Horse and cattle enthusiasts travel to West Monroe for Ike Derby Classic

WEST MONROE, La. (KNOE) - Horse and cattle lovers are in the twin cities for the Ike Derby Classic.

The event is currently happening at the Ike Hamilton Expo Center in West Monroe. The event is a cutting horse contest where contestants will be competing for cash prizes, totaling up to $800,000. This event has been a tradition at the expo center since 2006.

Bob Durden, the Judges’ Escort for the Ike Derby Classic, says they have had more horses this year than they have had in a long time. According to Durden, there are over 500 entries in their open contest.

Participants from all over the world are invited.

The goal of the contest is to get the horses to separate the cattle.

“The horses have to go down and quietly separate a cow from the herd,” says Durden. “And there are penalty points if they don’t separate it quietly. If they lose a cow - if the cow doesn’t stay in front of them, it’s a lot of penalty points. They look at the expression of the horse; how the horse expresses itself.”

According to event organizers, the derby classic has brought in nearly $2 million to the Monroe-West Monroe area over the years.

The Ike Derby Classic is happening until Feb. 5, 2023.

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