Released June 19, 2008

ABILENE, Texas – The Texas State 4-H Horse Show, one of the nation’s largest horse events for young riders, recently signed an agreement with the Taylor County Expo Center in Abilene for another 5 years, according to a show official with Texas AgriLife Extension Service.

The annual week-long event draws more than 2,100 4-H’ers, family members and agency staff, and 1,100 horses. It also pumps an estimated $2 million into Abilene’s economy, according to Dr. Pete Gibbs, AgriLife Extension Horse Specialist, and the show’s co-manager.

“We’ve been in Abilene now for 24 years, and have always renewed our contract there for a three-year term,” Gibbs said. “The big news is that Abilene will now host the show for another five years, beginning with this year’s July 19-26 show.

“That decision was based on several factors, not the least of which is the city of Abilene and the Expo Center’s continued sterling hospitality,” he said. “For the show’s entire stay here, they have never failed to roll out the red carpet for everybody involved with the event.”

Gibbs said other reasons include Abilene’s location within the state, motel accommodations and the facility’s continued horse-friendly growth.

“However, the bottom line is economics, and the proposal from Abilene and the Expo Center was very competitive,” Gibbs said.

“Abilene is one of several cities considered that offer a somewhat central location,” Gibbs said. “A major consideration for securing the show is being able to provide top facilities in a setting that is affordable and family-friendly, he said.

“Site determination is paramount to the ultimate success of the show. With support from the Texas 4-H Youth Development Foundation, proposals undergo careful review by a committee familiar with the needs of the show. This time those proposals won’t have to be reviewed nearly as quickly with the show now locked in for five more years in Abilene.”

It takes a large facility with over 800 stalls and three arenas to successfully produce the show, according to Brett Scott, another co-manager. Over the years, the horse specialist said the Expo Center has added a large cover over their outdoor arena and built permanent stalls to replace the temporary tent-covered ones once used.

As the Expo Center has grown, so has the show which now uses all three of the Expo’s arenas simultaneously during several days of the seven-day show.

“The State 4-H Horse Committee and the Management Team have added classes such as team penning and cow horse classes, because of the interest in such events, and because the facility can easily accommodate classes involving cattle,” Gibbs said. “This year the growth continues with our first-ever stock horse trail class. All told, we feature almost 40 different classes now. Some classes may have as many as 150 participants.”

For 45 years, Texas 4-H’ers have been going to District 4-H horse shows across the state to prepare and qualify for the state show, which Gibbs said is sometimes referred to as the State 4-H Finals. At its start in 1963, the show lasted only about a day and a half, he said.

Until 1985, the show had been held in eight different cities. With the size of the event, which includes a 100-member management team of AgriLife Extension personnel and volunteers, Gibbs said it became important to select a facility that could host the show for a minimum of three consecutive years. The event moved to Abilene in 1986, and has been there since.

The show has always been produced by the Texas AgriLife Extension Service, a part of the Texas A&M System.

-30-

http://agnews.tamu.edu/showstory.php?id=538

Contacts: Pete Gibbs, 979-845-1562, p-gibbs@tamu.edu

Steve Byrns, 325-653-4576,s-byrns@tamu.edu