UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The fifth annual Penn State Equine Science Showcase and Registered Quarter Horse Sale, April 28 at the Snider Agricultural Arena, will feature the addition of reining/cutting stock.

Known for producing top-quality quarter horses for halter, western-pleasure and hunter-under-saddle, the event -- sponsored by Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences -- has added more winning lines in the form of eight high-performance broodmares and the stallion Kuel Minnick. The first offspring resulting from these crosses, now two years old, are being offered in this year's sale.

To date, 12 Penn State horses and eight consigned horses will be auctioned. A complete listing of sale horses can be found on the Web at http://www.das.psu.edu/equine/quarterhorses.

A unique aspect of the sale is its management. On sale day, Nittany-blue-clad Penn State students will be on hand to provide information about the sale and about the College of Agricultural Sciences and its programs. For these equine students, the sale is a culmination of many months of preparation.

Due to the wide array of tasks required to prepare the sale, students are able to develop expertise in a variety of fields, including caring for horses, event planning, food and facilities, advertising, sales operations and public relations.

Also taking part in sale preparation are students from the horse handling and training course, who use the spring semester to prepare the Penn State two-year-olds to move forward with their training after being sold.

Doors will open at 8:30 a.m. on April 28, with a demonstration of sale horses beginning at 10 a.m. Tours of Penn State horse facilities will begin at noon, and the auction will start at 2 p.m. In addition, a variety of organizations and programs associated with Penn State's equine science program will display their information around the arena throughout the day.

This year's event also includes the Pennsylvania Quarter Horse Amateur Association's used tack sale. Attendees will have the opportunity to peruse a vast selection of used tack and clothing.

For more information about the quarter horse sale or the Department of Dairy and Animal Science, visit the Web at http://www.das.psu.edu, or contact Brian Egan at 814-863-0569 or by e-mail at began@psu.edu.

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Jenna Pannone: Writer Jeff Mulhollem: Editor 814-863-2719 jjm29@psu.edu