Page 16 - Equine Chronicle August Select 2020

FROM THE PUBLISHER
THE EQUINE CHRONICLE
‘C’ IS FOR ‘COMING SOON!’
Let’s face it. Many of the shows we were all looking forward to this year didn’t happen; not yet, at least. In fact, we missed so many of our favorite spring and summer shows that we began to wonder if the ‘C’ in COVID-19 stood for ‘Cancelled’. The show can- cellations were very frustrating for all, and very costly for some.
The biggest blow came recently with the cancellation of the 2020 All American Quarter Horse Congress. The cancellation of the Con- gress shook the show world to its very soul. The old adage of “You can’t fight city hall,”–or the state government in this case–still rings true today. I am sure most of you saw Brittany Bevis’s interview with Dr. Scott Myers on Equine Chronicle TV. His forthright explanation of the cancellation as well as plans for the 2021 Congress gave us all a lit- tle bit of hope.
So here we are, sweating in the August heat at shows like the AQHYA World Show and the NSBA World Championship while look- ing forward to the fall show schedule sans the Congress. And you know what we see? We see lots of horse shows on the horizon. Shows for Quarter Horses, Paints and Appaloosas along with the other stock horse breeds. We see big shows like the APHA World Championship, the Arizona Fall Championship, the AQHA World/Select World Championship, the ApHC World Championship, the Breeders Halter Futurity, the WCHA Breeder’s Championship, and the Color Breed Congress. These shows along with so many other regional shows across our country are what I call ‘green shoots’. You know what I mean, those little wisps of green you see in dark, fertile land that sig- nals the beginning of what will soon be full grown crops that will cre- ate a bountiful harvest. And anyone who has tried to grow something knows it isn’t always easy. It takes devotion, hard work and talent to grow those crops and bring them to market. So it goes with the hard working groups putting on the shows this fall.
Every person I spoke to that was forced to cancel their shows this year mentioned their frustration and disappointment. They also felt like they were letting many in the industry down. They understand the ramifications for those who rely on the horse industry for their liv- ing. They took their decision personally even though, in most cases, it wasn’t their decision. It was something beyond their control.
The good news is they didn’t give up. Instead of saying their shows were canceled for 2020, they considered them to be postponed. The clubs and committees kept looking forward; trying to find oppor- tunities to hold their events on another date later in the year. They looked for ways to combine events. They never gave up. They knew in their hearts that the show must go on, if possible. And in many cases it did.
As we all hit the road for the plethora of big shows between now and November, we must remember we all owe a debt of gratitude to everyone who is trying–whether they are successful or not–to still hold their horse shows. They are the ones making the ‘C’ stand for ‘Coming Soon!’ and giving us all hope for the future of our sport.
T.G.
4727 NW 80th Ave. · Ocala, FL 34482 Phone (352) 369-1104 · Fax (352) 369-1521 www.equinechronicle.com · equinechron@aol.com
Publisher/Editor
Thomas A. Grabe
tom.grabe@caninechronicle.com
Production Coordinator
Amy Grabe
Director of Sales
Gordon Downey · (919) 835-4771 GordonChron@aol.com
Graphic Artists
Chris Wilkerson Alex Angelbello
Color Operations Manager
Anthony Assanti
Circulation Manager
Pat Owens
subscriptions@equinechronicle.com
Equine Chronicle Online Editor
Brittany Bevis
b.bevis@equinechronicle.com
Contributing Writers
Delores Kuhlwein · Susan Winslow Laura Boynton · Megan Sacia Ulrich Kristen Spinning · Megan Arszman Rachel Kooiker
Contributing Photographers
Shane Rux KC Montgomery Eric Mendrysa Cody Parmenter Becky Ruehle
RegularSubscriptionratesare$35foroneyearand$65 for 2 years, rates are subject to change without notice, and are NON-REFUNDABLE. Opinions expressed by authors do not necessarily reflect those of the publisher or The Equine Chronicle. Articles and editorial pictures submitted to The Equine Chronicle become the property of the magazine and no compensation shall be given for them unless agreed upon prior to submission. Reproduction of contents, either whole or in part is not permitted without consent of the publisher. The publisher cannot be responsible for the accuracy of statements made in advertising. Advertisements claiming a horse holds a certain position in a rating system should include the name of the system and the date the system was published; advertisers are responsible for the accuracy of their ads. The publisher cannot be responsible for copy or picture quality of ads employing advertiser submitted negatives or half-tones. The publisher reserves the right to edit all copy. All advertising is non-refundable. Inadvertent omission or wrong page numbers, wrong name from the ad index will in no way affect an advertiser’s responsibility to pay for an ad. Only pages in preferred sections may be reserved in advance by telephone. Payment must be made in United States funds only. Photographs used in advertising are automatically returned to the person who placed the ad free of charge as soon as is possible after the publication date. A courtesy subscription of THE EQUINE CHRONICLE is sent to all AQHA, APHA, ApHC, NSBA, IBHA, Palomino, PtHA, WCHA, and NRHA judges.
14 - August/September, 2020