Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, January 21, 1993 TAG: 9301210053
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C3 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: RAY COX STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
HORSE SHOW SPONSORSHIP AVAILABLE
The Junior League of Roanoke Valley voted Wednesday to continue its support for the Roanoke Valley Horse Show through 1996, assuring itself an important source of continued outside sponsorship for the event."I have been notified that there is a source of money available to us that will help underwrite the horse show as long as the Junior League chooses to be involved with it," league president Wendy Moore said.
Moore told a league meeting Wednesday that Roanoke lawyer John Rocovich had discussed the funding with her. Rocovich is a co-executor of the estate of Roanoke philanthropist Marion Bradley Via, who died this month leaving a fortune estimated at $500 million.
Via had pledged $10 million through 1994 to underwrite all of the jumper classes at the horse show for the past 10 years and was also the sole sponsor of the Grand Prix of Roanoke, the horse show's premier event. A month before her death, Via had increased the prize money for the Grand Prix to a record $125,000 from $100,000, making it the richest of its kind.
However, when Via's will was made public Jan. 7, there was no mention of contributions to the horse show past 1991. All but $150,000 that went to the Roanoke Symphony Orchestra was passed to Via's sons, Edward Becher Via and Peter Lynde Via.
The relationship between the Via estate and the horse show is unclear.
"Mr. Rocovich told me that he was not allowed to reveal what the source of the money was or how much was involved," Moore said.
There is no contract, nor was there when Via was alive, Moore said.
A question raised at the league meeting was what would be next should something happen to Rocovich.
"I asked him that," Moore said. "He said the money would continue to be there no matter what happened to him."
The league's continued involvement with the horse show depends on it reaching an agreement with its longtime collaborator, the Roanoke Valley Horsemen's Association. That would appear to be a formality. Officials from the two groups will meet this spring, probably before May when Moore leaves office.
"I would like to see this thing through," she said.
News of the continued funding was greeted happily by the horsemen's association.
"We're delighted," said June Camper, a member of both the horseman's association and the league, and also the co-chairman of this year's show. "The marriage between the league and the horsemen's association has always been a perfect one."
Plans for this year's show, scheduled for June 21-27, includes Music In Motion, a choreographed equestrian event with the Roanoke Symphony Orchestra, as well as the Grand Prix. In subsequent years, those events will be up for review.
"We'll look at them year to year to see if we want to continue to support them," Moore said. "Of course, we will continue to seek sponsors as we always have." Added Camper: "We are comfortable that we will have the class show that we always have had."