Tulsa to get the Arabian Horse Association's national show

A major horse show chooses Tulsa as its new home. <br/><br/>The News on 6 first told you Wednesday that the Arabian Horse Association was searching for a home for its huge national competition and had

Thursday, August 26th 2004, 7:09 am

By: News On 6

A major horse show chooses Tulsa as its new home.

The News on 6 first told you Wednesday that the Arabian Horse Association was searching for a home for its huge national competition and had selected the Tulsa County Fairgrounds.

The move would lure the show away from the cities of Albuquerque and Louisville.

Now itâ€™s official. News on 6 anchor Scott Thompson says the annual show should bring out thousands of Arabian owners and fans here to this new livestock complex, and bring millions into the Tulsa economy.

The Arabian show is twice as large as anything the fairgrounds have hosted in the past. Some believe trainers might even move their base of operations to Tulsa to get their horses used to the arena and climate.

Expo Square says 3,000 people over two weeks means almost $17-million for the city. Tulsa Mayor Bill LaFortune: "These are the kinds of events and announcements that drive a city forward which are so significant to our economy and our citizens."

But Thursday's announcement doesn't mean Expo officials can take a break. There's still millions of dollars worth of improvements that need to be made before the show's arrival.