The showgrounds for one of the largest winter circuits\-he Gulf Coast Winter Series—was directly in the path of the devastating Hurricane Katrina, located at the Harrison County Equestrian Center in Gulfport, Miss. But show organizer Bob Bell is confident that the 2006 version of the Gulf Coast series—which begins the first week of February—will go on.

Janet McCarroll, the Gulf Coast series coordinator, lives just 4 miles from the showgrounds, and she reported to Bell on Sept. 3 that the grounds had suffered “minimal damage,” said Bell. “It\’s a relatively flat area, with not many buildings, so it fared well. In fact, they\’re using the showgrounds now as a staging area for the electrical companies.”

Bell said that the majority of Gulfport\’s damage occurred within the first five blocks from the coast. “Most of the hotels further back were damaged, but not badly—just with broken windows and that kind of thing, the kinds of things that they can get repaired quickly,” said Bell.

In fact, Bell said, Gulfport\’s citizens are looking forward to the horse shows. “They\’re very much in hopes that the horse show will be the first major event in Gulfport since the storm and bring some revenue to the area. They\’re aiming to host us,” he said.

Both the U.S. Equestrian Federation and U.S. Eventing Association annual meetings had been scheduled for New Orleans, in January and December. Neither organization\’s leaders have decided whether to find a new location or not.