So the event I am most familiar with runs on land owned by a trust. It does not have any prepared footing, all 3 phases run on grass. It is run by a club of volunteers. Very roughly:
The event pays for pretty much everything, either directly using entry fees or indirectly using sponsor donations or other funds raised by holding xc schooling, unrecognized events etc. USEA gets a “starter fee/ drug test fee” of $25 per horse, plus I think it’s $300 to license the event.
Event prep varies a lot by what needs to be done and who does it. You are usually looking at at least $2500 for a course designer (probably more like $5000 but it can easily be 3-4 times that at a bigger event.) The fences generally cost $500+ each so if you are building a whole course for 3-4 levels plus building water and bank complexes you are easily into six figures. But in any given year you probably add 1-2 new fences per level plus paint, stonedust, mulch, straw, flowers etc. So figure roughly $10k there. A full course of show jumping jumps will likely run you almost another $10k to start plus $1000+ maintenance per year. Dressage rings are about $2500 each to buy and luckily don’t need much upkeep. Mowing and weedeating and aerovating is very variable depending on whether it’s a private farm/ state park etc. For the event I am most familiar with, a lot is done by volunteers but you are still looking at close to $5000 by the time you pay for regular mowing and equipment maintenance.
Day of operation costs-- port a potties $500, volunteer lunches and t-shirts $1500- $2000, golf cart and radio rentals $1000, secretary $500. Announcer and control and vet and most other officials are volunteers. Insurance is through USEA and fairly reasonable.
Lease of competition grounds–$10k donation
Prizes-- $1000 in ribbons, roughly $3k in Prizes most years. Some prizes are donated.
Judges-- typically in the $500/day range plus expenses. In our area we can get most semi-locally. 3-4 Dressage judges, sj judge, TD.
Stabling is basically at cost for temporary stalls, we dropped it this year as it was getting so expensive that no one could afford it but some local farms offered stalls nearby.
In other words it’s extremely expensive and the unrecognized events and schoolings basically cover the money lost on the recognized.
