Graphic courtesy of Kristian Stokholm

Just yesterday we announced that Reichert Celebration show management was currently preparing to sign a contract that would move the show from Tulsa, OK to Fort Worth, TX, September 2-11, 2011. Today we decided to take a deeper look into the decision-making process behind their big move to the Lone Star State.

What prompted the relocation in the first place? Why the decision to move to a new location and change the dates for 2011?

What amount of coordination and planning goes into rescheduling the Celebration, while trying to keep the new dates from conflicting with other major fall shows like, the AQHA Youth World, NSBA World Show, AQHA Select World, AQHA Amateur and Open World, APHA Fall World Show and All American Quarter Horse Congress?

By way of this article, we hope to answer all of these important questions, as well as give exhibitors, trainers, owners and spectators of all breeds a behind-the-scenes look at this major decision from the perspective of Reichert Celebration show management.

“It is important to note that we didn’t make this change just for the sake of moving to a new location,” Terry Schroeder says. “The calendar does funny things, and unfortunately if we stayed in Tulsa for 2011, it would have put us on the exact same dates as the new dates for the 2011 AQHA Youth World.”

When rescheduling a show of this size and scope, one of show management’s concerns is for youth and amateur exhibitors who may need to take time off of school or work to attend. Unfortunately, time obligations for exhibitors are always a concern for those who are faced with the task of trying to create a show schedule that will meet the needs of exhibitors and trainers alike.

Fortunately, Reichert Celebration show management understands these concerns, most of them having grown up showing horses as well, and are currently working with AQHA, APHA, ApHC, Pinto and POA staff to create a new 2011 schedule that they hope will meet the needs of their loyal patrons, who have made the Celebration into the #1 All Breed Horse Show and Futurity in the Nation.

“We looked at many different locations and times,” she says. “We even looked at different times while still remaining in Tulsa, but unfortunately there were no open dates. We consciously looked at Labor Day weekend because it is over a holiday. We will do our best to place the breed shows on the weekends, as has been done in the past, so that if students have to miss school, they will miss only a day or two at the most.”

“The Celebration would love to be able to cater to every breed and every exhibitor, and we try our best to do that,” she says. ” We also try to accomodate moving our schedule around to fit with other shows. When we do the final scheduling, we are taking the number of days youth and amateur exhibitors will possibly have to miss school and work into consideration.”

One benefit of the new venue and schedule is that it may offer a bit of reprieve from the busy fall show season, when six World Championship calibur shows are all packed together within the same three month time period.

“Before, it was difficult for youth and parents to be gone for that many consecutive days when we were right after the Youth World,” Schroeder says. “It was almost three weeks to be gone because people would come straight from the AQHA Youth World to the Reichert and then the NSBA World after. Now at least there is a little more break between the AQHA Youth World, NSBA World, Select World and Reichert, before the Congress begins.”

“In 2010, the AQHA Youth World and Reichert just overlapped on the last two days. For the 2011 Select World, it will be the same thing. Right now AQHA and the Reichert Celebration are working diligently to make sure that class schedules do not overlap to make it as easy as possible for exhibitors to attend both shows.”

Another benefit of the new timetable is that trainers will have an additional month to prepare horses to make their debut in Reichert Celebration maiden futurity classes. This thought process keeps in line with the Celebration’s original mission, which is to have a positive effect on the quality of equine athletes in the horse industry.

“I’ve had a lot of sleepless nights because of this,” J.R. Reichert says. “Our goal has always been to include everyone, no matter what level of rider or breed of horse to our show, and this decision was not made lightly.”

Be sure to stay tuned to EquineChronicle.com for more Inside Scoop news about the 2011 Reichert Celebration as soon as it becomes available.