WLCF horse barn reconstruction underway

During the spring the horse barn at the Wheat Land Communities’ Fairgrounds burned beyond repair.

The barn could not be rebuilt in time for the 2014 Wheat Land Communities’ Fair so temporary pens were set up with panels from Bronco Farm Supply. Construction on the permanent replacement is now underway.

Erika Hennings is organizing the work on the structure for the WLCF.

The new structure will be an improvement upon the old one, with 20 stalls for horse exhibitors to utilize.

The first major improvement to the barn area is the new concrete ramp and walkway, which has improved the accessibility of the horse barn immensely.

“We had that concrete ramp but once you got off that you were in the sand,” Hennings explained. “And it made it very difficult for people with any kind of wheelchair or even strollers to go down the aisle.”

In addition to the walkway, there is also a new covered hay storage area and tack room with concrete floors as well. In the old horse barn, one of the stalls was dedicated for use as a storage area instead of having a specific tack room.

The building has also been shifted over to give more room on the south side between the building and the steep slope.

Other planned improvements to the structure include improved ventilation, as well as improved lighting inside and out so viewers can see the horses easily and for improved safety when walking around the building at night.

Hennings said most of the uprights are in place and the roof is almost complete. She said the walls would be the next step in the construction of the new building.