America’s Horse, April 16, 2009 – The people of Murfreesboro, Tennessee, refuse to let a tornado get them down and are telling AQHA that the show – the first-ever QuarterFest: A Celebration of the American Quarter Horse – will go on!
“This is a difficult time, but our people on the ground in Murfreesboro are dedicated to seeing QuarterFest go on as planned – as a matter of fact, they want to make QuarterFest a real tribute and a testament to the way Murfreesboro, Tennessee, residents come together even under the most difficult circumstances,” said Tom Persechino, AQHA Executive Director of Marketing and Communications. “We’re going, and we look forward to seeing many, many AQHA members in Murfreesboro as part of this celebration.”
It’s believed that there were three to five tornado touchdowns mostly in the northern and western parts of Murfreesboro Friday. It’s estimated that at least three dozen homes were destroyed. The more than 300,000 members of the American Quarter Horse Association extend their hearts and offer up prayers for the victims of Friday’s tornado in the QuarterFest host city.
AQHA Directors Dave Whitaker and Roger Elder said they appreciate the outpouring of support and love and want all their Quarter Horse friends to come see how the town has pulled together despite the tragedy.
“This is just a hurdle on the road to a fabulous equine event,” Elder said. “QuarterFest is going to be awesome; we feel even more sorry for those who are going to miss it.”
The countdown has begun: Just a little more than two weeks until the gates of QuarterFest open to any and all horse lovers, May 1-3 in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. Looking for a place to crash during this three-day equine expo? We’ve got accommodations for you and your horse. Go to www.aqha.com/quarterfest/localAccommodations.html for a list of hotels, horse hotels and the rates for RV parking in the QuarterFest RV Park.
The official host hotel for QuarterFest is the Embassy Suites Murfreesboro Hotel and Conference Center. Featuring a complimentary happy hour and free breakfast, the Embassy Suites Murfreesboro (embassysuitesmurfreesboro.com) is featuring a $109 per night room rate for all QuarterFest fans. And, according to Jennifer Crafton at the Embassy Suites, rooms are going fast – so book today if you’re traveling into the Murfreesboro area.
QuarterFest is a three-day, education-packed celebration of the American Quarter Horse Association’s 68th anniversary where AQHA members and horse enthusiasts from around the world will gather in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, May 1-3 for fun, entertainment and festivities to honor the world’s most versatile horse – the American Quarter Horse. Our sponsors – Tractor Supply, B&W Trailer Hitches, John Deere, Justin Boots, Merial, Nutrena, Professional’s Choice, Bank of America, Montana Silversmiths, Farnam, Breyer and Wrangler – share our passion for horses and are an integral part of QuarterFest.
AQHA news and information is a service of AQHA publications. For more information on The American Quarter Horse Journal, The American Quarter Horse Racing Journal or America’s Horse, visit www.aqha.com/magazines.
