The Rockin' R Rhythm Riders

Along with all the guest horses who come to BreyerFest to perform and meet our attendees, we also have an incredible line-up of demonstration groups who come to show off different breeds and disciplines with daytime performances in the Covered Arena. While you can catch all the action of their demos, you can also take a stroll through the event stables to meet all of these horses and talk to their owners. We'll be revealing our 2026 lineup over the next few weeks.

Meet the Rockin’ R Rhythm Riders! This all-gaited Mountain Pleasure Horse drill team has been in operation since 2000 and they've performed at BreyerFest for the past 18 years. The squad is comprised of both male and female riders who range in age from 5-65 years old. The group has primarily performed as entertainers and educators for their beloved and critically-endangered breed, the Mountain Pleasure Horse - also known as the Old Kentucky Saddler.

The Mountain Pleasure Horse is a heritage breed of horse that has been carefully bred in the Appalachian foothills of Eastern Kentucky for over 200 traceable years. Early Kentuckians developed these sure-footed, smooth-gaited horses to work the fields and carry them over the steep and rugged terrain. These were the horses that were ridden by the traveling doctor, teacher, mailman, frontier nurse, and local preacher. They carried children to the one-room schoolhouse and the midwife to a baby's birth.

The Mountain Pleasure Horse is an average sized horse of good bone and feet, that generally stands from 14.2-15.2 hands in height and between 900-1200 pounds in weight. These kind-hearted, easily trainable, gentle horses are often referred to as the “Boy Scout Breed” due to their willing natures and strong attachment to their families. Mountain Pleasure Horses come in all solid colors, but the stunning palomino is a favorite and many owners take great pride in their “golden horses."

DNA testing by the University of Kentucky has proven these horses to be the “parent stock” of all other North American gaited breeds, including the Tennessee Walking Horse, the American Saddlebred and, more recently, the Rocky Mountain and Kentucky Mountain Horses. In 1994, a Governor’s Proclamation was issued to verify that fact.

Until recently, few people from outside the Eastern Kentucky region were aware of this treasure of the Appalachians. Although owners and breeders of the Mountain Pleasure Horse can now be found throughout the US and Canada, with only around 2,500 purebred horses left in existence today, they are unfortunately considered a critically endangered heritage breed and have been included in the Equus Survival Trust and Livestock Conservancy as a rare breed. Their most current roles are those of remarkable, surefooted trail mounts, as well as mounts for trail obstacles, arena obstacles, drill teams, barrel racing, cow penning, western dressage and a host of other events, proving they’re still one of the most versatile breeds around today!

The Rockin’ R Rhythm Riders are excited to help celebrate BreyerFest: Midsummer Fair with some more of their fun routines!