Center for Equine Business Studies - Texas A&M University





	CEBS Announces Continuing Education Courses For Spring 2008 USTRC Contracts Research Services with CEBS Survey Services Available Through the CEBS Distance Learning Program Offers Ease of Training Center for Equine Business Studies Gains Industry Support Affordable Survey Services Available Through the CEBS Center for Equine Business Studies Gains Industry Support Distance Learning Program Offers Ease of Training Charitable Trust Will Fund Equine Business Studies at Texas A&M Center for Equine Business Studies to Focus on Cattle in Equine Competition Equine Business Summit Draws Enthusiastic Audience Summit To Assist Development of Proposed Equine Business Center at Texas A&M Industry Leaders Focus on Center for Equine Business Studies Equine Business Center Under Development

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:
Julie Bryant, (817) 443-0686, julie@golatigo.com

May 22, 2006

Equine Business Summit Draws Enthusiastic Audience
Nearly $30,000 pledged to launch Center for Equine Business Studies

(Fort Worth, Texas) - The Industry Summit on the Center for Equine Business Studies (CEBS) at Texas A&M University drew an enthusiastic and curious audience of more than 75 horse industry representatives to Fort Worth, Texas, May 18, to learn more about and discuss the future of the proposed Center. At the close of the session, nearly $30,000 was pledged to launch the center, while the potential to raise an additional $125,000 was expressed by those in attendance.

"This event was the litmus test for the University in being able to continue its work to launch the Center and the industry certainly gave us the 'go ahead'," said CEBS Executive Director Ernie Davis, PhD. "We held a think tank meeting earlier this year which led the development team to plan the Summit and get a broader response to the proposed launch of the Center. We were particularly pleased with the number of participants who came from outside Texas as we have strongly emphasized that this Center will serve the entire horse industry and not just the Texas horse industry."

Held at the international headquarters of the American Paint Horse Association in Fort Worth, participants representing eight states and 43 companies learned how the Center could help grow their businesses, but more importantly were engaged in lively dialogue regarding their perspective of the Center's role in the horse industry. Discussion regarding the types of services the Center should offer, information sources already being used and concerns regarding confidentiality of information were the topics discussed during a "table topics" luncheon.

"This was a valuable exercise for the development team as it will help us better understand how to design the center so that it will remain relevant and practical to the many different sectors of the industry," said Davis. "Those attending the conference were very clear that having a resource available to them, on both a macro and micro level, was an urgent need in the horse industry and having a university the caliber of Texas A&M providing the foundation for that resource is more realistic than what has been attempted in the past through volunteer driven initiatives."

Already endorsed by the American Quarter Horse Association, American Association of Equine Practitioners, Equibrand Corporation, Wrangler, the American Paint Horse Association and many others, the Center is slated to be operational in 2007 and will include an internationally recognized staff of agricultural economists, relied upon by the U.S. Congress, who are concerned with improving the economic rationality of decisions made within the many sectors of the nationwide horse industry.

To receive an information packet about the Center and membership, contact Dr. Davis at eed@tamu.edu by calling 979-845-1705 or at 2124 TAMU, College Station, TX 77843-2124 or go to http://cebs.tamu.edu.