Lake Waccamaw arena helps local economy By BILL THOMPSON For people who show horses, having a covered arena sheltered from the elements is almost a necessity. When that arena is located in the middle of a grove of pecan trees the necessity becomes a pleasure. At least, that is the sentiment of many of the folks who come to the Boys and Girls Homes Exhibition Center at Lake Waccamaw each year. “We have been coming here for years. It is one of our favorite places to show our horses,” said John McCallum of Raleigh. “There aren’t many places that provide shade during the summer season.” The McCallum family was among the many exhibitors who participated in the recent show sponsored by the Horseman’s Association of Columbus County. The local organization sponsors three shows a year. Their other shows will be held in May and September. The show season usually begins the first weekend in March of each year and continues until Thanksgiving. Each year approximately 30 events are held. Most of them are related to horses but there are other events such as the Wildlife Action Cook-Off and Exposition. Chuck Ward, arena manager and director of farm operations for the home, said, “All of the horse shows, including the ropings and cutting horse shows, are free to spectators. The only events for which we charge admission are the two rodeos, one in May and the other in August. Sometimes we’ll have concerts that we charge admission for, too.” Ward is the new manager of the facility. “During the winter we made some needed repairs and improvements that we think the exhibitors and spectators will appreciate. “Of course, the shade from the pecan trees is still the thing most people look forward to when they come here for a summer event,” he added. The manager estimates that approximately 20,000 people attend the various events held at the facility each year. Ward stated that people come from all parts of the country, all up and down the east coast and as far west as Texas and Mississippi. He noted that those people “spend a lot of money on hotel rooms, food and gasoline while they are here, too. Even for the local shows put on by the HACC there are folks from all over North and South Carolina.” He noted that this year they have had some shows or parts of shows canceled due to the lack of cattle available for the events that involve horses working cattle. “The drought caused the sale of cattle that would have normally been available for the shows. Hopefully, as the season goes along there will be more cattle available.” Becky Wray, interim president of Boys and Girls Homes said, “It has been a great public relations tool for us. It has brought people to our campus who would not have come otherwise, allowing us to tell them about our program to help children and families.” More information on events at the Exhibition Center can be found on the homes’ website at www.boysandgirlshomesofnc.org.
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