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Casa,deiIORSESilOW5 <br />March 2,2017 <br />Senator Jim Honeyford <br />Way and Means,Vice-Chair capital Budget committee <br />112 Irv Newhouse Building <br />PO Box 40415 <br />Olympia,WA 98504 <br />Re:Washington State Horse Park -Covered Arena Project <br />Dear Senator Honeyford: <br />I am a partner in Cascade Horse Shows,LLC,and can't emphasize enough that the facilities at the Washington State Horse Park are <br />extremely important to our future growth.I urge you to support the Horse Park's application for $2.0 million in capital funding <br />support for a Covered Arena and Associated Build-Out submitted by the WA State Horse Park Authority. <br />Cascade Horse Shows organizes the Park's largest events;currently producing two weeklong shows (competitions)in June and <br />another two shows in July.The challenge we are facing is that we are presently operatingat the Horse Park's capacity in terms of <br />number of people we can serve and number of events we can hold.We are unable to accommodate a meaningful amount of the <br />customer base who would like to attend our events.This results in Washington residents and others having to travel to out-of-state <br />venues to spend their show dollars. <br />Our horse shows draw participants and spectators from all over the western United States and Canada.Horse sports are unique in <br />that they are enjoyed by people of all ages (6-70)and are one of the only sports where women and men compete equally.A <br />particular feature of our brand of horse sport (show jumping)is it's a crowd pleaser being spectator friendly and wholesome family <br />entertainment.It's also important to note the value of the horses participating,often costing six figures.This is relevant as weather <br />conditions can adversely affect horses'performance and well-being making owners highly selective of the environmentsin which <br />they expose their horses. <br />A Covered Arena and Associated Build-Outwouldallow us increase the number of people attending the shows,increase the number <br />of events we produce and enable us to ensure the most favorableconditions in which to compete.All leading to increased tourism <br />dollars to the state and Kittitas county. <br />Thank you for your consideration.I urge the State to fund this important project. <br />Sincerely, <br />Jessica Vania <br />Partner,Cascade Horse Shows LLC <br />923 21st Ave East Seattle WA 98112 «www.CascadeHorseShows.com