Great Texas Balloon Race to host Championship event for another year

The Great Texas Balloon Race was recently granted permission to hold the Balloon Federation of America’s US National Championship in Longview for another year. The group’s founder, Bill Bussey, said that he thought his team deserved the decision because of the hard work which had been put in in recent years. However, the organisers don’t plan to hold the event after 2015. Marketing and PR director Gai Bennet said:

“It’s hard on us. It is hard on the volunteers. We are extremely proud of having it, but it is harder than what we are used to. It is a full week’s competition rather than three days. “We have the greatest sponsors, and they have stepped up, and said yes we will cover it another year, but we need a break financially.”

The Championship is usually limited to a three-year period in any one city, but officials said that because Longview’s second event was put together in conjunction with the Great Texas Balloon Race, the bid had been accepted by the national organisation to extend the deal for the extra year. The Balloon Race team have a consistent record of producing top quality events, and the group’s organisational skills have been showcased with highly successful shows in the last couple of years. Those who visit the final show to take place in Longview may be inspired to book hot air balloon flights in the UK at a later date, with plenty of stunning countryside scenery on offer.