Horse show transforms Oncenter

A hockey rink was quickly transformed into a  horse ring for this week's equestrian event.

by Jackie Dresch (NCC NEWS)

November 4, 2010, 4:30 p.m. 

SYRACUSE, N.Y. - The War Memorial arena in the Oncenter has been changed from an ice rink to a horse ring for this week's Syracuse Invitational Sporthorse Tournament. 

The 16-hour process required 40 people to break down the ice rink and build the horse rink over the covered ice. The workers had to wait for the Syracuse Crunch game to end before they could break down the rink.  

According to The Post-Standard, the job started at 10 p.m. when workers began removing glass around the rink, the nets and the bleachers. Eventually the staff covered the ice before the horse show came in to set up the ring. 

The approximate cost of the changeover was $25,000 which the horse show staff paid for. 

Although the job required a lot of time and money, the Oncenter's Director of Operations, Danielle Goss says the effort will pay off in the end.

"It will draw thousands of people from all over the world and attached to that would be room a lot of room nights and things like that. There's a huge economic impact on this city," said Goss.