Current Congress News

The Congress faces unique logistic challenges
Congress show officials admit: sometimes it would be nice to have an "Easy Button" as they plan their annual show. They face some unique challenges in putting together the world's largest horse show as they work to accommodate 8,500 horses (and their owners and trainers), more than 1,000 campers, 250 commercial exhibitors and more than 600,000 attendees - and trying to meet the sometimes opposite expectations of each group.

A Stable Issue
Perhaps the most noticeable challenge is housing the more than 8,500 horses. "The Ohio Expo Center has 1,012 permanent stalls in the Gilligan barn," said Denny Hales, Congress show manager. "We will add 500 temporary stalls in the Gilligan barn alone, and more than 4,700 temporary stalls total in all the buildings and tents."

Hales said there are more than 5,700 stalls currently on the grounds. The Congress stalls fill every permanent structure on the grounds, as well as five tents. Two clear-span tents, which have higher trusses and have the feel of a permanent barn, come from a German company and are rented at a cost of $50,000 each. One additional long tent was added just Friday evening to accomodate 75 more horses.

Thankfully, not all 8,500 horses show up on the Ohio Expo Center at one time due to the timing of the Congress show schedule. The first round of horses participating in Cutting and Reining were permitted on the grounds on Friday, October 5th. The second wave of horses participating in all the AQHA events will be permitted on the grounds on Friday, October 12.

There are about three turnover periods with the stalls," said Hales. "When the Cutting and Reining classes are over, those horses will leave, hopefully just as the AQHA, over fence, Halter and all-around event horses are coming to the grounds. The second turnover will occur after the over fence and Halter classes are finished, and horses showing in the youth events will be coming in after them. Finally, when the youth horses leave, the last group to arrive will be Barrel Racing and Roping horses."

How do you ask a horse owner to leave who has overstayed his/her welcome? "You pray for rain," laughed Hales. "The rain tends to help people go home, and also pushes them to move in more quickly."

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