Colorado Horse Park still appears to have plans to run its summer circuit. What are the odds of this actually happening? I just can’t see any shows getting run in June due to the distancing guidelines that exist in the phased re-openings.
I am waiting on the AIken Summer Classic for 2 weeks in early June. . The Classic Company that runs it has canceled the July show in Charleston already, but not June shows. Showing is supposed to be fun and I can;t see coming from another state, wearing masks, gloves, distancing and worrying about if hotel is sanitized, show office sanitized, etc… The right thing to do is wait until the coast is clear. Of course, USEF, hopefully ,will extend the May 31st timeline into June.
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The June shows at Tryon are on the schedule too, but based on the NC plan, I don’t see them able to run. It appears to me that horse shows would fall under Phase Three, which is six to ten weeks after the state opens.
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Horse shows are typically not large spectator events and IMO could easily follow social distancing guidelines - if hardware and grocery stores can manage so could horse shows.
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Technically follow but if I cough and keep trotting the person behind me will ride right through it. As someone working with Covid- this is a bad idea.
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It would depend on the venue. The schooling area in particular. The barns at Tryon are not well ventilated with low ceilings.
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There’s another very large thread on this subject, but I don’t see horse shows, or any large event, happening until there’s a vaccine or approved treatment. And I’m hoping that will be winter 2020, but it could take longer. At the very least, I don’t see it happening until schools reopen. Even local shows have well over 200 people. There’s been research on how sweating may spread the virus even faster 
I also don’t think it’s realistic to expect people to wear masks while riding in the heat. It’s too risky, imo.
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This would largely depend on state regulations banning large gatherings. In Texas currently, sports are limited to 4 or fewer participants.
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Well that’s interesting because there’s a “schooling horse show” at great southwest in Katy, TX next weekend. Not sure how they can get away with it!?
https://www.gswec.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/2020-FC-Show-Prize-List-1.pdf
Gatherings of more than 10 people are currently prohibited in CO. I doubt that will change by June.
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Well if you have a cough that could potentially be related to COVID hopefully you would not go to a show… Yes I am fully aware of positive people that are asymptomatic. There is no reason why a show can’t split or limit the # of entries in u/s classes Any business that isn’t bankrupt and is able to re-open will have to revamp it’s policies and procedures, make certain adjustments so they open up - why should horse shows be any different? Why should we expect the same status quo? As competitors we should offer ideas, solutions, and be willing to cooperate so shows can start up again. I would rather have solutions and set forth new protocols than have to sit back and wait for a vaccine - and then will that even be mandatory or voluntary. how are they going to roll out a vaccine for 330 million people?
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There are several schooling shows in Texas just announced for later in May. I do not know how that is managed, because some are aiming for Sunday May 17th. Will the state let them fudge if they are 1 day ahead of the broader re-opening scheduled for Monday May 18th?
I haven’t found the details, but I think that agricultural activities are under very different and more open guidelines, and maybe the horse shows are considered to be ‘agricultural’.
If I hear someone cough, I do an about face and go the other way. I hope they can open soon as I know some depend on the for their livelihood. That said, I don’t see how to do it safely. That may be a victory of hope over brains.
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As you must have seen by now, many people who have a cough or a sneeze do not stay at home, do not wear a covering of their nose and mouth and have no compunction to abide by the rules and laws that are required and/or observed in most states.
If you expect people to behave in the public interest at a horse show which is not an essential business, good luck. Your risk will not only be affected by your willingness to educate yourself, but by the willingness of the people around you to educate themselves. Good luck with that.
@gottagrey Since when has anyone in your state relied on politicians for when it is safe to ignore pandemic health advice, rather than listening to the advice of the scientists that know the most about a very unknown virus?
Most people feel it is better to be careful. Others will listen to people whom are clueless, and will wait until bodies are piling up locally before the seriousness of this pandemic sinks in… 
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Crowded barn aisles, back gates are the biggest problem. I wouldn’t count too heavily on a vaccine by January. Except at least 2 more years of this stuff until either everyone is test in the country, 2/3 of the country gets the virus and has antibodies or they make a vaccine. Until then, stay home and perfect your skills. Practice, Practice, Practice
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THIS^, 100%.
Most participants in horse showing are juniors or people under 35, who have an extremely low risk of serious illness from the virus. The vast majority of activity takes place at much more than six feet’s remove from the downstream droplets of others. The one crunch point I can see might be the in-gate, where social distancing reminders from a steward might occasionally be necessary.
Remember that the last 2 months have represented getting up to speed with the learning curve of the new social expectations; by June I think we’ve got this. I think most people are following the rules already, self-consciously or unconsciously. I know one thing, though–people WANT to show! Like golf and sailing, there is extremely low probability of COVID transmission through outdoor, well-spaced activity.
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Gee Skydy, thanks for the lecture and your patronizing comments. Yes, I do think I should expect people to behave in the public interest at a horse show and elsewhere. See I have to do that every day when I go to work - as I work for an essential business and am deemed an essential employee. Rather than offer up any constructive ideas or suggestions on how competitions may start up again, you choose to be condescending.
You are right about one thing - based on the other posts here, IT IS too much to expect exhibitors in the H/J world to make any adjustments in order to help competitions start up. I recall how long it took for H/J to come around to requiring approved helmets SMH.
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And by that definition a show is allowed. Our sport only has one participant at a time. Ideally they will only allow 4 in the schooling ring and 4 in a flat class at any one time.
There could be a solution to crowded barn aisles: 1) limit the # of entries 2) encourage daily ship-ins for those barns within x miles of competition. Stable offices could identify/label stalls that are to be used as tack/storage/grooming stalls so they wouldn’t be a chance of 2 different barns tack/grooming areas being too close together.
Crowded ingates - they should never be allowed to get too crowded, and IME as a gate steward, I’m often begging for riders to get their behinds to the ring… Courses could be displayed away from the ingate and in several areas near the ring, and exhibitors could be given a copy of the course(s) with their numbers - much like the entry packets for horse trials.
Just some random thoughts.
as far as the 2/3 of the country needs to get the virus for antibodies (do we know if this will even work?) then we need to reopen the country pronto because at present we have 1,170,000 cases and a population of approximately 330M…
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I think we’ll have a better idea on the June shows AFTER the USEF video meeting tomorrow. I think, if USEF begins sanctioning competitions again, it’ll be up to show management to then work within the laws of specific states, counties and cities to see if they can happen. Right now, there are a lot of managers going ahead with plans for June shows (HITS, GLEF, etc.). I’m sure they are all waiting to see what USEF has to say on the subject tomorrow.
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