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ASSOCIATION NEWS

Funding for Improvements and Expansion at WRMC Approved

The work of attracting and keeping some of the top equestrian events in the country is never done — and recently the Fort Worth City Council approved $2 million in appropriations for renovations that will keep the Will Rogers Memorial Center at the top of the list of venues and events.

• The supplemental appropriation from the Culture and Tourism Fund — approved unanimously by council during its regular meeting — will back a number of improvement projects to help provide additional exhibit and meeting space.

• Specif ically, the project will provide new, flexible and climate-controlled vendor and meeting space in the northwest corner of the Richardson-Bass Building. The 8,500-square-foot expansion will meet the growing needs of the major equestrian shows, providing more vendor space and judges’ lounges, as well as off ice, hospitality and meeting rooms.

• The new space is nimble — with temporary air walls to allow the area to be divided for mixed use with vendor space and separate meeting rooms, or left open as one room — and its central location, in the middle of the equestrian facilities, provides easy access and improved visibility.

• As part of the vote, Modern Contractors Inc. was

awarded a $1.571 million contract for the project, which is expected to be complete by mid-2013. • Improvement and expansion projects have helped WRMC attract and keep a number of elite events, including the American Paint Horse Association, Appaloosa Horse Club, Reichert Celebration, Southwestern Exposition and Livestock Show and many more.

• Established in Fort Worth in 1936 to house events near downtown and in the Cultural District, the Will Rogers Memorial Center attracts more than two million visitors a year. It is host to an extensive variety of cultural, educational, recreational and sporting events and has become a premier destination for national and international equestrian events. For more information, go online to meetinfortworth.com/ will-rogers-memorial-center .

APHA Announces 2012 Running paint horse Champions

Logging a fantastic year on the track, CRM Livewire and Flashthechicks were named APHA’s 2012 Running World Champions. CRM Livewire took home the World Champion title for Regular Registry Paints, and Flashthechicks was the Solid Paint-Bred World Champion. They topped the f ield of 20 APHA Running Champions for the 2012 season. Read about all of the Paint racehorses receiving top honors in 2012, in the digital issue of the March 2013 Paint Horse Racing by clicking on the magazine cover at racing.apha.com . The digital Paint Horse Racing magazine is offered for free every other month. To sign up, click on the bright purple rectangle at racing.apha.com .

Paint Horses were part of a 2012 ribbon cutting ceremony for the Equestrian Multi-Purpose Building at Will Rogers Memorial Center.