ANDOVER — Gymkhana, or horse games, gallops into town Saturday afternoon courtesy of the Ellis River Riders.

The equestrian event welcomes public spectators free of charge and includes competitive exhibitions such pole bending, barrel racing, saddle classes, various horse games and much more, said Deb Cayer, president of the Ellis River Riders.

Participants in Saturday’s events range from very young, in the youth divisions to more seasoned riders in the adult divisions, Cayer said.

The gymkhana event begins with the younger riders at 3 p.m. at the Ellis River Riders Arena, located at 78 Airport Road, just off Route 5 in Andover.

“We have lights on the arena for the later events,” Cayer said. “We get participants who come here from throughout the state for this event … some who camp here for the weekend.

“We offer good food at very reasonable prices at our Feed Bag Canteen,” Cayer said.

The Ellis River Riders, a nonprofit equestrian organization, has been “horsing around” since 1985 and has grown to roughly 300 members today, Cayer said.

“It all began when myself and a friend started going to horse shows in 1983 in places like Farmington and Strong, and we started talking about having a show in Andover,” Cayer said.

“That led to a group of eight of us sitting around a kitchen table talking about starting the club,” Cayer said.

There is an “Open Show” at the Ellis River Riders on Sunday beginning at 9 a.m. Sunday’s show, as with Saturday’s, is free and open to the public.

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