For the Fourth Year in A Row Celebration Holds Prices At Previous Levels

SHELBYVILLE, Tenn. – Prices for the 2009 Tennessee Walking Horse National Celebration will remain the same for the fourth consecutive year, following recent action by the Celebration board of directors.

“We feel like there have been some great strides made in our industry since the 2008 Celebration,” said board chairman Charles McDonald.  “After a year of rebuilding the public’s trust The Celebration and our entire industry have worked hard to continue to strengthen that.”

Typically there have been small increases to keep pace with escalating costs and inflation, but the Celebration board felt it was important to maintain the current pricing structure.

This pricing structure includes all box seats, reserved and general admission tickets, RV park fees, stall rentals, exhibitor and general parking, Blue Ribbon Circle memberships, and entry fees.  The only change instituted by The Celebration is the implementation of a one-time grounds fee of $10.00 per horse at the Spring Fun Show and $50.00 per horse at The Celebration.

“We are well aware that The Celebration means so much to so many people,” added McDonald.  “We felt strongly that we needed to do all we could to go without an increase for another year.  Like everyone else, our costs have continued to rise, but our staff has done a great job in managing expenses.”

At their 2008 annual planning meeting, the board committed to play a more constructive role in the industry.  Those efforts included measures geared toward the health and safety of the horses and maintaining the integrity of the event.
“The Celebration is the world championship event of our breed and is always held to the highest standard,” related the chairman.  “The measures we put in place provided a level playing field for all exhibitors and challenged everyone to go the extra mile to keep the health and safety of the animal as priority number-one.”

McDonald says The Celebration’s activating their HIO SHOW at the request of the Walking Horse Trainers’ Association and the Walking Horse Owners Association and other changes within the major organizations of the Tennessee Walking Horse Industry are a great sign that the industry is moving in a positive direction.

“Time will tell how everything plays out, but the early signs of all the groups within the industry willing to work together for the common goal are there.  That is something we can all be very excited about as we move closer to the heart of the 2009 show season.”