EVANGELINE DOWNS TO HOST 2008 CHALLENGE CHAMPIONSHIPS

COURTESY OF STALLIONESEARCH.COM

Evangeline Downs Selected For ’08 Challenge Championships




—JULY 19, 2007—AQHA announced yesterday Evangeline Downs will host the 2008 Bank of America Challenge Championships and AQHA Racing Conference.
“We’re really looking forward to hosting the Challenge Championships at Evangeline Downs,” said Racing Challenge director Darrell Hare. “The Louisiana Quarter Horse Breeders Association, track management, and community leaders in Opelousas were very helpful in moving this process along. Their willingness to help will make this a fun and successful event.”

The Bank of America Racing Challenge is a season-long series of qualifying races held in 11 regions in the United States, Canada, Mexico and South America. The regional finalists meet at the Challenge Championships, a single night of racing worth over $1.1 million in purses.

This year's Challenge Championships will be held at Los Alamitos in California on November 3.

“The LQHBA is to be commended for creating this opportunity for us and for Louisiana,” said Evangeline Downs general manager Mike Howard. “We’ve enjoyed an excellent relationship with the state’s Quarter Horse racing industry and have hosted many of their race meets.

“The Challenge Championships takes the sport to a whole new level,” he added. “It promises to be an event to be remembered.”

Factors included in selection of Evangeline Downs for the '08 Challenge Champonship included track facilities, nearby hotel and conference facilities, and support from Evangeline Downs and community officials.

The first Challenge Championships took place at Sunland Park in New Mexico in 1993. Other previous host tracks include Retama Park, Turf Paradise, Sam Houston Race Park, and Lone Star Park.