Discussions pertaining to the World's Championship Horse Show in 2017

 

** Newest Update - February 2017••

The topic will be discussed further but any date changes have been shelved until after 2018. A committee has been established by ASHA and other associations to discuss.

 

*Update to the proposed date change for the 2018 Kentucky State Fair World's Championship Horse Show from the KAFHS Convention*   Check back often to read any further updates as the UPHA/AHHS/ASHA Convention gets underway in New Orleans. A discussion is planned during the UPHA General Meeting on Thusday, January 19th. It is sure to be the HOT topic!

 

The Horse Show Forum during the Kentucky Association of Fairs and Horse Shows just ended. The main topic of discussion was the proposed change of dates for the WCHS. In attendance were two Fair Board members (David Wallace and Mike Poynter, the KAFHS Representative to the Kentucky State Fair Board) and Steve Kelly, the Director of Expositions for the Kentucky Expo Center. Larry Burcham brought the topic up for discussion for those in attendance. Burcham stated what catastrophic consequences it could have for the Boone County Fair Horse Show, of which he manages. Steve Kelly (who was the interim CEO of the Kentucky Expo Center during 2016 WCHS) then stood to tell the crowd that he was "approached on Thursday before 2016 Championship night at Louisville by members of the ASHA Board about the possibility of moving the horse show dates away from the Kentucky State Fair." Kelly said that the Kentucky State Fair owns the rights to the World's Championship Horse Show and that it would not be moving away from the Kentucky State Fair dates. Kelly further stated, "this move was not proposed by the Fair Board."

 

The discussion then evolved after Kelly made two trips to ASHA's offices to discuss beginning the horse show the weekend prior to the Thursday start of the fair. Kelly stated that it is totally up to the various associations as to whether the date change for 2018 occurs. The KAFHS is going to send letters to the various organizations stating it's vehement disapproval of the date change. Not only would it negatively effect many county fair shows in Kentucky, which according to Miranda Chaplin (Horse Show Chairman for KAFHS) are the "heartbeat of the Kentucky State Fair," it would hurt several other shows around the country with dates close to the start of Louisville such as Illinois, Missouri and Dayton.

 

The KAFHS recommendation is to notify each various association as to your thoughts on this date change. Each organization can be found online with contact information listed for board members. It is very important to notify them of your thoughts BEFORE the UPHA/AHHS/ASHA Convention in New Orleans.

 

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