Apparently there was too much competition for show dates this year for the top-level riders.
http://nbc4i.com/2018/02/13/new-albany-classic-ends-after-20-years/
This is really sad news! Such a great event set in an unbelievably beautiful setting:(
The mega circuits are making it hard for a stand alone like this. It was great while it lasted but those riders also train clients and need the income from them at conflicting shows. It is what we have made it.
Used to be many big money events were held to benefit charity…seems to be dying
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It was such a popular event, you’d think they could have just maybe invited some lesser known GP riders and continued on, considering it was a charity event. I’d bet a huge potion of people that went weren’t even horse people and had no idea who the riders were. Sad, that was fun to go to every year.
Lesser riders are even more in need of earning income teaching and showing for clients. Unfortunately, it’s the middle of show season there’s not a regular circuit venue running nearby and they can’t afford at least a full day off to haul in to show a single horse, with travel time that’s more likely two days.
That event, a GP out in the community away from the Showgrounds was previously sponsored by the Lindners and ran up by Kings Island in a football stadium with great non horsey community support- it was a big deal with big names, most of the International team was there every year with top horses. You dressed up to attend that evening, even sitting in the bleachers. It was associated with the main AA show and qualifying classes down in the infield at Turfway, maybe 45 min away. They hauled them up that afternoon, back by midnight. Think it was benefitting Shriners Hospital and Burn Center, complete with Shriners and kids they saved at no cost to the families. When that main show moved to KHP, the GP died.
It was revived several years later up state as a complete single charity event as it continued until now.
Somehow, I think GPs have changed, every major circuit has one every Sunday in one of many rings running so, not such a big deal. And few operate as fund raisers for charity like they used to…and nobody dresses up for most of them. Think many elite level riders show in Europe over the summer, don’t see them as much on the summer circuits. Kind of sad.
Gone the way of Trader’s Point— another classic stand-alone charity show I miss.
