Thousands of grade school students got a unique opportunity to get up close with some of the best horses from across the world today at the CenturyLink Center.
Elementary kids in the Omaha area took the field trip so they could learn more about the animals before the International Omaha competition starts tonight.
Shelly Rowell came from small-town Firth, Neb. to show off her 11-year-old stallion Luke Skywalker.
"Most kids haven't seen a big horse like this before and he is what i call the epitome of a gentle giant."
Rowell was one of the many horse owners that traveled to Omaha Thursday to let kids pet their prized animals, but also to learn about them at the International Omaha equestrian competition.
11-year-old Kymani Williams was one student on the field trip who hoped to learn as much as possible.
“They always just seem to fascinate me, all animals do, just how they evolve."
Even though his grandfather owns two horses, he still found out a few more horse facts.
"About the barrel of the horse which is basically its stomach and i learned about the flank which is basically the back."
The kid-centric event wasn't just about petting animals, stations were set up that let them blow off some steam, and step back in time.
"They like the hands on pieces of it, they like to turn the grill, turn the blower and they like to pound on the iron even though it's not hot," says Larry Baash at the blacksmith booth.
Students who attended were given free tickets to the competition this weekend. so some will certainly be coming back to get the full experience.
