Majestic Valley Arena is still for sale, but following a winter shutdown its doors are open and the events are trickling in.
Owners Bob and Jan Parker announced last fall that they would close Majestic Valley’s doors for the winter and, if the economy continued its slide, perhaps close them for good. But fuel prices have declined and, as expected, the winter shutdown saved considerable money on heating costs. Aside from team penning practices, the popular venue was mostly dark from January into March.
Factoring in the money saved during winter and the drop in fuel prices, the Parkers are hoping for a more cost-efficient year in 2009. Last summer, high fuel prices, exacerbated by a flailing economy, contributed to a substantial decrease in participants for horse shows, which are the big moneymakers for Majestic. That subsequently caused a decrease in show promoters.
“A little timeout helped everybody, I guess,” Bob Parker said recently. “It’s been a long winter.”
Parker said he and his wife recognize the venue’s importance to the valley and are trying to do everything in their power to keep it open. In addition to its contributions to the equine and entertainment scene, city officials say Majestic Valley’s impact on the local economy is significant. Participants and spectators fill hotels, shop at area stores and pump money into other areas of the economy.
Before the arena opened in 2002, Parker, a horse enthusiast, said there wasn’t a high-quality venue for equine shows – or large events of any kind – in Northwest Montana. Over the years, Majestic Valley has established a reputation as a top-notch venue for horse-related shows, frequently attracting nationally renowned participants.
Even if the Parkers sell Majestic Valley, Parker said they want to make sure it continues to function as a multi-event center. The Parkers have received three recent inquiries, or “serious lookers,” interested in purchasing the arena, but nothing is in the works, he said.
Promoters are showing strong interest in the venue for 2009, Parker said. The arena already has hosted one large-scale event this year: March’s Colgate Country Showdown, which Parker said was a major success. Numerous events are scheduled through the remainder of 2009.
Among the biggest attractions in past years has been Clinton Anderson, known in horse circles as one of the top trainers in the world. Anderson will again be performing a three-day clinic at Majestic on May 15-17.
“We still see it as a viable need in the community and we’re trying our best to keep it open,” Parker said. “We want to keep it going as it is, but it is for sale.”
Summer is the moneymaking season for Majestic Valley, driven predominantly by the equestrian shows for which the arena is best known. The revenue earned from renting out horse stalls is substantial, Parker said, and the shows draw large crowds. Furthermore, there’s little overhead in the summer: no heating, plenty of light and overall agreeable conditions for operating such a large venue in Montana.
The Parkers rely on summer revenue to help carry them through the rest of the year.
“I think the horse shows are going to come back and be fairly strong,” Parker said. “They love the facility and they want to keep coming back.”
Majestic Valley sits on 140 acres off of U.S. Highway 93 between Kalispell and Whitefish. Its centerpieces are the 55,750-square-foot indoor arena that seats 7,000 people and a state-of-the-art stall barn, which contains 164 indoor and 190 outdoor stalls. Other facilities include a 45,000-square-foot outdoor arena, a 250-seat pavilion and plenty of holding pens.
Upcoming events include a large ultimate fighting competition on April 25, followed five days later by the famed Lipizzaner Stallions. Log on to www.majesticvalleyarena.com for more information on events.
“We’re back open for business, we’re booking events,” Parker said. “As long as the market will bear it, we’ll keep the doors open.”