Case Study: Horse Show Ring Maintenance Free and Looking Good

0513-Horse Show RingThe all-wood horse show ring at the Ellington Agriculture Center at the Fairgrounds in Nashville, Tennessee, had been a continuous maintenance problem for decades. It required regular painting and replacement of rotten boards throughout the year. The facility was not used on a weekly basis, but had to be in good shape when an event did take place. Continuous maintenance was needed, but economically impractical.

TECHNICAL DATA
Product: Fiberglass Horse Show Ring
Process: Pultrusion
Materials: EXTREN® Series 625 fiberglass
reinforced vinyl ester, fire retardant
Sizes: EXTREN® structural shapes:

  • Main Fence Posts - 4" x 4" x 1/4" Wide flange beam
  • Box Seat Posts - 4" x 2" x 1/4" x 3/8" Rectangular tube
  • Main Cap Rail - 5" x 1-3/8" x 1/4" Channel
  • Box Seat Cap Rail - 2-5/8" x 1-1/4" x 1/4" Channel
  • Gate Perimeter Rails - 1 3/4" x 1/4" Square tube
  • Fence Facing - 3/16" Plate, 42" wide x 18' long
For: Tenn-Plast Engineering
User: Nashville Fairgounds

In 1988, management at the Fairgrounds decided to install an all-fiberglass show ring designed by Nashville Architect Paul Johnson. Fiberglass materials were manufactured by Strongwell Bristol Division and provided by Tenn-Plast Engineering, Inc. of Memphis, Tennessee.

EXTREN® Series 625 structural shapes, special “white” 3/ 16" thick fiberglass plate and yellow channel sections were fabricated into the fiberglass oval fence system and gates (744 lineal feet around the track) shown here.

Tenn-Plast Engineering President, Ernie Sutherland said, “Fiberglass was selected for this application because it is high impact resistant, corrosion resistant and reduces maintenance. The fiberglass show ring has required no maintenance since 1988 and still has an attractive appearance.”

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