POCATELLO — Barry Cellan says he still has need for a few trainers to compete in the 2013 Intermountain Equifest.

There’s also time for horse owners to submit their animals for the competition.

“Right now we are at 18 horses and I have 15 trainers,” Cellan said Thursday. “We have some trainer slots open and we are willing to take in some horses.”

The Intermountain Equifest is a three-day expo filled with competitive events focused on horse trainers who want to show of their skills and horse owners who want to show off their steeds. There will also be experts on hand to teach a few tricks.

Last year’s inaugural event was in Blackfoot, but the event is moving to the Bannock County Fairgrounds in Pocatello, where it will be hosted June 20-22.

Cellan calls it a true horseman’s event centered around horse training skills. There are two competitions in that regard.

The competition for professional trainers gives them 60 days to train a horse provided by an owner. The owners provide Cellan the horses, and on April 15, he will pull names at random to match up animals with trainers for 60 days.

Cellan said there is no cost to enter this event. Some of the newly trained horses will be auctioned off during the weekend.

The second competition is for the amateur horse trainer, one who has never been paid to professionally teach a horse, or who has trained 10 or fewer steeds for himself.

That person has 30 days to provide and train a horse.Cost is $50.

A third competition on Sunday gives horsemen a chance to show off their work. It will include several “gymkhans” type events, competitions that consist of speed pattern racing and timed games.

Vendors considering a booth at the event will like the fact that Cellan dropped the rate to $75 from $100 a year ago. Cellan said he’s hoping that will encourage all of last year’s vendors to return with several new ones.

This year’s event will feature two prominent individuals in the industry, Rick Lamb and Jeff Spencer.

Lamb, host of “The Horse Show with Rick Lamb,” on RFD TV, will serve as a judge and provide some education via a demonstration, teaching future horsemen and women how to get acquainted with a new horse.

Spencer is an Eagle-based horse trainer who hosts clinics on the subject throughout the country. He will host a demonstration, showing how to choose a new horse to buy.

Cellan said there will also be some competitions for kids that don’t require horses. There will be participation by area rodeo queens.

Tickets for those 10 years and under are free, and those 11 years and older will cost just $6 per day this year, a drop from last year’s ticket price of $8 a day. A pass for all three days is available for $15 if purchased prior to June 15.

More information and regular updates are available on the group’s Facebook page, Intermountain Equifest, and to purchase tickets or booths persons may contact Cellan at 223-9441.

The number also helps those looking to enter any of the competitions, or to support the event in any way, including handling some of the significant work in operating, sponsorship and advertising opportunities.