2010 World Percheron Congress

You've never seen ANYTHING quite like the World Percheron Congress ... It’s the greatest draft horse show on Earth, and it's held in the United States only once every four years.
 
    The story of the Congress is really the story of France's greatest gift to America. No, we're not talking about the Statue of Liberty–though that was a pretty nice offering too. We're talking about the world's favorite draft horse ...
 
     The Percheron Horse originated in the ancient province of Le Perche, near Normandy, France, around the turn of the 17th Century. The breed quickly became America’s favorite “all-purpose horse” for transportation and farm work, as well as for circuses, fire departments and freight haulers.
 
    Along with all other horses, the breed faced near-extinction with the coming of the tractor and automotive vehicles, but, starting in the 1960s, the breed came back strong, as North Americans who remembered the big horses on their parents' and grandparents' farms discovered for themselves the joy of driving a team for work, play or official business.
 
   The World Congress is far more than just a horse show. It's a celebration of the Percheron Horse, of American progress–global progress actually–and of possibility. It's a living history lesson, with significance and relevance to today, and tomorrow.