The World Percheron Congress is making a return to Western Manitoba. The event last took place in Brandon back in 2004.

A group of people making up the host committee is expecting about 600 horses and 2,500 breeders, exhibitors and horse enthusiasts at the event.

Co-chair Donna Swanston of Virden says the World Percheron Congress started decades ago and remains popular today.

“It’s a concept that was started in the early 1970’s by members of the Canadian, American, United Kingdom, France and Australia Percheron Associations with the intent of promoting the Percheron horse globally."

The Congress will be held in July of 2022. It will include, halter, wagon, riding and costume classes and will take place at the Keystone Centre.

“There will also be some work driven classes like log skidding or chore teams and things like that,” said Swanston. She adds the Percheron breed is doing pretty good and it was the youth of today that is driving to have the congress brought back to Brandon.

The show in 2004 was very successful and this time around there are enough young people that want to take it on for 2022.

“Success at the World Congress can go along way in promoting your own breeding program. It will bring people to the area and it will help breeders in the region as well because it allows people to show off horses that don’t get to the show.”

Organizers say the event is also good news for the local economy because people attending will be using hotels and restaurants during the World Percheron Congress.