Star of this Year's Show? The New North Wing

Today's press release from the ASHA: Check out the great pictures, links below. We are stabled literally 30 feet from the exhibits pictured.

Star of this Year’s Show? The New North Wing!


Louisville, Kentucky - The most noticeable standout at the 2008 World’s Championship Horse Show (WCHS) may not be a horse at all. By week’s end, the most talked about newcomer at this year’s show might just be the new North Wing of the Louisville Fair & Exposition Center.
According to Alan F. Balch, Executive Secretary of the American Saddlebred Horse Association, and former president of the national equestrian federation of the United States, "I've been fortunate to see equestrian facilities all over the world throughout the last 40 years or so from a professional standpoint, at just about every level of competition including the Olympic Games. The amenities that have been added to these show grounds with the addition of stabling, schooling, commercial, and restaurant areas in the new North Wing -- all adjacent to an arena like Freedom Hall -- would be the envy of any equestrian competition anywhere. For the Commonwealth of Kentucky to make this investment in support of the horse sports is a supreme tribute to the importance of Kentucky's signature industry."
The East Wing, originally constructed in 1956, was cleared out to make room for construction of the new and notably enhanced North Wing. From start to finish, the project took 18 months to complete, beginning with the removal of the original East Wing in March of 2006, and concluding with the North Wing’s completion and opening in October of 2007. According to Kentucky State Fair President Harold Workman, the project came at a cost of $55 million, and if the multitude of positive feedback is any indication, this was money well spent.
Although the North Wing was built on the site of its predecessor and has virtually the same square footage, this is just about where the similarities end. The original East Wing required the support of 96 columns to support the structure, and utilities were accessible only through the ceiling. The superior structure standing in its place today is supported using only six columns, offers floor access to all available utilities, and boasts a 27-foot high ceiling with state of the art lighting (click here for image).
In addition to the North Wing is the North Lobby, which consists of 35,000 additional square feet, bringing the entire North Wing’s total square footage to more than 250,000. All told, with the opening of the new North Wing in October of 2007, the Louisville Fair & Exposition Center offers a total of approximately 825,000 square footage of Class “A” Space. Not only does this addition better serve the needs of WCHS and its patrons, it also makes the Center a very attractive and viable national competitor for other such high profile events.
One of the many driving forces behind the idea for such structural enhancements was to better accommodate the needs of events such as WCHS. This year being the first occurrence of this event since the opening of the new North Wing, it has already proven to be a considerable asset for horse show participants and spectators alike. One pleased patron was Jennifer Dixon of JL Dixon Stables, in Atherton, California. In comparing the stabling conditions to being outdoors in previous years, Jennifer said, “It has been wonderful! The ventilation in there is great and the air conditioning is fabulous.” Jennifer also noted the positive impact of the improved conditions on the horses themselves, saying, “The horses are happier, they are brighter, it is really just much better because it is climate controlled and we can breathe.”
Another horsewoman, Lynn Harvey McNamara, of Wethersfield, Connecticut, whose family has been showing here in Louisville since the 1950s, initially expressed concern about the climate-controlled environment. “Our horses are not used to air conditioning for the most part. Most of our stables are not air conditioned, and going from air conditioning to heat can cause a lot of metabolic changes.” Once inside the facility, however, Lynn was ultimately satisfied with the conditions, saying, “I think the Fair certainly addressed that. I am sure they talked to veterinarians, and they talked to owners, and they realized how important it was that this building not be frigid cold, and they could set the temperature according to the desires of the horsemen.”
Overall, Lynn was impressed with the enhanced facility, and said, “I would say that we are thrilled with this, with this new innovation in this new venue that they have offered exhibitors (click here for image). I think that people are pleased. And certainly from the point of view of somebody who has shown here for fifty-some years, I think this is a major improvement to this horse show and they (Kentucky State Fair) should be commended for it!”
In addition to housing 824 stalls for stabling horses throughout the show (click here for image), the new wing offers ample room for multiple vendor exhibits where one can find anything from riding equipment to horse trailers. Adjacent to these vendors can be found the Saddlebred Café (click here for image), which offers patrons an alternative to the typical fare. (click here for image).
A finishing touch of the new wing is the pedway constructed to give patrons a safer and more convenient route of travel as they come and go. Underneath one end of the pedway is Stopher walk, which allows the convenience of passing through without braving the horse traffic. On the opposite end, the pedway opens up into the North Lobby, with escalators conveniently located at each end.