Exhibition Set To Hold First Event in A Year
It has been a year since the Moose Jaw Exhibition Company has been able to hold any events but that is set to change - that is, as long as the COVID - 19 restrictions are not tightened.
At their Tuesday evening meeting the board of the Moose Jaw Exhibition Company decided in an 8 -1 vote to allow an event but under very strict conditions.
Scheduled for April 10th and 11th the Saskatchewan Cutting Horse Association (SCHA) will be holding a limited attendee event at the Golden Mile Arena which is closed to the general public due to the COVID - 19 restrictions. The restrictions presently only allow 30 people in the facility at one time.
The two day SCHA event will see 18 attendees including a clinician, a videographer and a couple of people to manage the cattle used at the clinic. There will be up to 45 head of cattle used each day at the event depending upon the number of participants.
A cutting horse is a horse trained to separate cattle from the herd.
Speaking to the board general manager of the Moose Jaw Exhibition said the maximum number of attendees at the event was 20 or 21 which would leave the facility capacity wise able to have others - not connected to the clinic - able to use the Golden Mile’s washrooms without exceeding the 30 person limit in the facility.
Fowler said he was confident in the SCHA to hold a safe event within the confines of the present Public Health Order.
“They will follow the rules very closely,” he said adding “I am not concerned with these folks they will do their due diligence.”
“The numbers fit the rules so I think we can be comfortable with them they have all of their ducks in a row.”
In their recently released guidelines for racing, livestock sales and rodeos the Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) allows up to 30 spectators at events so long as there is sufficient space to accommodate proper 2 meter physical distancing between individuals and groups. Facility staff, event organizing staff and volunteers plus event contestants are not counted towards the 30 person limit.
“If we cannot make it through this one without a bunch of problems, then there are problems,” Fowler said, adding “I am a little bit nervous because it has been a year since we had a horse show.”
Moose Jaw is not the first place in the province to hold horse clinics since the provincial State Of Emergency was declared due to the COVID - 19 pandemic. Clinics have been successfully held at private stables in the Saskatoon area.
The event will be allowed to take place unless the pandemic becomes worse or the Province changes the Public Health Order tightening the restrictions.
“If things get worse and they tighten the rules then we have to follow the rules,” Fowler said.
Before the pandemic struck the Moose Jaw Exhibition held horse shows or events most weekends resulting in millions of dollars of economic spin-offs to the city.