View of the Coliseum from the Reata Backstage Club and Restaurant
The City of Fort Worth and Reichert Celebration show staff have been working diligently over the past couple of days as they begin the planning stages to make the 2011 Reichert Celebration another stand out event in the horse show industry.
The red carpet was rolled out by the Fort Worth facility and city employees, January 20-22 for JR Reichert and Terry Schroeder, the creative brother/sister team from Iowa, and their core staff. The schedule included many meetings and culminated with a signing agreement with the Mayor of Fort Worth, Mike Moncrief.
Initial meetings and discussions focused on important issues like warm-up pens, riding space, RV hook-ups and stalls, along with concessions and catering options. Warm-up and riding areas, as well as multiple round pens for longing are a top priority. There will be three air conditioned show arenas, a minimum of four outdoor riding areas, four indoor warm-up areas and a minimum of 15 round pens. Show arenas will also be open for after hours riding.
Day one brought another exciting addition to the upcoming Reichert Celebration with a tour of the Backstage Club that overlooks the main arena in the Will Rogers Coliseum. This historical space houses a restaurant and bar area that can hold up to 270 people, and negotiations are currently being made with Reata Restaurant of Fort Worth to have the exclusive club available for the Reichert Celebration. Whether you want a meal and a cocktail, or just a place to relax and watch evening classes, the Backstage Club will become the “go to” hot spot of the 2011 Reichert Celebration.
Another stand out possibility for on-site dining is the La Espuela restaurant in the Watt Building where you can grab a meal or a cold beverage, watch the show or a sporting event, or just relax and unwind. Imagine these two great places to eat with tables and chairs, air conditioning and great atmosphere within steps of your stalls!
Another highlight of day one, was when the new concession and catering company set up an outstanding lunch buffet for the Reichert staff. The staff of the Will Rogers Memorial Center wanted to demonstrate that the concession stands won’t be supplying the usual fare of corn dogs and chicken strips.
Coburn’s Catering of Fort Worth has been the concessionaire for the Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo since the 1940’s, but has never been set up to be the contracted concession company for the facility during the rest of the year. That all changed this year, and with the new contract also came great new menu selections including barbecue brisket, cheeseburger sliders, wrap sandwiches, salads and fresh baked cookies. The menu will be diverse and will change regularly to add variety to everyone’s selections.
Another topic up for discussion was the outstanding selection of activities for those who come to support family members who show. There is the Cowgirl Hall of Fame, Museum of Science and History, Imax Theater, Kimble Art Museum and Casa Manana Theater within walking distance of the facility, as well as with the Fort Worth Zoo, premiere golf courses, and incredible shopping within easy driving distance. The list of extra-curricular entertainment is full of variety and will provide something for every age range. If roller coasters and water slides are more your thing, the Six Flags Over Texas Amusement Park is within about 30 minutes as well!
Look for more exclusive coverage regarding the red carpet treatment that Fort Worth is rolling out in anticipation of the 2011 Reichert Celebration right here on EquineChronicle.com.
Other dining options for the 2011 Reichert Celebration
The areas in yellow show proposed riding areas and round pens. The long narrow pen is proposed to be a 24 hr practice trail and longing arena.
