FORT WORTH—The American Paint Horse Association (APHA) and the Appaloosa Horse Club
(ApHC) have agreed to overlap their Youth World Championship Shows beginning in
2013.
This joint venture materialized due to a decision
by the ApHC Board of Directors to move the location of the Appaloosa Nationals
and Appaloosa Youth World Show from its current location at Tulsa Expo Square
in Tulsa, Oklahoma, to the Will Rogers Memorial Center in Fort Worth, Texas,
which is also the home of APHA’s Youth World Championship Show.
The Will Rogers Memorial Center (WRMC) announced
today that the City of Fort Worth has won a 5-year contract to host the
National Appaloosa Show & World Championship Appaloosa Youth Show and will
continue to host the World Championship Appaloosa Show for five additional
years. Its bid was bolstered by the new $32-million Equestrian
Multi-Purpose Building at WRMC.
“We
are ecstatic to have won this bid and to now be working with the National and
World Championship Youth Shows for The Appaloosa Horse Club,” said Kirk
Slaughter, Public Events Director for the City of Fort Worth. “This is a great
group of individuals and we love to have their beautiful, hard working horses
here in our facility. WRMC and Fort Worth were able to offer a compelling
package with our recent improvements, reputation for excellence and unrivaled
equestrian heritage. At a projected economic impact of $11 million for this two
week summer event, this is a huge win for our city.”
The
summer show will overlap with the American Paint Horse Association Youth World
Championship Show, presenting a unique opportunity for cooperation between two
of the largest stock horse organizations in the world.
“The
future of horse shows will be about cooperation,” said APHA Executive Director
Billy Smith. “This is a unique opportunity to create a model partnership that
gives both organizations an opportunity to showcase great stock. The two shows
will overlap from June 28 – July 6, 2013.”
The board of the Appaloosa Horse
Club, headquartered in Moscow, ID., approved the contract with Will Rogers for
two shows from 2013-2017. Fort Worth was chosen over Tulsa, which was the other
final bidder for the National Appaloosa Show and World Championship Appaloosa
Youth Show. Tentative dates are June 23 – July 5, 2014; June 22 – July 4, 2015;
June 27 – July 9, 2016 and June 26 – July 8, 2017.
“The Will Rogers facility in Fort Worth is an
excellent venue for both our major shows,” said Appaloosa Horse Club Chief
Executive Officer Steve Taylor. “Beyond some basic efficiencies in terms of
logistics and costs, the recent upgrades at WRMC and a double dose of Texas
hospitality will ensure that our exhibitors have a great experience. We’re also
enthusiastic about the opportunity to work closely with the American Paint
Horse Association and believe in the merits of building relationships within
the equine industry for our mutual benefit.”
“The equestrian show business has become quite competitive in the
last few years, with cities recognizing the value and importance of these
visitors to their local economies,” said
David DuBois, President and CEO of the Fort Worth Convention & Visitors
Bureau. “We are fortunate to have a city that is recognized both for its
legendary western culture and strategic leadership that puts us at the top of
the competitive set. The equestrian shows that Fort Worth brings in not only
supply a continuing stream of room night revenue but those visitors spend
generously in other sectors of our economy as well. We look forward to showing
the Appaloosa Horse Club our sincere and unbeatable hospitality.”
The Equestrian Multi-Purpose Building opens June 6 and includes
two indoor 20,000-square-foot exercise arenas on the upper level and
approximately 740 additional stalls. An expanded underground tunnel system will
allow exhibitors and their horses to move throughout the complex without
interfering with traffic or being exposed to inclement weather.
The Appaloosa Horse Club is the international
breed registry, recording and preserving the horses’ heritage and history, and
providing services that promote, enhance and improve the Appaloosa, a breed
defined by ApHC bloodline requirements and preferred characteristics, including
coat pattern. Almost 700,000 Appaloosas have been registered since the
organization’s founding in 1938 and there are more than 130 ApHC regional
clubs.
Established
in Fort Worth in 1936 to house events near downtown and in the Cultural
District, the Will Rogers Memorial
Center attracts more than two million visitors a year. It is host to an
extensive variety of cultural, educational, recreational and sporting events
and has become a premier destination for national and international equestrian
events. www.willrogersmemorialcenter.com
About the Fort Worth Convention & Visitors BureauThe FWCVB is the official destination marketing organization of the 16th-largest
city in the United States. The organization is dedicated to promoting Fort
Worth as a premier business and leisure destination, with thriving centers of
culture and commerce. For more information, visit www.FortWorth.com.
About APHA
The American
Paint Horse Association (APHA), the international breed registry for the
American Paint Horse headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas, celebrates its
50th anniversary in 2012. In fulfillment of its mission to collect,
record and preserve pedigrees of the breed, APHA recognizes and supports 111
regional and international clubs, produces championship shows, sponsors trail
rides and creates and maintains programs that increase the value of
American Paint Horses and enriches members’ experiences with their
horses. APHA has registered more than a million horses
in 59 nations and territories since it was founded, and now serves
over 64,000 active youth and adult members around the world.
