Regarding WEC being similar to cost to HITS- I understand your point, but to me that’s like saying there’s a Rolls Royce (WEC) that costs the same as a Yugo (HITS) …
WEC is a great value for your money and if you have to scrimp and save to go to a big show, at least you got your money’s worth with the state of the art facilities.
I was appalled by the portable stalls at HITS. I would never want to put a horse in stalls like that.
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If a few other show venues decide to offer NSBA shows for points and NSBA offers classes such as big eq and all the other divisions that people chase points in…NSBA could offer their own indoors or Devon or eq finals, etc. If the reason people some are sticking with USEF is for points for indoors, this would give people a choice of which association they want to follow.
If this happened there would be a USEF Devon winner and a NSBA Devon winner. USEF Maclay winner and NSBA eq challenge winner. Etc, etc. USEF pony final winner. NSBA pony final winner. USEF derby winner, NSBA derby winner. Would be interesting to see how that would affect horse prices.
NSBA just needs to get some changes done to the way they record horse show records so they can be pulled up like USEF .
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This ^^^^^. Yes, 100%, exactly.
I don’t think DHSCF is going to run two “Devon” style horse shows in a year. The fall classic was hard enough and never really got off the ground because it didn’t have all the associated country fair hoopla. And putting on one DHSCF a year is already a full time job. I don’t think it’s realistic to expect two. If anyone is hardcore down with USEF, ride or die, it’s DHS.
What about FEI level jumpers?
I wonder if USEF will throw the threat of unsanctioned shows against FEI riders and officials again like they did initially this winter. Which would be a b@#&y thing to do since they happily allow those riders to compete at other non-USEF shows.
For trainers and exhibitors it seemed to worked OK with HITS and WEC running at the same time. Entries were light in the non-rated divisions at HITS, but people looking to qualify for pony finals, big eq finals etc were still there. WEC may have alot less horses this year if he runs Ohio. Lots of the midwest barns came to Ocala. But considering some people stayed home because of Covid, there were plenty of entries to go around. WEC showed the horse show world you can run 12 weeks with 2000 entries without affiliating with USEF. This may cause more shows to drop their USEF affiliation.
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The dates have not been sold. Yet another rumor
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I wonder if the WEC Ohio attempt to hold a show for Devon Qualifiers, and the need to get the qualifications lists from USEF/USHJA might have been involved?
Also, I have worked to get more USEF R carded judges to also get their AQHA Specialty Over Fences cards, and for more shows to hire them. Now USEF/AQHA judges will also need an NSBA card, with very slim judging opportunities. Most western event judges have their NSBA card, plus all the Breed Assoc cards.
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I have no direct evidence that Mr. Struzzieri sold HITS’s Ocala USEF dates to WEC.
The rumors I heard were that WEC bought the dates and the HITS grounds had been sold/leased/whatever to a dressage show operation of some sort for next year.
A quick Google search shows nothing confirming either of these rumors.
If WEC has not purchased the Ocala dates from HITS, I hope HITS stays open so there will be some USEF point chasing opportunities in Ocala.
Is there ANY chance that the BigEQ classes could be held at non-USEF rated shows? Are USEF and the equitation medals (other than USET) married ?
(This post feels like it belongs on Horse Show Diva. 
)
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I think even with Ohio open both will be busy. My barn & other local barns did Florida this winter & had such a great experience we all want to go back. Most people (myself included) could only swing 1 or 2 weeks and would still have loved to show in Ohio later in the winter. At least for me, I can drop my kids off at school Thursday with horse trailer and be at WEC Ohio in time to school Thursday afternoon & show Friday. The flights to Florida (at least this year) were cheaper than gas $ to Ohio (I think mine averaged $60 one way), but I wish there was a regular airport in Ocala, when you are running back & forth having to get a rental car and then drive is a pain. And then I didn’t need the car except to drive back to the airport. I am doing a baby jumper so aside from the young horse championships, don’t care about USEF points but the juniors in our barn went back & forth between HITS and WEC. They were supposed to leave WEC for Hits after 2 weeks but once people got to WEC and saw it no one wanted to leave!
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After finally seeing it in person yesterday, I can totally understand that sentiment. When I drove by there last spring, it was still under construction, so I could only see it from the road. But holy cow. It is pretty darn incredible.
Could somebody explain to me what you mean by the fact that he “bought the dates?” What does that mean?
Maybe I misread the press release, but it sounded like it only referred to the 2021 show dates, leaving open the possibility that some of the Florida dates could be USEF again next year.
World Equestrian Center management has decided that beginning May 3rd, all 2021 competitions at our Wilmington, Ohio, and Ocala, Florida, venues will be sanctioned by the National Snaffle Bit Association (NSBA).
perhaps, but continually cancelling scheduled USEF shows doesn’t bode well for a positive working relationship. But maybe it won’t matter?
time will tell.
and not directed at you specifically, but every year there is a rumor Tom sold the place or the dates or whatever and every year it falls through. The dressage syndicate buying multiple properties of his was this year’s rumor.
for what it’s worth, The Roberts aren’t looking to buy dates but rather host shows. I heard second hand that last year the classic company offered to sell the Jacksonville dates, but Roby said he didn’t want to buy dates, but he offered to let the shows be hosted at WEC.
Given the attendance being fairly robust at all Florida circuits this year, it would appear that a mileage rule exemption would not harm the existing shows.
ETA: one of the reasons WEC was well attended (in addition to it being a better safer, newer facility) was the free stall aspect which will not be in play next year. lots of trainers brought sale horses there for miles and also some local folks that perhaps couldn’t afford to pay for stalls. That won’t be in play next year and HITS tent stalls are $1000 per circuit. no tent stall option at wec which is $2500 per stall per circuit.
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Due to the mileage rule, only one show can “own” the right to have a USEF rated show of that rating within a certain area at a time. Someone who had the dates could agree to allow someone else in that area use the dates rather than running a show himself/herself. They could also allow someone else to use the dates but only if that person paid the person who had the dates. Hence “selling” the dates.
If Show Manager A had the right to have an AA show in Place X and decided s/he wanted to, she could allow Show Manager B to run the show in that area instead. The mileage rule prevents them both from running shows in that area but the person who has the dates could let another person run the show on those dates instead.
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WEC is probably counting on a decent number of people like me who would rather pay $2500 for a beautiful stall at an amazing family with fabulous footing and friendly staff who run a well organized show than ever set foot on HITS property again. Not once did I fear for my horse’s life in his stall, nor mine in a porta potty. I didn’t have to play frogger with water trucks, golf carts, and tractors. Check out at the office was a breeze and no one rolled their eyes at me nor was I told that I most certainly did show the same horse in the low a/o jumpers and children’s hunter classic and how dare I say the cards seem to have had an error.
I have shown A shows for almost 20 years and not once have I gone to anything I needed points for. However, I appreciate a well designed course, good footing, and organization that lets me continue to work while showing so I can pay for said show. Speaking of which jam up wifi at WEC EVERYWHERE!
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Bingo! And this is exactly why, much to my trainer’s chagrin, I will be sitting out the eleventy-billion weeks of Saugerties this year in favor of unique horse shows that actually offer an experience to exhibitors.
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Same.
It boggles my mind that USEF doesn’t realize that THEY did this. By squeezing out those of us without billions in our pocket, they created a large group of people that just don’t care about their points.
I’ll pay to go to WEC and compete for one of the fabulous prizes and ribbons they offer at every show, instead of some run down facility that costs just as much where I might get a couple points towards a year end award with USEF I have no hopes of every winning.
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I heard that at one of their recent shows, they gave away one of the little two horse straight trucks that everybody drives now in Florida that costs around $82,000.
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