Just curious in your area how many horse shows, hunter paces, expos, clubs, and other similar events have been calling it quits?
I’ve seen I think a handful of what to used to be pretty popular shows in my area going under. Another event is getting ready to say this year is the lack year.
So far it seems to be rising costs, decreasing entries, and an extreme lack of volunteers for the events I’m aware of.
How about in your areas? Anyone’s shows doing well?
Our Hunter Paces seem to be alright; most of them are run over the same territory of local hunts. However, open spaces and land suitable for riding is shrinking and territories are smaller than they were 20 years ago in some places.
I am in Area 1, and it feels like we lose at least one long-standing event every year. I am getting to the point where I am thinking we can no longer cherrypick our entries if we want eventing in Area 1 to survive.
Increased costs associated with running an event and increased competitor entitlement are the two biggest factors I am aware of, having spoken to land owners and former show organizers.
There was a post on our area FB group about an event that just ran. For context - this event ran on the heels of an unprecedented drought and it downpoured the night before. Competitors were complaining on FB because the dressage warm up is situated on the side of a very slight hill, on the grass. Eventers, who gallop downhill to a fence, couldn’t do dressage on a hill? WTF.
I cannot wrap my mind around competitor entitlement anymore. It is all I can do to hold my tongue and advise these people to pick up Hunter-Jumpers or knitting.
I realized after reading the thread that quite a few of the people complaining were transplants from another area, where footing is not such a concern or is naturally perfect. In Area 1, you have two things to contend with year round: rocks and mud. It’s just part of New England and if competitors want perfect footing, they can move to Tryon.
This^
The family of a friend of mine ran a breed show for years. It was always a well run show, good attendance, a fun atmosphere. But the last couple years the show management has taken such a beating by ungrateful, entitled exhibitors bitching about the stalls or the arena or the location or the schedule and on and on. This year they decided they are just DONE. Show is canceled for good. So once again, the few ruined something for the rest of us.
The other show that got canceled in my area was a little open breed fun show that raised money for local charities. The location got moved to a different facility and attendance dwindled, so this year the organizer threw in the towel.
The entire local hunter/jumper circuit where I used to live has ceased to exist. When I started riding and showing 25 years ago, the area was huge and there was massive participation at all levels, and the region was very competitive at the provincial finals.
There was declining participation in recent years, especially in the hunter divisions, as some barns took their students to areas further away in search of fancier venues, etc.
A rule change for the hunter rings mandating the safety cups on tracks, in place of breakaway pins, was already concerning the local venues because it was going to be a big investment, particularly when entries were already declining. Covid just put the final nail in the coffin.
The ranch horse show series I attend is growing by leaps and bounds. The last show was so large than most rail classes had to be run in heats. The show is fun, well organized, reasonably priced, and offers multiple jackpot and payback classes, weekend high point awards in all divisions, and series-end awards as well.
On the other hand, two local Arabian clubs hosted shows this month. One kept changing the class list nearly every day in the weeks leading up to the show, charged $40 PER CLASS, and didn’t allow showing off the trailer (not a facility issue). The other one NEVER posted a class list at all. Both organizers are currently complaining loudly about how us Arabian folks refuse to support smaller shows. I’m having a hard time being sympathetic.
The dressage world here in North Central Florida is strong - our problem is that a new amazing venue is hosting CDIs and their associated National Shows right on top of existing, long-time shows because there is no “mileage rule” for CDIs. The trainers want to go to the CDI, their clients want to show at the new place… and last year “heritage” two shows were cancelled. Yet, everyone says how much they love those historic shows and how much more difficult the managers can be at the big venue… I just dont understand.
I’m guessing you’re talking about Ontario?
I was going to post essentially the same thing. Our barn used to host two Trillium shows (Provincial/B level), but they gave those up last year. Two much work, timewise and financially, for little in return. We were also getting to the point that everyone was showing Trillium to qualify for Championships, but also wanting to do a few weeks at Angelstone, Caledon, and WEC Ohio. At some point you realize that you’ve spent every weekend showing.
Next year I plan to scale back and just do 5 or 6 A shows.
I hate to see Trillium die. I’ve been showing it on and off for 20+ years. A ribbon from Champs was really special when there were almost 50 entries in each class. This year? 10 in the Trillium Hunters, four from my own zone.
I’m not a fan of buying a pass for the Silver series. That’s a big commitment for the season. And too many conflicting dates if you want to do any A shows.
Quebec, actually. Interestingly, a lot of the entries left to attend Trillium shows at a particular venue that’s had a lot of money put into it in recent years, so I suspect that as far as this area goes, the Trillium circuit was actually the one that benefitted.
Ah interesting. I do think the Ottawa Trillium zone was still doing ok, they’re far enough away that they weren’t as heavily impacted by the Silver series at Angelstone and Caledon. But without the support of the other zones I’m not sure how they’ll fare. They may fold within the next couple years too.
In western WA, it seems the shows are growing instead of dwindling. Every show I attended this year was over subscribed and had to either split classes or just turn people away.
Thanks everyone! I was just curious.
I have seen a number of open shows decreasing as local fairgrounds have raised their prices so outside groups cannot afford to host cheap classes (ie <$10 class for open show).
Breed shows also seem to be in sharp decline. I’ve seen at least four in my area be canceled and several are in the rocks after running in the red for a few years.
The dressage shows…many of them only have a couple of hours of rides. Some are still full.
The only events that seem to still be well attended would be events with little overhead cost, ie the people running the events own the facility and there are enough volunteers. Some ranch type shows/barrel racing still seem fine from what I’ve noticed.
But so many people contacting and looking for volunteers and the volunteer pool is just about extinct so more labor intensive events just don’t have enough volunteers or even managers/etc.
My area is seriously lacking (Eastern Ontario between Ottawa and Toronto).
While in the cities the show circuits are alive and well, in our area we have lost a lot. Our Trillium H/J show circuit went bust leaving riders with one or two shows this year.
Our Dressage chapter tried really hard to run shows but we only had about 10 entries per day.
We have lost so many eventing venues that the closest one now is over 2.5hrs away and that includes XC schooling.
Schooling shows seem to be OK but they are only H/J.
I really don’t understand what is happening because we have a lot of riders and a big horse community.
I’m in USDF Region 1 and while I think we lost a show here, others have filled in. And our Regional Championships is HUGE. There are 72 rides in the First Level AA championship class. Its so big they are running it over 2 days.
From the western side in my area (Gulf South) - Barrel racing is huge here (at least one event within 2 hours every weekend and usually 2-3) growing; rodeo still strong; stock horse competitions still strong; roping (team and tie down both) still strong; and one day local shows with western, english, and speed events growing.
One problem that associations are having is getting workers and volunteers. Shows/events require a lot of work and getting people to volunteer or even be paid for working is getting more difficult.
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