Arno Knapper spent 20 years riding with a state horse show association, and even though at age 80 he no longer rides, he still enjoys seeing good riders and good horses.

That’s why the Lawrence resident joined dozens of other spectators who spent Saturday morning sitting in the bleachers or on lawn chairs at the Douglas County 4-H Fairgrounds watching the 4-H horse show in the Community Building arena.

“They have some high quality horses here,” Knapper said, while also noting some riders who impressed him.

Meanwhile, Lawrence sisters Kate McCurdy, 9, and Anna McCurdy, 7, were riding and showing their 9-year-old quarter horse, Missy, for the first time. Were they nervous?

“A little bit,” Kate said, leaving the arena after a showmanship event.

But by late morning, the two sisters had already picked up a few different-colored ribbons for their efforts.

Nearly 50 riders and 60 horses participated in the horse show, the first major event of this week’s fair. The open horse show will be today. Check-in for riders and horses is 9 a.m., with competition starting later in the morning. The event is free and open to the public.

A short distance away, Calvin, a 13-year-old appaloosa, was getting considerable attention from a Lawrence brother-and-sister team, Mason Mathews, 13, and Samantha Mathews, 9. They were putting Calvin through his paces in show competitions, but they knew their horse favored events coming up in the afternoon.

“He likes the races,” Mason said, referring to barrel, flag and other types of races. “He likes to go fast.”

Calvin was one of three horses the Mathews siblings were riding in the show’s events.

Lawrence sisters Janelle Crawford, 18, and Jennifer Crawford, 16, were taking turns showing their quarter horse, Faye. The horse works well with either girl at the reins and doesn’t get confused, Janelle said.

“Siblings will often show a horse like that,” she said.

The sisters, however, planned to ride different horses in the later racing events. It is during those events that the sisters sometimes feel the competition between them, Janelle said.

After today’s open horse show, Monday is set-up day for 4-H entries in foods and arts and crafts in building 21 at the fairgrounds. Workers were busy Saturday morning setting up tables and decorations in the building. They began at 8:30 a.m. and were mostly done by late morning, said Kjrsten Abel, events and activities coordinator for the Douglas County Extension Service office.

“We’re ahead of schedule,” Abel said.