ApHC Announces Location of National Appaloosa Show / World Championship Appaloosa Youth Show

Press Release

Moscow, Idaho – The Appaloosa Horse Club (ApHC) announced today that they signed a five year agreement to hold the National Appaloosa Show / World Championship Appaloosa Youth Show at Will Rogers Memorial Center (WRMC) in Fort Worth, Texas.  ApHC will continue to host the World Championship Appaloosa Show for five additional years. The City of Fort Worth’s bid was bolstered by the new $32-million Equestrian Multi-Purpose Building at WRMC.

The 66th National Appaloosa Show and the 2013 World Championship Appaloosa Youth Show, with a total of 3,500 entries, will run concurrently from June 24-July 6. The 2013 World Championship Appaloosa Show is scheduled for October 25 – November 2.

“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 through 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.

Appaloosas can be found in nearly every discipline—on the racetrack, working cattle, performing dressage, jumping, performing western pleasure, endurance riding or serving as reliable family horses.

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 Bureau The 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.