Jan 15, 2019 3 min read

A Washington County horse is once again the “Belle” of the Pennsylvania Farm Show ball.

Huston’s Belle, a 13-year-old mare owned by Mark Ryburn, was named the supreme champion draft horse last week during the state’s 103rd farm show in Harrisburg, the second time she’s captured the statewide title in the past four competitions.

It was a bittersweet achievement for Ryburn and his family.

Ryburn, who operates the Ryburn Homestead in Chartiers Township, hadn’t taken Huston’s Belle to the state farm show since her previous victory in 2016. But after Ryburn’s mother, Phyllis, died in June at age 74, he thought the competition would be a way to remember and honor her if he once again showed his prized mare.

Phyllis was at the competition three years ago when Huston’s Belle first took the overall honors less than a year after Ryburn’s father, Don, had died.

“It meant a lot to me. She was there, even though she wasn’t there this time,” Ryburn said of feeling his mother’s spirit at this year’s show.

While preparing to show his horse in the staging ring Jan. 4, Ryburn noticed they were lined up in the same area near where his mother had been sitting three years earlier watching the show.

“It was kind of a coincidence,” Ryburn said.

It was also somewhat of a surprise to win because of Huston’s Belle’s age. Ryburn said draft horses usually enter their prime between 4 and 10 years old, so her age should have worked against her in the competition. But it didn’t, and the horse secured the mare 5 years and older class, grand champion mare and the best of breed titles before winning the overall competition.

“That’s kind of unheard of to be showing a horse at that age and do that well,” Ryburn said. “I hope she’s around for quite a while longer.”

Huston’s Belle’s success has gone beyond Pennsylvania’s borders. The horse was named the supreme champion five years ago at the Illinois State Fair, and has competed in several fairs across the country. Belle is also the lead horse of a six-horse hitch of registered mares.

“It’s very family-oriented,” Ryburn said of the Pennsylvania Farm Show. “We have a lot of friends with the other exhibitors.”

There are 17 horses on the Ryburn Homestead located at 691 Lynn Portal Road, Ryburn said, but none has this competitive success of Huston’s Belle.

“They say you get one good dog in your lifetime,” Ryburn said. “I don’t know if this is my one good horse. I’ve had a lot of them.”