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Ava Graduate to Appear In Branson With Nationally Renowned Express Clydesdales

Garrett Bovard will be driving the Express Clydesdales next week when they make appearances in Branson and his hometown of Ava.

Ava graduate Garrett Bovard has been working his dream job for almost a year now.

Next week, he and the Express Clydesdale hitch will be making their way to Branson and back to Bovard’s hometown of Ava. “It’s just something that’s in my blood. I love the big horses, the travel and visiting with people from all walks of life.”

It’s a gig that he’s seemingly been preparing for since he was 9. “My family’s been doing this for 15 years so I learned the ropes in the hitch world early on. I think it taught me tremendous work ethic, public relation skills and how to maintain a professional attitude in the public eye.”

Even in college Garrett couldn’t quit thinking of his calling. “For a speech class at College of the Ozarks I brought one of my dad’s Percheron horses to the campus and did a demonstration on ‘how to harness a draft horse.’ I got a lot of strange looks from campus security that day.” He smiles and then adds “It was an easy A.”

The valuable lessons paid off when the Express Clydesdale hitch manager approached Garrett last year after helping out during the summer season and offered him a full time job. “I was attending CofO at the time and knew my parents would have a fit if I quit college, so the company agreed to pay for school. I couldn’t turn it down. I knew I wanted to do this full time and Express is one of the premiere hitches out there. They’ve been on RFDTV, they exhibit all over North America and they’re the best people to work for.” Traveling non-stop is not always easy, but Bovard makes the most of it.

“It gets pretty hectic being on the road especially during finals so I do a lot of studying in the semi or in the barns. I’ve definitely got my time management skills down to an art.”

Since Jan. 1 of last year Bovard and the Express crew have logged over 20,000 miles. “My favorite events this year was probably the commercial we filmed in San Francisco for the Super Bowl and the St. Patricks Day parade in Savannah in front of 400,000 people dressed in green and going crazy.”

“1’m looking forward to the Branson events and to seeing family and friends.”

The Express Clydesdales will be appearing in Branson Oct. 14 from 10 a.m.-2 p.m at the Branson Craft Mall Village. Oct. 15 Express Clydesdales win be at the Olde English Inn in Hollister from 9-11 a.m., and at the Branson Landing from 12-6 p.m.

The Express Clydesdales will be finishing off their weekend tour on Sunday, Oct. 16, at the Cross Point Church in Ava when they join the ROAM (Riders On A Mission) event from 12-4 p.m.