Struzzieri is not interested in the welfare of the horses on his grounds. He is all about his vertical integration money pile… just like Bellissimo. I don’t know Roberts but the Uber ridiculous facility isn’t attractive to me at all.
Roberts tries and does listen as far as exhibitor needs, locally based family business is long distance trucking (R&L) and land, working people. Perfect? Course not. But better. And he has seen things from an exhibitor standpoint as family has shown QHs and he got into HJ hauling his then very young DD on the AA Pony circuit.
3 Likes
I think WEC Ocala will bleed HITS dry down there. They can have their big money classes for big jumpers and hunters and their BNTs may show up for that. Robbie will offer money for non-pro low level classes. 2’6 non pro derby with a real payout, big ribbons and coolers? People will flock to it. Eq classes that offer a car to the winner? Adult amateur hunters with big prizes? It’s going to be really interesting to see what he offers when he opens the place up for business, how cheap the stalls will be (will he start with free stalls like he did here?) and other perks to pull people in. I’m local to WEC Ohio, we’ve lived through the expansion of the facility and the shows. With the exception of the shows hosted on odd weekends like this one, their winter series is sold out, the shows are huge. We actually preferred it a few years ago when it wasn’t quite so nuts and are hoping once he opens WEC Ocala it pulls some of the people from up here back down there. That will inevitably require him to have rated shows down there so the juniors can continue to point chase in the eq and ponies but I believe in Robbie’s ability to sort that out for himself.
2 Likes
Agree…but one negative to the cheap stalls is you must get one and cannot show out of a trailer year round. Really doesn’t effect many but there are a few who would prefer and are very able to haul in a single horse for just a couple of AM schooling rounds and then go home. They say there’s no way for the facility to accommodate them. Wonder if it’s the same rule for the QH shows?
@findeight good question, not sure. When he first started up here, stalls were free (except tack stalls). They didn’t even have non-showing fees in the beginning, because we’re 30 minutes away we rotated showing and non-showing horses in and out of our stalls. People quickly took advantage blocking out huge chunks of stalls and then not needing them all and not telling the office so shows would look sold out when they weren’t. Management was rightfully pissed because they weren’t making money on showing horses and then started charging (still a low price) for stalls and then a non-showing fee. Now a horse has to do 3 over fences classes or you pay the non-showing fee. I wonder what they’ll take from this experience and apply towards Ocala.
It might just be their business model, they don’t (or think they don’t) make money off horses hauling in for two classes in their minds, the money is in filling stalls with horses doing full divisions. The facility up here would definitely be difficult for haul ins though. Trailer parking is across the street from the show and it’s a country road that people drive pretty fast on. I would not want to try and navigate that with a horse in hand here.
I am currently in Ocala and have gone out to PostTime Farm several times in last few weeks. Yes there have been improvements; new fencing around all rings, more turnout pastures, paved roads, spruced up landscaping. They must be expecting a lot of horses as there are at least four more of the large temporary stall tents this year. I think it’s such a lovely venue with the old trees everywhere, so much open space.
1 Like
They won’t be running at the same time.
Horseshowing.com just got a post from WEC Ocala asking for stall reservations. They’re doing shows from 1/4/21 - 3/28/21 so they will be at the same time. Don’t know if they’re rated but …it’s happening.
1 Like
Exactly they are not running A shows concurrently. There’s something called a mileage rule. Tom has not sold dates.
Hopefully they get the dates for A shows. WEC is a big sponsor for US equestrian. I would think usef would do what the members wanted… which would be to show at a nice facility that’s safe for the horses & with all the comforts of bringing the sport into the mainstream.
Smoke and mirrors. Mold and sickness. Expensive show bills. Yup that makes me want to show at WEC !
1 Like
Wasn’t WEC originally slated to start 2020? I think all of the money being pumped into the USEF is to give it time to relax the mileage rule. He wouldn’t have put this much money into a facility if he didn’t already have something worked out.
How is this so hard to understand? He will have dates, just not up against HITS. Plan is for AA shows spring/early summer in the beginning.
1 Like
Yes, and Arab shows too if you mean no showing out of trailer. I wanted to show in the Tough Enough to Wear Pink show last fall and would have had to pay $110 for a stall to show in2 classes. Decided to skip it.
ETA: have to correct myself, at least one Arab show would let you pay a ground fee and show from trailer.
Does the “A” or “AA” rating really mean anything at all to anyone but to pros?
If WEC offers a chance to win money to us lowly amateurs guess where I’d be going…with or without trainer.
It means something to anyone who is interested in horse of the year points, or points for indoors, etc., etc.
2 Likes
Hear, hear. Or pony finals. Or people hoping to re-sell their 6 figure horses. I could go on and on … a C show ain’t an A show any way you cut it and it never will be.
1 Like
Well thank goodness. I don’t like the mileage rule. Allowing free market competition amongst shows would let the best shows survive and (gasp) might actually drive down some of the astronomical show prices.
4 Likes
Don’t forget qualifying for the Big Eq Medals.
There are plenty of people out there that don’t care about National ratings and USEF doesn’t offer any National points below 3’ ( except Ponies and age group Eq). But their trainers want to go rated and most rateds now offer offer everything down to 2’ (often locally rated for local points). So we have created sort of one stop shopping for trainers, it is a complicated problem.
Anyway, WEC does fine with the unrated, healthy numbers, good exhibitor experience, good value …little light entry wise anything over 3’ though.
But it took a good many years to get in this situation and its going to take time to improve. Too bad so many B and C and big local shows have gone poof never to return.
.
Could you elaborate? I’ve heard nothing but amazing things from my friends that have shown at WEC north.
