4 day horse show in Katy, TX next week?

[PoochPaddock]

@Hunterammy2020

If people get sick after it will affect all shows in Texas moving forward. We want Tyler to be able to happen in June if it’s approved by the state. If people get sick that won’t happen.

I think the USEF allowing shows to happen in June is your bigger issue. Reporting a facility for holding an event so that you and your friends are ensured a venue for next month seems rather petty. I’m dumbfounded by this tactic. So odd.

As if the local authorities would not have been aware of it anyway? It’s not like GSWEC is tucked away in a remote corner of the area where no one would notice. Also, consider who owns that facility. I sincerely doubt legal counsel wasn’t consulted in this decision. I don’t have a lot of faith that this “shutdown” will be fully executed.

FWIW, I am in Houston but not attending. My barn isn’t going but even if they were, no way would I pay A show prices for a schooling show. Nor do I feel like all the rules make it sound like it will be any fun at all, as @inca pointed out above. But I would never begrudge those who made a choice to go for their own personal or financial reasons. That’s just weird.

[trubandloki]

@"hunterammy2020

If people get sick after it will affect all shows in Texas moving forward. We want Tyler to be able to happen in June if it’s approved by the state. If people get sick that won’t happen.

@PoochPaddock

I think the USEF allowing shows to happen in June is your bigger issue. Reporting a facility for holding an event so that you and your friends are ensured a venue for next month seems rather petty. I’m dumbfounded by this tactic. So odd.

I am glad to finally understand why the OP was angry about this show though. They seemed over the top about making sure this show did not happen. Clearly their motive was not all for the health and well being of the world, but so they are sure to be able to show.

[Prime_Time_Rider]

@inca

What makes you think I’m upset? I’m not. I am simply dumbfounded that someone 250 miles away thinks it is their duty to try to get this show shut down.

Did you (or your “friend”) bother to take the first step of contacting show management and politely asking what steps they took to ensure running the show is within the current guidelines? If you are so concerned for the greater good, that seems like a good place to start.

How is it helpful to the greater good to let everyone arrive today, move in, school, etc. and THEN get shut down? Any spread of the virus will have already happened before it is shut down. Seems it would have been best to shut it down before it started, if you think it is such a threat to the greater good.

For your information, many trainers and their clients from the DFW area routinely travel to the Houston area (Katy) to show. With the exception of the Will Rogers arena in Fort Worth, there are no large horse show venues in the DFW area anymore. So, if DFW trainers and clients want to show at rated shows we must travel to Tyler, Katy or Waco.

Clearly, the show organizers should have contacted state and/or local government authorities BEFORE they decided to hold a schooling show. Based on the fact that it has since been cancelled, it is clear to me that they didn’t.
Government law enforcement can’t “bust” someone for violating a health order or Executive order until they do it, although publishing a prize list for a schooling show certainly shows intent.

[Belmont]

My biggest thing about this entire show is how hush hush and secretive it’s been for the most part - especially since the stay at home order has been expanded. I have to go for work, and will be abiding by the rules laid forth (along with some we’ve made personally).

[inca]

Show is NOT canceled. It is going on and people are moving in and schooling today. It’s happening as I type this.

I don’t think anyone here knows what show management did or did not do prior to deciding to hold this show.

[PoochPaddock]

@Prime Time Rider

For your information, many trainers and their clients from the DFW area routinely travel to the Houston area (Katy) to show. With the exception of the Will Rogers arena in Fort Worth, there are no large horse show venues in the DFW area anymore. So, if DFW trainers and clients want to show at rated shows we must travel to Tyler, Katy or Waco.

Clearly, the show organizers should have contacted state and/or local government authorities BEFORE they decided to hold a schooling show. Based on the fact that it has since been cancelled, it is clear to me that they didn’t.
Government law enforcement can’t “bust” someone for violating a health order or Executive order until they do it, although publishing a prize list for a schooling show certainly shows intent.

I’m not sure where you got that the show is canceled. It is not. Unless something happened out there within the last hour…I got notifications on my phone about 30 mins ago about concessions being open.

What makes you so certain that the show organizers did not contact local gov’t authorities? I don’t know that they did or did not but assuming they did not just because some anonymous poster here claims the state government is on the case is nonsensical.

[inca]

And I don’t understand how something that is on their website is secretive.

And the Stay At Home order expired. It has not been expanded. The only thing Judge Hidalgo’s new order did is confirm that Harris County businesses must follow Gov Abbott’s order. There has been confusion around that because of the way it was presented. But Gov Abbott made it clear that no local order can impose greater restrictions than the state order.

[Belmont]

@PoochPaddock

I’m not sure where you got that the show is canceled. It is not. Unless something happened out there within the last hour…I got notifications on my phone about 30 mins ago about concessions being open.

What makes you so certain that the show organizers did not contact local gov’t authorities? I don’t know that they did or did not but assuming they did not just because some anonymous poster here claims the state government is on the case is nonsensical.

I think she was confused about the reining show that was cancelled (due to the extended stay at home order) - which was extended after the show was announced via personal texts to trainers that usually attend GSWEC shows. Yes - the prize list was added under the website but it was not publicly advertised anywhere else unless you were friends with someone that was invited or some of the in gate peeps/organizers. So yea - sort of sketch IMO.

We will just have to see how it plays out & how everyone abides.

[PoochPaddock]

@Belmont

I think she was confused about the reining show that was cancelled (due to the extended stay at home order) - which was extended after the show was announced via personal texts to trainers that usually attend GSWEC shows. Yes - the prize list was added under the website but it was not publicly advertised anywhere else unless you were friends with someone that was invited or some of the in gate peeps/organizers. So yea - sort of sketch IMO.

We will just have to see how it plays out & how everyone abides.

I am not a member of the reining governing body so how do we know it wasn’t canceled due to their restrictions? Much like USEF rated shows are not happening currently. Just because the announcement was worded a certain way doesn’t necessarily mean it didn’t happen for other reasons.

[Belmont]

@PoochPaddock

I am not a member of the reining governing body so how do we know it wasn’t canceled due to their restrictions? Much like USEF rated shows are not happening currently. Just because the announcement was worded a certain way doesn’t necessarily mean it didn’t happen for other reasons.

I do agree with that. But if it wasn’t due to the extended stay at home - maybe don’t say that it was and then run a horse show in the same week. And also don’t ignore the people inquiring about the show this week in the comments.

I never said they didn’t have permission. And I’ll be there because I’m an employee of someone and have been getting paid - therefore I go. But I’m just saying it’s alllll a little sketchy IMO.

[bugsynskeeter]

@PoochPaddock

I am not a member of the reining governing body so how do we know it wasn’t canceled due to their restrictions? Much like USEF rated shows are not happening currently. Just because the announcement was worded a certain way doesn’t necessarily mean it didn’t happen for other reasons.

It was not cancelled per NRHA’s request.

[Dana]

I’m not a member of the reining community, but I do have lots of friends who are.

It’s entirely possible that the NRBC postponed their dates due to logistics. Not being sure that the show could run gives organizers the horrible decision to risk it and get stuck with lots of contracts they must honor if the show couldn’t happen. Think of all the extra stuff that happens at a huge show (and NRBC is enormous). All the staffing, feed and bedding stocks, decorations etc that go into the planning of a very large show.

The schooling show that is going on this week there was never a secret. It was originally scheduled to be the Fiesta Classic this week. When USEF extended the moratorium on shows, that show couldn’t run so a schooling show was put into place. The prize list has been on their website for quite a while. It’s been listed on horseshowsonline.com all along also. In all likelihood, they didn’t widely publicize the show outside of Texas because they didn’t want tons of people there. I can’t imagine the management of GSEC didn’t get approvals from the appropriate local officials before going ahead with this show; that’s not the way GSEC is managed.

[Nickelodian]

Two days down. No bust.

[PoochPaddock]

@Nickelodian

Two days down. No bust.

Frankly, i’m shocked (insert sarcasm emoji here).

I’m So happy the show is continuing without intervention.

Honestly though, this tattling on business owners, individuals, groups, etc is appalling. Im disgusted that life in our country has come to that in two short months.

I sincerely hope those post-covid exhibitors in Katy are enjoying their (likely much needed) horse show. To the OP- I even hope you enjoy your time in Tyler next month, even though i’m not showing there either. See how that works, OP?

[Belmont]

At the show. It’s weird here, and I tbink it’s our new horse show normal. Granted, it’s only been mostly pro days and there’s ~150 horses here. So it’s small.

when you come towards the grounds, you’re stopped & sign a COVID waiver. No temp checks. Keep the pen you use but they take back the clipboard.

inside the grounds, masks are required BUT it’s hard to enforce all the time, and I saw more people without in the barn aisles than I did with (unless an official was around). However, there’s not a ton of mingling until after hours and it’s just… quiet.

restaurants and such are open, so horse show life feels more normal at dinner with friends & people don’t seem afraid to go out and do that after the show.

there was a little drama yesterday because apparently someone from the neighborhood called the news about the show. But nothing has come of that so far.

I will say this “new normal” of horse showing is weird and the atmosphere is different. Also, if it’s this hard to police the small amount of people here about masks and social distancing - I’m not too confident about the ability to do so at bigger shows later on if those open up.

[Jo]

@Belmont thank you for the first hand report. I’m curious to see how it picks up (if it does) on the weekend. Please stay safe!

[MHM]

@Belmont

when you come towards the grounds, you’re stopped & sign a COVID waiver. No temp checks. Keep the pen you use but they take back the clipboard.

So everybody who attends the show gets a complimentary pen? :lol:

Honestly, I think the whole situation is so new and different that it will probably take a little time for all the kinks to be worked out. But if people want to have horse shows to attend, not just this year but in the future, everybody needs to figure out how to cooperate going forward.

Thanks for the firsthand account!

[FitzE]

Do you feel confident that there will be follow up for all those who attended for tracing purposes if/when an attendee turns up with a positive test? For instance, did the waiver request contact info from each attendee and state that it would be used for contact tracing? Did the waiver include an obligation (however unenforceable) to report back to show management in the event an attendee tests positive after attending?

[Note: this is not criticism disguised as questions; just wondering what types of protocols events are coming up with]

[Belmont]

@FitzE

Do you feel confident that there will be follow up for all those who attended for tracing purposes if/when an attendee turns up with a positive test? For instance, did the waiver request contact info from each attendee and state that it would be used for contact tracing? Did the waiver include an obligation (however unenforceable) to report back to show management in the event an attendee tests positive after attending?

[Note: this is not criticism disguised as questions; just wondering what types of protocols events are coming up with]

No. It was pretty much a “if you get COVID we’re not responsible” waiver. Sign & date at the bottom.

[FitzE]

@Belmont

No. It was pretty much a “if you get COVID we’re not responsible” waiver. Sign & date at the bottom.

Bummer. that’s really disappointing to me. I know no one wants their event associated with the virus, I get that. But, I think it is the height of irresponsibility to hold an event and not put in place some way to inform your paying attendees (at least!) and vendors and employees and volunteers that they may have been exposed.