Welcome to Mark Harrell Horse Shows! 

There is no “I” in team & there is no “I” in Mark Harrell Horse Shows. When an organization or association hires Mark Harrell Horse Shows, we come in as a collective group & with each person knowing their responsibilities. We all work together to make each and every show as perfect as possible & make sure we are prepared in advance. Whether the show is a smaller two day show or a longer 4-5 day circuit, each show receives the same preparation & dedication.  In the last three years, we have managed more than 120,000 AQHA entries. Thank you to everyone that has shown with us.

We would like to take this opportunity to introduce the team members involved with Mark Harrell Horse Shows.

Mark Harrell, though his name is on the marquee, Mark will be the first to acknowledge that he has great friends & ‘co-workers’ working along side him. Mark Harrell has been involved with horses since his early childhood.  He managed his first horse show in 1982 and to this day is still managing it.  Having been a seasoned horse show exhibitor, Mark has a different perception of what it takes to run a show.  He is a multiple PHBA and IBHA World Champion trainer & exhibitor.  Mark’s position at the shows is as show manager. His duties vary but he is commonly known as the man with the raffle tickets & resulting prizes. Mark is also a licensed Real Estate Agent in Illinois.
David Pardue has been working the horse shows since 1998. As Director of Operations & Vice President of Mark Harrell Horse Shows, David can usually be found in the show office taking entries or tabbing exhibitors out. However, David’s forte is the hospitality end of the shows. If hospitality is part of the show contract, David can plan, organize & throw the most elaborate, fun & fan-friendly parties ever seen at a show. These parties do not have to be expensive to host, but more and more exhibitors are finding that a simple cup of coffee & a bagel in the morning located just outside the in-gate helps get their day off right. David, Mark’s partner, previously worked in the retail industry & knows that it is the little things that exhibitors appreciate the most. Before the shows, David usually handles the hiring of judges, coordination of their travel needs & collecting printed copies of patterns as well as the many small details. Many times if you call the office, you will talk with David. In addition to MHHS, David is also a licensed Real Estate Agent in Illinois specializing in residential and new construction homes. He is a multi-million dollar producer.
Larry Maxwell of Watson, IL started working the shows as the show secretary in 1990. He is retired from the Illinois Consolidated Telephone company with 32 years of service and also spent 25 years with the Illinois National Guard retiring as the rank of 04 (Major.) Our team’s resident “Kenny Chesney”, Larry is responsible for the show results, entries & other details needed to submit to AQHA within 10 days of the show conclusion.  Larry’s position is not just an ‘at the show’ position. Larry’s job starts long before the show starts & ends long after the last horse is placed. Larry prepares the computer system, judge’s cards & tab sheets in advance of each show.  Larry is also a past horse show exhibitor. Outside of the show office, Larry can be seen or heard playing his banjo. In 2007, Larry started cutting back on some of his shows; but have no fear, he'll be around!
Kathy Avolt of Lafayette, IN serves as the announcer for a large portion of our shows. She has more than 15 years of competitive speech in her background and previously served as the editor of a state Quarter Horse association’s magazine and web site.  She understands the running of shows, having been both an exhibitor and show manager, having managed her first Quarter Horse show at the age of 16 for local 4-H club. Kathy’s position also requires a lot of pre-show details. She designs most of the showbills, tab sheets, handles the promotion for the shows & also follows up with the posting of results & a show review. Kathy is responsible for the daily maintenance of Mark Harrell Horse Shows' web site.  During the show, Kathy is also responsible for figuring the circuit awards for each class. In addition, Kathy, a Purdue University graduate, is also employed full-time as the advertising director for a 60+ agent real estate firm in her home town.
Julie Pardue of Plant City, FL joined MHHS in 2006. If the last name looks familiar it should! Julie is David Pardue's mother! (I think someone needs to check her license - she does not look old enough!)  Julie has more than 25 years of management & accounting experience, working for a number of large companies. Born in England, Julie was a military brat & later married a member of the Air Force. She has resided in 8 different states and 5 different countries.  She resides just outside of Tampa, FL with her husband and 4 cats! (She calls herself a big cat lover!)

If Mark Harrell Horse Shows can assist with an upcoming show of yours, please email us for additional information. We look forward to meeting new exhibitors and associations. It is our pleasure working with you.

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What others are saying about Mark Harrell Horse Shows' shows...

"I was not able to go to the March to the Arch (or my daughter wanted me to stay home) but all I have heard is how great your shows are. WOW you must run a great show. Everyone that went from Missy Thyfault's group said it was the "best show ever." I have heard great things about the food, the prizes, the people, the hospitality and the survivor class. It's nice to hear and be a part of such a great event."
Charley, Mackenzie, Madison Thiel and show mom Cyndi

"Mark, David, Kathy, Julie and the rest of the Mark Harrell Horse Show crew,
I would like to offer my sincere gratitude for making the Just For Pleasure Quarter Horse show a ‘pleasure’ to be at. As a highly competitive Top 5 Youth in the nation, I realize that points are hard to come by and that is why I really appreciate the extra efforts. Overall, I would say that I came away with a fair amount of points, but the one thing that is for sure is that I had a wonderful time. During my 15 hour drive home, I could not stop thinking about what a well-oiled machine the Mark Harrell crew is. Everyone is always happy and upbeat and that surely make a difference when trying to get ready for the early morning classes.

I would like you to know that I speak nothing but kind words about your crew and I cannot think of any shows run better than ones managed by YOU! You guys are amazing and I appreciate all your efforts in all aspects of the shows from the kindness in the office to the participation of exhibitors to handing out wonderful prizes. I have been to a million Mark Harrell Horse Shows and will be at a million more. Thank you for all you do."

Sincerely,
Courtney Kobak

To Mark and the fabulous crew,
I just wanted to thank you for a great show at Kinder, LA this past weekend. I have shown horses for many years and cannot tell you when the last time I had so much fun at a horse show. The show was run great, the awards were super and all of you were wonderful and supportive. Thanks so much for putting the FUN back into horse shows!
Barbara, Texas