MORE than 5000 horse enthusiasts turned out to Bendigo's first National Equine Expo on the weekend.

Expo chairman Rob Bogumil said he was "extremely happy" with crowd figures, particularly given the heavy rain that fell on Sunday.

"We had a big storm on Sunday and had to cancel a few of the outdoor events and move some of the breed exhibits inside," Mr Bogumil said.

"But the feedback from patrons was absolutely excellent - 99 per cent of people said the expo was brilliant and they would be back next time."

Mr Bogumil said presenter Steve Jefferys, who opened the Sydney 2000 Olympics on his horse Ammo, had drawn the weekend's biggest crowds.

The expo will be held in Bendigo every second year.