Okay, so it’s not American Idol. But if you like horses and can sing a few notes, you might be interested in an opportunity to sing the National Anthem at a horse expo. The producers of the upcoming North Carolina Equine Extravaganza have announced their plans to hold a contest for aspiring young vocalists. The NCEE will take place at the North Carolina State Fairgrounds in Raleigh, Aug. 3 – 5 and will attract horse lovers from all over the eastern United States.
“We thought giving local youth the opportunity to share their vocal talents with our attendees would be a great way to give our show the home town appeal that an expo can sometimes lack,” said event producer Vicki O’Hara. “We also felt that giving promising young talents the opportunity to sing in front of our large crowds would be beneficial.”
The contest will produce three winners that will have the opportunity to sing the Anthem at the beginning of each day’s popular East Coast Trainer Challenge competition, a highlight of this year’s event. Nashville recording artist and songwriter Templeton Thompson will be singing tunes from her album “Girls & Horses” throughout the event and will introduce the winners before their performances.
Like every contest, there are some rules. Entrants must be under 18 years of age at the time of the event. And there’s an audition: Contestants must send a DVD of their version of the National Anthem as well as a song of their choice. If you’re in the region and are interested in singing your heart out, you’ll need to submit your DVD by July 16.
For complete details, visit www.equineextravaganza.com.