bigger horses that are closer to the wagon. The swing team is the team that is hitched up after the wheel team. In the very front is the lead team, and these are the smaller horses.

“The wheel team has the heaviest harness that has the most pieces on it” Jonni Biren said.

She explained that the draft horses have two bits; there’s the “normal” bit and then the check bit (bits are pieces of metal placed in a horses mouth that help to maintain control).

“For hooking up the wheel team, there’s the wagon and tongue pull. We hook the lines up and the spreader bar and the tugs up to the evener last. Next is the swing team, and they are hooked up to the wagon essentially in the same way as the wheel team. Last is the lead team. They don’t have a pull and they do not have a spreader,” Jonni Biren said.

Joe Biren had a machine attached to a horse.

“This machine is kind of like when humans go to the chiropractor; it gives them a sort of massage, like when they put those little suction cup things on you,” Joe Biren said.

Jonni Biren explained how the draft horse show is a competition where the teams get judged on how well they move (action) and how well the teams move together. The hitches also get judged on their headsets. Only a handful of people can participate.

“There’s actually a list of who is selected to participate first, and there’s a wait list for participants,” she said.

The different show classes start low and then work their way up to the larger hitches. There are different breeds of draft horses that are involved, which includes Belgians, Percherons, and Shires.

“The bigger hitches have more people involved. They tend to show horses as a profession- that’s when it becomes less of a family thing. Our operation tries to keep it more family orientated,” Jonni Biren said.

“The Murray County Classic has 12 to 14 hitches that participate in it typically. There is an old-time farm presentation, but that is run by Travis Spartz and is a separate event from the actual draft horse show,” she said.

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