
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: THURSDAY, November 16, 1995                   TAG: 9511160030
SECTION: SPORTS                    PAGE: B-3   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: RAY COX STAFF WRITER
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

HORSE SHOW MUST GO ON

Divorce, as those who have experienced it know, hurts. The feeling is something like falling off a horse.

And horsemen will tell you, when you're dismounted involuntarily, you rearrange your clothing and climb back aboard at once.

A day after being informed the Junior League of the Roanoke Valley intended to dissolve a marriage that has endured since 1982, the president of the Roanoke Valley Horsemen's Association said the horse show on which the two organizations collaborate would canter on.

``I am upbeat and I feel good about this show,'' Nancy Peterson said. ``I believe that this little setback with the league will not detract from this show at all. I say that because I know the commitment of the horsemen and of the community as a whole to having a top-quality show.

``No, I'm not worried about the show. This show is a success and it will be a success.''

The league voted 90-20 on Tuesday night not to support a motion to continue its majority partnership with the horsemen. The league will be involved fully for the 1996 show and will contribute a token force of volunteers for a transition team the next year.

``The horsemen have been wonderful to work with,'' said Sue Given, the league's president. ``But it's time for us to get on with business. We will do whatever we can to help identify another partner, and we'll offer whatever services necessary to ease another organization into place.''

The league has grown increasingly disenchanted with its share of the 75-25 split of the take, proceeds of which help fund the league's other charitable enterprises. That wasn't the full extent of it, Given said.

``We had a lengthy and balanced discussion about this before the vote, '' she said. ``I think the overwhelmingly decisive issue for us was the difficulty we have had in placing people in leadership roles for the horse show. We have members who believe in the show and love it, but are reluctant to accept these roles because it is so very time-consuming.''

Twenty five members spend an entire year working on nothing but the horse show. With an increasing number of members now being professional women, the problem is apparent, she said.

Peterson said no effort had been made to recruit another partner until the league's intentions were known.

``We have talked among ourselves about potential partners, but we didn't want to make overtures to anybody who might get their hopes up only to be disappointed if the league decided it did want to stay with us.''

Given pointed out the league's share of the last show's revenue was $30,000, ``Which many organizations would think very good,'' she said.

Peterson is ready to saddle up and make some sales calls.

``My head is up and I'm ready to go, '' she said. ``I mean it.''

by CNB