Dressage Community unites to bring new life to Washington County Fairgrounds
Washington County Fairgrounds (WCF) has hosted dressage shows for a number of years and has been the site of Central States Dressage and Eventing’s (CSDEA) annual Dressage Festival and the fun Festival Under the Stars. Unlike some major metros that boast more than one location of public equestrian events, WCF is the only public dressage facility in the Twin Cities area and has introduced generations of riders and supporters to the sport of dressage. However, Rings 1 and 2 were never constructed to dressage standards, leading to uneven footing with poor drainage.
Enter the Dressage Arena Project!
This exciting project will support the construction of two dedicated dressage-specific arenas and a warm up ring in the location of the former Ring 2 (Ring 1 will become the site for games and other equestrian sports). The new arenas will be constructed to USDF standards and will feature lights and sound-capabilities that will allow dressage shows to be held entirely in this improved space.
As a 501(c)3, the Washington County Agriculture Society has authorized and supports this improvement. CSDEA also supports this project. You have an opportunity to contribute to the construction of this exciting new addition to area dressage facilities.
Why footing matters
Equestrians are concerned, first and foremost, about the safety of their horse. Substandard footing can cause tendon and foot injuries resulting in thousands in vet bills and months of recovery. An injured horse also means a loss of riding time (usually in our short summer), extra care costs, and emotional hardships on both the horse and rider. Many riders simply won't risk riding on bad footing.
What will it look like? (SEE IMAGE ABOVE!)
The project involves the construction of three 100 x 280 foot arenas inside a single 300 x 300 enclosure where the WCAS show ring #2 is located. The project includes, for each 100 x 280 ring:
· creation of a durable and consistent subbase that entails removal and leveling existing topsoil and vegetation
· A crown sub-base of one percent
· Compaction of the sub-base to 92% of maximum density (meeting ASTM D1557 compaction specifications, as recommended by the USDF)
· creating of a 12 inch limestone base with a 1% crown
· a top coating of two to three inches of a sand mix determined to be optimal in Minnesota climate
· Install arena base retention material (railroad ties or pressure treated posts) spaced to allow drainage
The three rings will be enclosed within a post and rail fencing with two gates.