SHELBYVILLE, Tenn. – Prices for the 2008 Tennessee Walking Horse National Celebration® will remain the same for the third consecutive year, following recent action by the Celebration board of directors.
“We feel like there were some great strides made in our industry during 2007,” said board chairman David L. Howard. “After the events of 2006, The Celebration® and our entire industry had to work hard to regain the public trust. That work is ongoing.”
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.
“We are well aware that The Celebration® means so much to so many people and having a good Celebration in 2007 was a shot in the arm for our entire industry,” added Howard. “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 2006 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.”
Howard says leadership 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 beginning of the 2008 show season.”