MEDINA – Horse riders visited the Medina County Fairgrounds May 7 to participate in a yearly fundraising effort.

The 16th annual Medina Kids Care Horse Show benefited the Medina County Home, which provides care for adult residents of the county in their time of need. The riders and their horses participated in several competitions throughout the day. While enjoying the show, visitors competed in raffles, grabbed something to eat and interacted with the residents of the County Home.

Medina Kids Care founder Melinda Clutter explained the organization was formed 16 years ago when she and her family found out the County Home was in danger of closing. Devastated by the grief of the home’s residents, the Clutter family decided to create and coordinate an annual benefit horse show to help raise money and public awareness of the facility.

Clutter explained the money raised from this annual event is used to purchase items for the County Home, such as TVs, CD players, DVD players, lift chairs and furniture. She said the money is also used to provide items for the residents themselves. Various events are held within the home throughout the year, including parties, bonfires and special shows and ceremonies for holidays, including a special Christmas production complete with gifts for the residents from Santa and Mrs. Claus.

Loretta Myers was one of many County Home residents at this year’s horse show. She said among the things she appreciates about the home are the cleanliness of the facility and the courtesy of the people.

“The residents are friendly and so are the aides,” she said.

Clutter pointed out the attendance of this year’s show, including the number of riders participating, was noticeably smaller than that of years past due to the muddy aftermath of rainy weather conditions the previous day.

“Normally, we have between 50 to 100 (riders),” she said. “Today we’ll be lucky to have even close to 50.”

But a steady amount of participants and spectators still turned out for the day’s competitions. One highlight of the show was a special patriotic ceremony consisting of rider Mackenzie Clutter and her horse, Waltzing on the Rail, displaying America’s colors in a tribute to the nation’s military. The ceremony also included a performance of the National Anthem by local country singer Charis Thorsell and her son, Ace. Thorsell is also the hospitality director and mercantile manager of Buckin’ Ohio, a rodeo ranch in Burbank.

Clutter said she wants everyone who participated in and attended this year’s Medina Kids Care Horse Show to understand what the show means to the Medina County Home and those who live there.

“I hope they realize that every dollar they spend doing something they love goes to help our residents,” she said.

Information on contributing to Medina Kids Care can be found by emailing Clutter at mjc83rose@cs.com.

Information on providing donations to the Medina County Home, located at 6144 Wedgewood Road, can be found at the home’s website: medinacountyhome.com.