Promotion
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Thanks to sponsor support and private funding, the AARC added money is
high while the entry fees are low. The Open Derby will consist of a
$60,000 added Open Division, a $20,000 Intermediate Open Division and a
$5,000 Limited Open Division. There also will be a $2,000 Prime Time
Open Division. The Non Pro Derby is equally impressive, with a $40,000
added Non Pro Division, $15,000 Intermediate Non Pro Division and an
$8,000 Limited Non Pro Division. There also will be a $2,000 Prime Time
Non Pro Division.
In the ancillary classes, over $22,700 in added money is up for
grabs-including a $6,000 added Open class, a $4,000 Intermediate Open
class, and a $5,000 Non Pro class. The AARC also added a Rookie
Professional class to their slate, increasing the added for the
ancillary classes to $25,000.
The AARC is teaming up with the Southern Nevada Reining Horse
Association (SNRHA) to put on this one-of-a-kind event. The AARC itself
is the brainchild of Utah reiner Todd Watts and his good friend and
master event planner Michelle Ward, Boise, Idaho. Todd, Washington,
Utah, originally saw a need for a large Reining show in Las Vegas. After
some intense brainstorming, the idea for the AARC was hatched.
"We both saw a huge potential," remembers Michelle. She and Todd
realized that having a large Derby "Out West" at that time of year was
ideal. And the South Coast Hotel and Equestrian facility would make the
show even sweeter. "You can't find a place like this anywhere else in
the country. You can be out of your hotel room and at your horse's side
within minutes," she explains.
The South Coast
The South Coast Hotel and Equestrian Center is truly an ideal location
for the AARC. All housed under one roof, the venue boasts a full-service
hotel and an impressive array of entertainment options. Guests can enjoy
views of the glittering Las Vegas valley from one of the luxurious
rooms, and the top floor contains all suites. Each oversized guest room
functions more like a mini suite, with state of the art plasma screens
and high-speed internet. The hotel also offers several great
restaurants, the large South Coast Casino, a 64-lane bowling alley and a
16-screen movie theater!
Under the same roof is the incredible horse show facility, which boasts
1,160 climate-controlled stalls, a 250'x 125' indoor show arena, and
large indoor and covered outdoor arenas. This is one of the premier show
facilities in the world and the AARC is proud to be one of only two
reinings that will be held at the South Coast this year.
As an added bonus, the All American Reining Classic is offering a
Stallion Sponsor Program to provide funds for scholarships, awards,
prizes and other activities to promote the sport of Reining. The AARC
will be teaming up with the Reining Horse Sports Foundation (RHSF) and
will donate 50% of the Stallion Sponsorship proceeds to the RHSF
Hurricane Relief Fund. For more information on the Hurricane Relief
Fund, please visit the RHSF website at:
www.reininghorsesportsfoundation.org
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Make Plans Now!
Because this is the first year for the AARC, the show management is
aware that there is some trepidation about the event. To make things
easier for those who haven't entered yet, late fees for the AARC derbies
have been reduced to $100 for the Open and $50 for the Non Pro until
March 1, 2006. After March 1, the late fees will increase. Even with
the late fees, the entry fee for the AARC is a great deal, especially
with the amount of money added!
Two frequently asked questions about the show are, "What is the
schedule?" and "Will the schedule change?" Michelle says that the
schedule will firm up as management gets an idea as to the number of
entries they can expect. "Fortunately, we have two arenas to work with,"
she points out. As it stands now, there is a tentative schedule on the
show's website, www.theAARC.com .
Move-in for the show starts Monday, March 20 after 6 pm. From early
indications, the AARC is going to be big. Contestants are encouraged to
reserve rooms at the South Coast ASAP. "As of last count, our hotel
rooms reserved matched that of the Silver Dollar Circuit, which is at
the South Coast the week prior," says Michelle, noting that the Silver
Dollar Circuit, which has been running for 30 years, has already hit
their capacity at the hotel.
"We have 340 hotel rooms blocked, but we will lose them as of Feb. 19,"
Michelle explained. "We may also run out of rooms by Feb. 19 and I want
to encourage everyone to get their rooms reserved soon before they are
gone!"
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