A newly renovated coliseum at the Illinois State Fairgrounds awaits the arrival of the crème de la crème of Palomino exhibitors this month in Springfield. A $12-million renovation project has been completed on the original coliseum, which was built in 1901.

Moving the show, which rund from Sept. 17 to 26, from Tunica, Mississippi was a decision that took into consideration the cost of various facilities and the show attendance statistics in different areas of the nation.

The Illinois State Fairgrounds came out on top with reasonable pricing, new facilities and a central location to many Palomino exhibitors.

“I think it will be a really positive move for us,” said Lowanda McDowell, PHBA president.  “The layout is a bit different. When you’re in Tunica, everything is under one roof, and there’s a big concourse around the top where you can stand and watch. The vendors are all right there. Springfield’s concourse is underneath. The vendors are a bit hidden, so we’re challenged with vendor space for those who want a 10- by-10-foot space inside. However, vendors with trailers will have an abundance of space.”

Past-President Vicki Parker is from Ohio, and very familiar with competing in Springfield.

“The coliseum had been showing its age. But now it’s pristine. The first time I went there with other PHBA members when we were evaluating show grounds, what popped into my head was that it looks like an ice cream cone. It’s an amazing building, designed so hot air rises. There are a lot of stall barns all around and several camp grounds,” she said. “The entire facility is very easy to get in and out of.”

Parker has many fine memories about the facility.

“We were showing at the Illinois State Fair, and here came George H.W. Bush down the lane in front of where we were showing. It was some political event and Bush went by so close that I could almost reach out and touch him. One of his security guards sat on the tailgate of our truck. That was really neat that he was right there where we were.”

Kevin Gordon, the Illinois State Fair manager, is not only proud of the renovation, but happy that the Palomino show will be in Springfield for the next four years.

“I’m glad the show is coming up here from Mississippi, and looking forward to seeing the horses,” Gordon said. “My office looks right out at the coliseum, and it’s a beautiful building. I’ve called Springfield home for over 30 years, and although there are 100,000 people in town, it never lost that small-town feel. I also love the idea that the show has a Challenged Rider section. The Springfield community will eat that right up.”

Gordon pointed out that the renovation included two 24-foot fans in the coliseum’s roof to draw hot air out. “Last August, it was like having air conditioning in there, when it was 90 degrees outside.”

The facility is huge; 366 acres, with 177 buildings, most of them barns, with beautiful landscaping. Gordon also pointed out that there are many restaurants within walking distance, as well as a Walgreens right across the street.

“There’s Frannie’s, and The Stadium, which has great bar food,” he said. “We’re also the only state fairgrounds that is on historic Route 66,” he pointed out, “so there is a lot of Route 66 history in the area.”

Route 66, once called “The Main Street of America”, or as writer John Steinbeck dubbed it, the ‘Mother Road’, began in Chicago and ran all the way to Santa Monica in Southern California.

For additional information on the Palomino Horse Breeders of America and the 2020 World Championship Show visit http://www.palominohba.com.

About The Fairgrounds

The first Illinois State Fair moved around the state for the first 40 years of existence, However, the original fair was in Springfield in 1853, when Abraham Lincoln was 44 years old. Springfield became the Sangamon County seat in 1921, and Lincoln, who lived there at the time, helped it become the capital of Illinois in 1837.

The state fair finally settled in Springfield in 1894. Like any self-respecting agricultural fair, they boast a 600 lb. butter sculpture, and room for hundreds of head of livestock in the plethora of barns. To honor the past, there is even an Illinois State Fair Museum.

Although the hopes and dreams of most exhibitors is to come home with world championship titles, there are also opportunities to make memories.        

Fun facts about the Land of Lincoln

We’ve all seen ‘Land of Lincoln’ on Illinois license plates. While the entire state celebrates its most famous citizen, Springfield is the epicenter of all things Lincoln.

History buffs can revel in visiting Lincoln’s home, presidential library and museum, tomb, and Oak Ridge Cemetery, Lincoln’s final resting place. Legend has it that rubbing the nose of Lincoln’s bust in front of his tomb brings good luck. Inside, there is a presentation of his speeches. Serious Lincoln historians could even visit the Edwards house, which contains the ‘courting couch’ used by Abraham as he won the heart of Mary Todd Lincoln. It’s the oldest house in Springfield still in its original position. The Illinois Governor’s mansion is an impressive brick structure which has been home to the first families of Illinois since 1855, and is the third oldest continuously occupied governor’s mansion in the United States.

Illinois was the first state to ratify the 13th amendment to abolish slavery, which is no surprise given their most famous native son.

Famous Illinoisans, besides Abraham Lincoln, include farm machinery inventors John Deere and Cyrus McCormick. Since almost 80-percent of the state is farm land, they had plenty of space to experiment on the prairie soil. That soil prompted Vermont native and blacksmith John Deere to invent the self-scouring plow, which historians say helped settle the west. Perhaps those long-ago farmers harvested their grain with a McCormick reaper. Those reapers probably helped fill the first tower silo, which was built in Spring Grove, Illinois. John Deere’s company, founded in 1837, has its world headquarters in Moline, Illinois.

Today, the state’s number one crop is corn, grown mainly as livestock feed, but some goes to make corn syrup, starch, and fuel alcohol. The second largest crop is soybeans, followed by hay, wheat, rye, oats, and grain sorghum. Changing with the times, many farmers in the southern part of the state are growing green beans, cabbage, cucumbers, sweet corn and melons. Morton, Illinois is the pumpkin capital of the world. More than 85-percent of packaged pumpkin originates there.

According to USDA statistics, About 3-percent of Illinois farms have swine. Beef cows are found on about 22-percent of farms, while about 1-percent have dairy cows.