Fort Worth — Team penning will involve a little ink as leaders from the Appaloosa Horse Club (ApHC) and the City of Fort Worth sign a new five-year contract with Will Rogers Memorial Center (WRMC) and the Fort Worth Convention and Visitors Bureau for its annual World Championship Appaloosa Show.

The signing is set for 1:30 p.m. Nov. 1 in the Silver Spur Room of the Amon G. Carter Exhibits Hall at WRMC 3401 W. Lancaster Ave.

Ceremonial pens will be brandished by Steve Taylor, ApHC chief executive officer; Eric Beene, ApHC president; Carter Burdette, District 7 City Councilman and Kirk Slaughter, director of the city’s Public Events Department.

“Will Rogers Memorial Center is an excellent facility,” praises Steve Taylor. “The City of Fort Worth, the staff and the community have always made us feel very welcome. People who travel to Fort Worth for our show enjoy the city and all it offers. Cowboys are still welcome.”

Nearly 1,000 Appaloosas participate in the show, which awards more than

145 World Championship titles in cattle, western, English, jumping, games and halter competitions.

Kirk Slaughter says the city is very pleased to continue its relationship with the show, “The Appaloosa Horse Club is one of the finest equestrian groups in the world. We’re very proud to be its host facility.”

The nine-day event has been staged at WRMC for 18 years and has an approximate

$10.9 million annual impact on Fort Worth’s economy.  The first Appaloosa World Horse Show at WRMC was in 1989. This year’s show runs October 26 - November 3.

WRMC was the site for 429 events last year, including the month-long Fort Worth Stock Show.