For the horse crowd

[contender]

If you are a horse person,,, you may already know this.

The World Equestrian Show/Event will be held at a new venue this fall, (September) in my back yard. The Tryon Equestrian Center is the host facility. It's about 10 miles away,,, and is in my home county. people are coming from all over the world for this event. Some of the folks bringing horses will be here for over a month. Lots of big money coming in.

For me,,, I've been hearing a lot of STUPID stuff about it so far.
Locals renting out their homes, for $1000 a night during the event. They will be moving in with friends or taking a vacation or whatever.
Why?
Not enough accommodations for the expected crowd.

Then there is the new traffic construction happening in Columbus. At least a $20 million to $50 million dollar project,,, that so far,,, isn't making any sense. They are construction a bridge 7 roadwork in a place where we can not see any reason for it. I haven't had anybody explain WHY they are doing whatever they are doing. I've heard a rumor it's a "tunnel system" to bring in the horses. My question is are they going to build a 6-7 mile long tunnel & where the heck is it going to go?
(There is already a nice 4 lane interstate road that passes right by the Equestrian Center. And it's not a crowded road.)

It's happening in September,,,, and I'm dreading the influx of many of these folks. I've already had a few interactions with some,,, and they haven't been very nice people,,,! Who appear to look at us as if we are nothing more than dumb hicks,,, and are to be ignored, used or taken advantage of,,, dis-respecting locals & their rights or feelings.

Many appear to be nothing more than rich snobs who look down upon the working folks in general. Gonna be a long September.

 

[Mobuck]

Yes, but it will be such an improvement to the "local economy".(sarcasm)
Sounds a bit like the proposed "lake project" here. The majority of the county is backing the building of a multi-million dollar lake with expectations of a booming business built around catering to similar "snobbish" folks coming here to "recreate".
The problems with this plan are numerous but the proponents downplay those. All I see is several million dollars wasted to satisfy a few people whose greed is well known.

 

[Selena]

One of the locals claims that the only difference between prostitution and the tourist trade is that tourist work is more demeaning and the diseases exposed to more deadly.

In my own experience, there two kinds of city people;

those that feel their culture is oh so superior to yours and wish to act as missionaries.

And those who wish to escape the problems of the city and invariably bring those problems with them.

Both need to be avoided to maintain the peace and dignity of your community.

 

[A.J.]

In my experience, people who are very wealthy or powerful are usually very kind people as well; but not always. It's a shame you have to put up with so much BS. Oh well... That's what money does. And they're bringing it.

 

[gunzo]

Sounds like Deja' Vu all over again :wink: . I'm about 25 miles from the Ky. Horse Park that hosted the World Equestrian Games in 2010. Everything you've explained Ty, is practically to a tee of what went on, or was talked about here for at least 2 years before the event.
It all was pretty much a flash in the pan. No homes, or very few were rented for big bucks, as the upper crust chose seek out posh accommodations in Louisville, Cincinnati, Lexington & were either brought in by helicopter or limo. Some were guest in the mansions that are on the many horse farms in the area.
Horse farm owners, as well as farmers that raised hay & straw, saw no or little benefit as well. Thinking they would rent barn room for big money or get a premium for hay. The horses were in quarantine most of the time they were here.
Snobs? Whether real or imagined, are everywhere & they reproduce. I've been snubbed six ways from Sunday, & sometimes not from what I say or how I say it, simply looked down upon because of ……………………., fill in the blank, they will find something, they're snobs. Laugh at them, ignore them, or tell them to go …. …….

10 miles is pretty close, but I don't think I'd fret too much about the whole thing. Most of those people will be concentrating on the event & not the surrounding area, or the locals.

 

[contender]

This Equestrian Center has been touted as a big deal, and a boost for the local economy. Well, what we've seen so far,,, is an investment group has spent an obscene amount of money to buy up land for their center. They have paid well above market value for some of it, and in at least one case,, bought land w/o all the legal owners agreeing to the sale. (Yes, a lawsuit, which they settled out of court for them.)
Yet,,, I don't know of any locals who work there,,, but I've seen a lot of imported (wondering if they are legal) laborers out there.
And while a SMALL amount of the local economy has seen some benefits,,, it really hasn't helped the rural folks here. One common claim is that this place will bring in a lot of money, and the taxes etc that are paid will help the local county. Well,,, that may be true to a point,,, BUT,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, once these rich horse people visit the area, and want a home here,,, and buy up property,,, I'm SURE I'll see a substantial increase in MY property taxes,,, "to help the county pay for it's infrastructure."

Now,,, on one hand,,, I know part of the problem is that for this place to get built, they had to buy land & all. And the locals who sold it,,, they are partially to blame. But it started with a single purchase of a large parcel of land,, and then grew as they bought adjoining land. Some of the locals didn't want to stay there with it in their back yard, AND were offered a sizable price for their property well above market value. Others,,, well,,,, just plain stupid & greedy & sold out,,, not caring about anything.

So the Center got built.

At first,,, they appear to be good folks,,, offering many events with free admission. I was out of town,,, and Miss Penny & our oldest & his g/f went one Sat night.
Well, it may have been free to get in, the cost of buying concessions was high. And when watching the horse competitions etc,,, they were trying to ask questions about the event. One snob,,, snapped at Miss Penny saying something like: "Buy a program, and study about what goes on before you come here." And another woman looked at a local guy who happened to be wearing bib overalls,,, muttered something under her breath, and moved away when he sat near them. Penny almost got a bit vocal,,, but chose not to. But she was new to all of it,, and Davy wanted to go & see what it was all about. Her comments about how several women there were wearing enough jewelry to make her (Penny) look like a poor beggar woman taught me that it may not be good for this barefoot hillbilly to go there. First time any snob made a disparaging comment,,, I'm sure I could blister them with a comeback that would upset them to the point of calling security.

All in all,,, I really hated to see such a nice quiet rural farming community get turned into a rich person's snob haven. And I'm afraid it's just going to get worse.

 

[Ale-8(1)]

Not all horse folks are snobs. I know several who are just folks with a rather expensive hobby, but still put their pants on one leg at a time.

But it's real obvious that horses attract the moneyed set when you watch what happens at the big events like the Triple Crown races and all the Arab sheikhs (and their groupies and hangers-on) show up.

:roll:

 

[Doc Holliday]

Bored wives with rich husbands.

New traffic construction = new subdivisions, here come the Monster Homes and there goes your property taxes, since the neighborhood has now 'been improved'.

 

[Ale-8(1)]

For interest, find out who owned the big chunks of property sold for this project.

:shock: :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :shock:

 

[Fox Mike]

Please tell me that they will be gone by October. :shock:

 

[contender]

I actually know a lot of good folks who own horses. Just not the same types of horses that will be at this event. Different folks & different horses,, doing different things.
And as far as we know,,, it'll all be gone by October. (BTW; The Days Inn in Columbus is renting rooms starting at $600 a night during this event timeframe.)

 

[GP100]

Many appear to be nothing more than rich snobs who look down upon the working folks in general. Gonna be a long September.

Sounds like some of the same type that are older and ride around in half a million dollar motor homes I've seen in RV parks in Arizona..

 

[Colonialgirl]

One of the locals claims that the only difference between prostitution and the tourist trade is that tourist work is more demeaning and the diseases exposed to more deadly.

In my own experience, there two kinds of city people;

those that feel their culture is oh so superior to yours and wish to act as missionaries.

And those who wish to escape the problems of the city and invariably bring those problems with them.

Both need to be avoided to maintain the peace and dignity of your community.

Sounds like some from up north that come down to Florida every winter. :roll: :roll: :roll:

 

[Doc Holliday]

One of the locals claims that the only difference between prostitution and the tourist trade is that tourist work is more demeaning and the diseases exposed to more deadly.

In my own experience, there two kinds of city people;

those that feel their culture is oh so superior to yours and wish to act as missionaries.

And those who wish to escape the problems of the city and invariably bring those problems with them.

Both need to be avoided to maintain the peace and dignity of your community.

Sounds like some from up north that come down to Florida every winter. :roll: :roll: :roll:

Same problem here in Arizona. They (mostly Canadians) come down here and overcrowd our favorite places, so you can forget about going out anywhere, until mid-April when they all (thankfully) leave.