A new show venue coming to Illinois. HITS has purchased Balmoral Park.
To help those of you who immediately googled to see how close this was to Lamplight, it’s about an hour and a half south south/east.
This should be very interesting - I love the Lamplight grounds, though, and hope everyone can co-exist…
Thanks, gumtree.
I heard a blip on the news that Balmoral was to be a show venue, but did not get details.
This is MUCH closer to me than Lamplight 
Very Interesting… Let the Midwest Horse show wars begin…
I am so excited about this! not that far from me at all! :D:D:D:D:D 2017 will be the year of the horse showing!!!
[QUOTE=AmmyByNature;8685386]
To help those of you who immediately googled to see how close this was to Lamplight, it’s about an hour and a half south south/east.
This should be very interesting - I love the Lamplight grounds, though, and hope everyone can co-exist…[/QUOTE]
:lol: This was the very first thing that I did. I’m excited that it’s coming in, I would love to be able to go and watch.
Also, I read that they are going to be working together – the manager of Lamplight and HITS. so they will use this grounds to run big summer shows, and Lamplight to do fall/winter stuff still. I believe HITS will be using Lamplight’s summer dates under the mileage rule. Hopefully there won’t be any issues/fighting – it sounds like this was an agreed deal.
I showed extensively at HITS shows when I lived in the East – and while I know they have their naysayers, TS knows how to run a horse show so I for one am very excited about this!
EDITED TO ADD: please ignore this, which is all totally wrong and see this article which says what is actually happening: http://www.chronofhorse.com/article/hits-purchases-balmoral-park-hunterjumper-competitions
[QUOTE=fordtraktor;8685613]
Also, I read that they are going to be working together – the manager of Lamplight and HITS. so they will use this grounds to run big summer shows, and Lamplight to do fall/winter stuff still. I believe HITS will be using Lamplight’s summer dates under the mileage rule. Hopefully there won’t be any issues/fighting – it sounds like this was an agreed deal.
I showed extensively at HITS shows when I lived in the East – and while I know they have their naysayers, TS knows how to run a horse show so I for one am very excited about this![/QUOTE]
Where did you hear this? The winter stuff (I mean, real winter) is at Ledges because it’s enclosed and heated. No one is showing at Lamplight when there’s snow on the ground, although the Showplace management team is the same.
I don’t know what they’re calling “spring,” “summer,” and “fall,” though.
Lamplight does not own the hunter dates. Showplace (Pat Boyle) ones those dates.
side note … The race track barns are real stalls and have real bathrooms in them… just saying…
[QUOTE=fordtraktor;8685613]
Also, I read that they are going to be working together – the manager of Lamplight and HITS. so they will use this grounds to run big summer shows, and Lamplight to do fall/winter stuff still. I believe HITS will be using Lamplight’s summer dates under the mileage rule. Hopefully there won’t be any issues/fighting – it sounds like this was an agreed deal.
I showed extensively at HITS shows when I lived in the East – and while I know they have their naysayers, TS knows how to run a horse show so I for one am very excited about this![/QUOTE]
Absolutely not true at all. No how no way.
I posted about this a few days ago when I read it on the Trib website. Showplace Productions (Boyle) will “work cooperatively” with TS to offer quality shows in Chicagoland, at least initially, as described (very generally) here: http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/daily-southtown/news/ct-sta-balmoral-horse-shows-st-0527-20160526-story.html
This should be a boon to the Crete-Monee area in that it will involve an influx of multi-day, out-of-town visitors that the track never did. It’s going to be a while before that area will boast the kinds of hotels and restaurants that St. Charles and Elgin can offer to Lamplight competitors, though. I’ll be interested to see what they do with the clubhouse and grandstands. The facility underwent a multimillion dollar renovation not long ago, and actually looks quite nice inside. It would be a shame to see it all leveled.
Sorry, I got it all wrong! I apologize! It is Ledges that will do the fall/winter shows. But they do plan to use Pat Boyle’s/Showplace’s summer dates, whoever owns them…and Showplace will manage it…all my fault for confusing the two "L"s! again, my apologies! I am new to Chicago area shows, I am still an East Coast horse show person and don’t know local stuff!
That is what the Chronicle article said – you can read all about it yourself and figure out who is doing what as I don’t really know who is who here which should be obvious! :lol: http://www.chronofhorse.com/article/hits-purchases-balmoral-park-hunterjumper-competitions
I should have known it would actually be complicated, it’s the Chicago horse scene!
Such exciting news!
I heard they are trying to get the footing in this fall so it can settle over the winter.
I sure hope they put some paddocks on that 200 acres. That’s my one complaint about Lamplight - no opportunity for turnout. We’re local and the grooms used to trailer my gelding home every night so he could sleep outside.
[QUOTE=snaffle635;8686351]
Such exciting news!
I heard they are trying to get the footing in this fall so it can settle over the winter.
I sure hope they put some paddocks on that 200 acres. That’s my one complaint about Lamplight - no opportunity for turnout. We’re local and the grooms used to trailer my gelding home every night so he could sleep outside.[/QUOTE]
My guess is that there will be plenty of paddocks. Look at the diagram of HITS Ocala. There are almost as many paddocks as there are stalls.
[QUOTE=Lord Helpus;8686370]
My guess is that there will be plenty of paddocks. Look at the diagram of HITS Ocala. There are almost as many paddocks as there are stalls.[/QUOTE]
Yep, it’s one of the reasons I go every year.
I’m hoping they keep the track intact as they’ve done at Ocala. It’s fun to ride on it. 
