World’s Championship Horse Show Internet Webcast Plans Announced
Friday, August 11, 2006
Lexington, Kentucky – The American Saddlebred Horse Association announced plans today for its second annual Internet webcast of all classes at the World’s Championship Horse Show at the 2006 Kentucky State Fair in Freedom Hall, Louisville.
“We are expecting to provide live streaming video of every class in the show, as we did last year in our first attempt at such an ambitious project,” explained Alan F. Balch, executive secretary of the Association.
The video feed will begin shortly before the first performance begins at 6:30 p.m. Eastern Time (USA), Sunday, August 20, and continue through the end of that performance, with constant live feeds of each and every performance while they’re underway. The show ends on Saturday night, August 26, with the World’s Grand Championship evening performance starting at 7:00 p.m. and ending before 11 p.m. ET.
“We’ve greatly expanded our capacity from last year,” Balch added, “and with improved technology, we hope to have virtually unlimited capability so anyone in the world with the appropriate computer equipment and Internet bandwidth, preferably broadband, DSL, or cable modem, will be able to receive a very clear picture and excellent audio.” Dial-up connections, however, are usually not suitable for receiving video streaming.
The improvements will come at a price, Balch explained. “Last year, the service was experimental and free to viewers, with the members of ASHA bearing all the costs,” he said. “This year, there will be a nominal charge per day to cover expenses, with a discount from that price for members of ASHA. Any excess funds will be dedicated to our Futures Fund, to improve technology and advancement of the Saddlebred worldwide, so viewers will know they’re helping us stimulate even more interest in the breed. We’re completing the testing and the programming now, and we look forward to opening day of the show when everything will be installed prior to show time.”
As last year, the webcast will be available on the front page of the Association’s website, www.saddlebred.com, where all necessary explanations and instructions will be provided. Final pricing for this year will be announced shortly, with per day prices ranging from $5 to $10. Those with the most modern equipment and the greatest bandwidth will enjoy the highest quality picture, with the live television feed provided courtesy of the Kentucky State Fair and Richfield Video. The program content will be the same as seen throughout the grounds of the Fair, generated through Richfield’s facilities. That feed is encoded and transmitted by high-speed connection to the Association’s website hosting provider, SelectNet Internet Services, where it is then streamed to viewers’ computers over the Internet from multiple high capacity video servers.
Charges will be handled by use of credit cards on the Association’s website, the same way on-line membership enrollments or renewals are now handled. Virtually all such transactions are now fully automated for the convenience of members and ASHA staff alike.
Questions and comments should be directed to the ASHA via email, saddlebred@asha.net, or by fax to (859) 259-1628.
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