Intrigued by the post about “fixing horse shows,” I have a question…
Let’s say nothing changes. USEF stays the same, mileage rule is enforced, prices of showing continue to escalate, the sport becomes less and less accessible…
What is your prediction re: our sport? Where will we be in 10, 20, 50 years?
I know there are lots of predictions about doom and gloom and the end of horse showing, but I suspect not much will change.
The economy generally drives a lot of showing, particularly at the big rated shows. But even during recent recessions, shows like HITS and Wellyworld still ran pretty normally. The super wealthy are frequently somewhat insulated from downturns that affect regular people. They will continue to dominate the big circuits.
Those regular people - the ones with jobs, family responsibilities and so on, will continue to get squeezed, I think.
I predict that we will see a continued rise in alternative circuits - people who get tired of / see little value in all the association fees that the USEF and it’s associated subsidiaries charge will want a different playground. Local circuits are thriving in many areas - they offer competitions that look remarkably similar to USEF shows at considerably lower cost. Same venues, same footing, often even the same judges… what’s not to like? I used to love the shows we had in my area that ran two back to back one day shows over a weekend at nice facilities - you could ship in after work on a Friday, have a nice weekend with your friends, enjoy quality competition at a reasonable price, and be home in time to go back to work on Monday. They had nice prizes, a year end awards dinner, nice exhibitor amenities (hot chocolate at the ring on chilly days, for example - a “little thing” but it made us feel appreciated as customers.) There is always going to be a market for that.
I think there will be continued pressure on open space and that may mean fewer barns and training options, and/or options that are more expensive.
I hope we see a rise in the local shows. They’ve really dipped in our area with a lot less people attending than before but due to Covid they’ve come charging back since they could offer shows more often than others. I think as prices continue to rise and people continue to get squeezed that the local shows will start to pick up again in both frequency and number of attendees.
I, too, hope to see a rise in local shows. Our own treasured venue for local C shows is being sold and redeveloped :(.
I think the biggest threat to “horse shows as we know them” (or “horse shows as we remember them”) is the loss of facilities, due to increasing development.
I am already seeing quality local shows and show circuits developing. a friend is running really lovely local shows in the Ocala area, with A quality jumps, footing, and courses for affordable prices. They are doing really well. The quality of the horses and riders competing at these high end local shows is rising significantly too.
As long as people can find places to take lessons and keep horses in places they can afford within striking distance of their homes, there will be horse shows. Like Janet, I think the biggest threat is the loss of facilities and entry level opportunities. None of that depends on things like the mileage rule but instead on things far more fundamental.
Honestly, nothing. The wealthy folks who are able to show regularly now will continue to do so, and the USEF won’t miss my (relatively) paltry $ from the few rated shows I do per year.
Unless everyone collectively walks and financially zings USEF, they will not change anything. Why would they? They’re a business, and their #1 goal is to make money. If they eventually price me out from rated shows altogether, they will not care because there will be someone with more financial means than I have ready to step in and take my place.
This sounds really bitter and unpleasant to say, but it doesn’t matter how many fluffy press releases they send out, or how many cutesy “we’re all in this together” ad campaigns they run, USEF does. not. care. about. us. They care about making $, and wealthy competitors are able to provide them with that. The rest of us? We do not matter.
Also I don’t mean this to sound snarky towards competitors with $$$, I’m happy for them that they’re able to have such nice horses and show so often. I wish I was able to do that too.
I agree, I think we may see a rise in local shows. Some barns may decide to host their own schooling shows - at my barn, most of the boarders and clients will volunteer to run office. jump crew, in gate etc. and owner/trainer will credit us with lesson(s), training rides or coaching though most of us are happy to help out anyway.
Barns may decide to pool together and start their own series… I think some trainers may find that winding down and staying local to show is looking more and more appealing especially for those who have been on the road for much of their professional career. Clients may also find they can go to more local shows, end up with some nice year-end award and not have to feel like they need a 2nd mortgage on their house to pay for it. There’ll still be those who solely focus on A shows. USEF may regulate and fee themselves out of memberships.
This is how local show circuits ran when I was young. About 3-5 barns would join together and do a summer show circuit with each barn hosting 1-2 shows. There were year-end awards, etc. Of course, it was still quite normal in those days for one of your hunter courses done on the outside course which usually involved jumping out of and into the show ring. 
These days it seems there that instead of one or two circuits with several barns each, there are many individual circuits hosted at single barns.
I agree that the big circuits will continue as is with those who can afford to spending weeks on the road. The big question will be whether B and C shows are able to survive at all or if it becomes a choice between USEF mega-circuit and non-USEF local circuit.
I showed a few times this summer for the first time in many moons and I said to my trainer - I don’t want to go far from the barn, I don’t want a big stressful environment, and I don’t want to join USEF if I don’t have to. Luckily in NJ there are lots of B or C rated shows, or A shows with outreach divisions, where you get nice courses, nice facilities, good photographers (very important!) and jumper divisions on Sat and Sun.
We went to a show recently that was both a USEF B show and a point show for a local NJ circuit. The lower level jumpers had pretty healthy entires, a few less in the hunters, and there were lots of ponies and kids running around. There were very slim entries in the 3’6 hunters or bigger jumpers - mostly pros who were also teaching that day on young horses. My barnmate was champion in her jumper division and won not one but TWO engraved silver plates, we were blown away and it was a really nice day overall.
I don’t think people will stop horse showing, and there will always be the 5% of barns that campaign at AA shows year round, but I think as the big circuits get harder and harder for the ‘normal’ rider to access we will see B/C and unrated shows growing in popularity. My guess from what I’m seeing in my circles this summer is that people are pretty happy to stay local and then do one or two ‘big’ shows a year as a goal or vacation. I think Covid may shift perspective, too - do you REALLY need to go somewhere and stable for a week to have a good experience, or can you learn just as much at the well-run B show down the street, sleep in your own bed, and save a bunch of money to boot? I’m an adult amateur that’s excited to be jumping around 3 ft, I just want to have a fun round, get a good photo, and not go broke in the process. I suspect I am not alone in those desires!
Amen, friend!
I have noticed an uptick in cash-grabbing at USEF shows in my area (Zone1 and NY/NJ) as well as a few out of my region, especially since Covid hit. I wish that winning a class would at least cover the entry fee for that class. And the braiders are having a field day- $75-80 for a mane, etc. I loved all the unbraided shows before braiding returned. It put everyone on more of a level playing fields too, IMO. When shows started getting dates back this Spring and Summer they got a bit heady. But as more shows returned, they had fewer and fewer entries. It was kind of fun having real competition in the rated classes while it lasted.
I’m another rider who used to really, really love the B (and C) circuit back in the early '90s. What happened to change the focus to all A shows? Why are there no longer many B & C shows in many areas? Did most of those riders jump to the A circuit? Did they just stop showing? I know some farms are lost to “progress”, but the farms I’m thinking of are still around, but they don’t hold those B and C shows anymore. I feel like they could still be very popular if given a chance. Maybe I’m wrong. I know I’d still attend. I have no desire to spend the amount of money necessary to do well at an A show. (And maybe I don’t think I’m quite good enough…but that’s another discussion.)
Are there any real signs of crisis in the USEF shows right now that suggest things need to change?
From the perspective of a consumer with a limited budget, I think all the complaints about affordability etc are valid. But, as businesses, it seems like the big show circuits are doing ok. And I think it really is hard to manage a suitable facility and run a high quality show on a shoestring. Land, footing, jumps, staff and insurance cost money.
I think there is much to be learned from other equestrian disciplines and other hobbies & sports.
Tennessee Walking Horses have refused to adapt to the times. The result is their industry has suffered a potentially unrecoverable blow.
The greyhound racing industry refused to change. The sport shrunk considerably and now states are even starting to ban it.
Granted, TWHs and greyhounds are very different in the sense that they both involve pronounced animal welfare issues affecting their public perception. While H/Js are not immune to welfare concerns, there aren’t specific practices that have reached the general public’s awareness at the same level.
Breed shows have been in decline since the tax laws changed in the 1980s. I imagine H/Js at the rated levels will experience a similar decline if they don’t address the issues being faced. The rated levels will be dominated by increasingly fewer elite patrons. There may be an increase in local level/non-rated shows… then again, maybe not. Maybe we’ll just lose participants as horses in general become less accessible.
I think “declining membership” tops the list. From the perspective of USHJA, that is not sustainable. It’s more their problem than USEF, in theory USEF would do OK if people opted out of USHJA and went to USDF or USEA or any other USEF affiliate. And the membership has been declining. More people aren’t seeing the value ain rated shows and are showing locally. And with what rated shows charge, I can understand why!
My friend and I did a run down of costs between a big show and the KY Classic CDE (short format) this last weekend:
Big Venue:
$75 office fee (I remember when I was pissed it went to $35, hell I remember when there was NO office fee)
$40 videographer fee (not optional)
$30 COVID Fee
$? fee to have water by the rings (seriously??)
KY Classic at Hermitage
$25 office fee
Now on to the stuff they gave US:
gift bag with about $40 worth of really useful products…
$10/night voucher for a free cocktail at the restaurant on site (that was AHmazing)
25% off gift shop stuff
It’s not entirely fair to compare a small sport like CDE with the big box stores of horse sports, but somewhere between their charges and our gifts is part of the problem.
I hope we’ll see more small local shows. I’m in a part of NorCal where unrated/local/schooling shows are basically nonexistent (there’s a decent small series up in and near Sacramento, but that’s 3+ hours away, and not really ship-in-for-the-day plausible), and I’m super jealous of friends down south who have way better access to smaller but high quality shows, some of which have sprung up since COVID. I’m an AA, I’m not jumping anything huge, and paying $$$$$ for a week at a rated show to jump 3 or 4 rounds total always makes me feel irresponsible, regardless of whether the money to do it objectively exists in my bank account. I’ve also got a kid with a young pony who needs some miles, and having nowhere to take him except to rated shows is a drag.
That said, will we? Land use is a big issue in a lot of areas, as is demand. We’re in a region where a lot of people are just able to spend what it costs to do rated shows all the time, regardless of whether their kid is jumping the cross rails or the 1.40 juniors, which doesn’t give trainers much of an incentive to cater to or enable folks to go to smaller shows.
I hope there will be some movement. You can enter the five-star at Badminton for less than the cost of a stall and your mandatory fees for a week at Thermal. If you want to do a BE90 event, it’ll cost you ten pounds sterling for the weekend, including having a BE-certified coach walk the course with you if you don’t have a trainer – and it’s not like eventing is not a resource-intensive sport. Surely we can do better, right?
My prediction: NOTHING. The AA shows and USEF will continue to escalate prices and fees to make up for declining membership. The remaining members are in an income bracket that is insensitive to these price fluctuations, so they’ll pay. They won’t even miss us peons.
Will local shows pop up? Meh. As others have said, it’s a land use issue. Venues are disappearing. And why not, when those tracts of land are much more lucrative as McMansion plots?
I think our sport will ultimately go the way of the dodo (at least in this country), except for the very richest families, who can bankroll their kids all the way to the international level.
This. I’m an ammie with a FT+ job and a small farm. That means my money goes into the farm and horses, not a lot left over for stalls and day fees and all that fancy-fancy. I want to be able to show on the weekend at a nice facility, get some good pictures, and go home without spending $400 for the “priviledge.”
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