Thursday - American Saddlebred Horse Association

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.
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
I would say that
we are thrilled
with this, with
this new innovation in this
new venue that they have
offered exhibitors. I think
that people are pleased.
And certainly from the point
of view of somebody who
has shown here for fiftysome
years, I think this is a
major improvement to this
horse show and they
(Kentucky State Fair) should
be commended for it!”
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 climatecontrolled
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
– Lynn Harvey McNamara
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. I think that
people are pleased. And certainly from
the point of view of somebody that 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, 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,
which offers patrons an alternative to
the typical fare.
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.
Photo by Brice Carr
WCHS Results and Judges’ Cards | 2 | Thursday, August 21, 2008