Tulsa's Expo Square update

The improvements at Tulsa's Expo Square encouraged one horse show to stay in Tulsa and more improvements will draw another one here. <br/><br/>News on 6 reporter Emory Bryan says it is Laurie Irvin's

Friday, June 24th 2005, 10:32 am

By: News On 6

The improvements at Tulsa's Expo Square encouraged one horse show to stay in Tulsa and more improvements will draw another one here.

News on 6 reporter Emory Bryan says it is Laurie Irvin's first time in Tulsa, her first time at the Tulsa County fairgrounds. "One of the nicer facilities I've been in." Irvin, who is from South Carolina, says she couldn't happier with her trip - she won 2 reserve championships - and she likes the surroundings too. "There's a nice breeze that blows through and I think really it's one of the most enjoyable facilities, there are a lot of practice facilities, you're not crowded, really I love it."

Irvin rode just one of 1,500 horses in for the show. It lasted two weeks.

John Humphrey with the Pinto Horse Association of America: "If they hadn't enlarged the place, we wouldn't have it at all." The president of the Pinto Association just signed a 5 year deal to keep the horses and all those competitors coming back to Tulsa. "They like the way they're treated in Tulsa."

As the facilities have expanded, the horse shows have expanded to fill them; in fact the pintos had to put in 50 temporary stalls for the show.

By next year, there will be another barn, another will be heated and cooled, and there will even be skyboxes in the Pavilion. The Pavilion skyboxes were part of a deal to get the Arabian horse show at Expo Square in 2008. Next door there's a new barn under construction and it will be done in time for the Tulsa State Fair.

There's a new arena that's almost finished - but already in use. It's all part of a second phase of construction, paid for by the Vision tax, and more is already on the drawing board.

The Pinto Horse Association thinks they are proof all that investment is paying off for Tulsa.