New sign, pavilion debut at Queen Creek’s Horseshoe Park

Just in time for this week’s Roots N’ Boots rodeo, the Horseshoe Park & Equestrian Centre welcomes two new additions.

The Queen Creek Town Council recently unveiled the park’s new 40-foot LED sign and the Barney Pavilion, named after the late Mayor Gail Barney and his family.

“Our new marquee sign allows us to display community information and further promote our upcoming events,” according to the park’s Facebook page. “The Barney Pavilion provides another gathering place for visitors of Horseshoe Park. It’s the perfect spot for families to grab a meal in the shade.”

The sign for the Barney Pavilion features a tractor, a nod to the late mayor’s and the town’s agrarian roots. Barney died in June 2022.

Although the sign was completed on Dec. 30, the opening ceremony for it and pavilion was held on March 11, and featured Mayor Julia Wheatley, council members and park officials.

The new sign replaces a 30-foot one located adjacent to Riggs Road. It also replaces the old sign as the tallest in Queen Creek. The sign includes a double-sided, 128-square-foot LED animated sign. It was fabricated and installed by YESCO out of Ogden, Utah.

“We’re gratified to be able to welcome our guests with this monumental new sign, and we are grateful to YESCO for their craftsmanship and professionalism throughout the process,” David Solum, general manager of the Horseshoe Park & Equestrian Centre, stated in a press release.

When the Queen Creek Town Council approved the park’s five-year strategic plan in 2023, it also approved a larger sign with the stipulation that town staff had to raise 50% of its cost through sponsorships.

The town had raised $267,500 of the sign’s estimated cost by February 2025, with Earnhardt Auto Centers kicking in $124,000 as a platinum sponsor. According to the town, the cost of the new sign was $433,866 with the total cost of the project set at $535,000. The town was expected to pay the balance of the cost.

The new sign features a rustic design with a pitched roof suspended over an illuminated Horseshoe Park & Equestrian Centre logo. The logo is bookended by aluminum cut-outs of horses.

“In keeping with the theme, the sign is painted in faux woodgrain, and the lower portions of the support columns are wrapped in stone veneer,” the press release continued.

Earnhardt Auto Centers’ NoBull.com branding is prominently displayed in the top cabinet underneath the park’s logo.

The animated monument sign displays static images that change every eight seconds. The sign will be illuminated 24 hours a day but will be dimmed beginning at dusk.

“Dimming the sign in the evening hours will reduce nighttime glare and impact to drivers and to residents south of Riggs Road (the nearest residential property is approximately 400 feet southeast of the proposed sign location),” according to a town planning and zoning staff report.

Horseshoe Park & Equestrian Centre is at 20464 E. Riggs Road. Since opening in 2009, Riggs Road has become a full east-west corridor and traffic has significantly increased, as has interest in the sign from potential sponsors.

While 40 feet may seem large, the park’s main arena dwarfed the old 30-foot sign.

“The size and scope of (the park), and specifically the main covered arena, warrants an increase in the height and area of the marquee sign. … and will be more substantial against the mass of the 64-foot-tall main arena. A larger marquee sign will also allow for better display of the facility’s name, which is a crucial piece of the branding for the park and will help to distinguish the facility from others in the area,” the report continued.

The annual Roots N’ Boots rodeo begins today and runs through Sunday, March 22.

Janet Perez can be reached at jperez@iniusa.org. Please send your comments about this article to AzOpinions@iniusa.org. We are committed to publishing a wide variety of reader opinions, as long as they meet our Civility Guidelines.