WEF Eventing & Mark Belissimos end game.

[Melissa.Van_Doren]

If it made you unhappy to sit in the bleachers with your lunch, think how unhappy it would have made the table “owner” (who paid $$$$ to have that table available for the season, most likely) show up with guests only to find someone else there.

[QUOTE=Mardi;8523282]
Yes VIP tents offer a nice place to sit and enjoy the show. For those who can’t afford them, or for those who would like to have a table but don’t need it for multiple days, it has been my experience that show organizers aren’t keen on
providing information about general seating, or selling those tables for the day.

I’ve sat ringside at the International Arena at WEF with a small group of first time visitors for lunch. Show organizers told me that the only place to have lunch was the Tiki Hut. When I asked if there was any place nicer, I was told no.

So there we sat, eating out of red plastic baskets (not that there’s anything wrong with that if that’s what we had in mind) with plastic “silverware” (as the waiter called it) while right next door to us, within 15’, was an immense and empty VIP area with set tables and chairs, under chandeliers. Bored waiters chatted with each other, and not one person -rider, owner, sponsor, friend - was there watching the jumpers or having lunch.

I would have happily paid the cost to have one of those tables for the day so my out-of-town visitors would have the best possible experience at WEF.

But hey, if WEF doesn’t need the additional revenue, more power to them. The next year we went to lunch at Oli’s in Wellington. :)[/QUOTE]

[Janet]

[QUOTE=NCRider;8522912]
It would be interesting to see how the entries from the past two years at the traditional events from this past weekend (I believe Poplar Place and Sporting Days for Area III) compared to the entries 3 years ago before the WEF showcase. They’ve basically pulled away every ULR (and possibly some of their students) from the regular shows for the entire weekend. How many horses would PD, BM, etc. have normally been riding at one of these events?[/QUOTE]
I do not know about those specific events, but overall (all USEA events), both starters and members increased from 2014 to 2015

[Mardi]

[QUOTE=Melissa.Van Doren;8523356]
If it made you unhappy to sit in the bleachers with your lunch, think how unhappy it would have made the table “owner” (who paid $$$$ to have that table available for the season, most likely) show up with guests only to find someone else there. ;)[/QUOTE]

Agreed. However my point was that WEF could set aside a section of tables that are reserved for day use only. That way the season ticket holders would always have their table, and others who want the VIP tent experience, but who are there just for the day, are accommodated as well.

[aadams89]

I understand, luckily, at Bellissimo’s new venue, Tryon, you can pay for a table per event

[StormyDay]

[QUOTE=Mardi;8523990]
Agreed. However my point was that WEF could set aside a section of tables that are reserved for day use only. That way the season ticket holders would always have their table, and others who want the VIP tent experience, but who are there just for the day, are accommodated as well.[/QUOTE]

Well as long as you aren’t wanting to be served food, there is a place between the VIP tents that is free and serves alcohol. It is covered and quite nice.

[fordtraktor]

[QUOTE=BaroquePony;8522020]
Why does it not surprise me he is a Harvard attorney.[/QUOTE]

Yes, what do you have against Harvard attorneys? Don’t you realize some of us are Harvard attorneys? :lol:

HLS graduates 550 attorneys a year. for every bad one you hear about in the news, there are probably 2500 out there doing boring nondescript lawyer things, most of whom are pretty bright.

[frugalannie]

Or, like Mr. Frugal, they’re recovering attorneys doing something else entirely with the brains they trained in Cambridge.

[Mardi]

[QUOTE=StormyDay;8525189]
Well as long as you aren’t wanting to be served food, there is a place between the VIP tents that is free and serves alcohol. It is covered and quite nice.[/QUOTE]

Isn’t that the Tiki Hut ? (just curious).

I have a feeling I came off as a snob in my earlier post about wanting to have lunch in the VIP area vs the Tiki Hut experience. Sorry if I sounded that way; it wasn’t my intent. It was just puzzling to have been told that there wasn’t a nicer ringside lunch option available other than TH, while rows and rows of empty tables, set and ready, are just yards away.

Just trying to express that of if Mr. B/ESP/WEF are truly in the “attract more spectators” mind set, while attracting more money (sponsors and owners) at the same time, it makes sense to have a place where those people can test the product at WEF (hunter/jumper land). Day tables in the VIP tent would give them a taste of that experience and a nice atmosphere to watch top horses. To limit it to season ticket/table holders is just odd, if the intent is to attract more people to the sport.

[Willesdon]

The only way for the sport to get exposure and TV is if it is popular.

In the UK, horse sport is popular and a significant minority of people participate: possibly it is in the top 5 sporting activities. However, equestrianism is frequently deemed by media and government to be a ‘pastime’ or even a ‘lifestyle’ not a ‘sport’. Because of this, often it is not even categorized and counted in surveys of sporting participation etc.

Moreover, 80% of participants in UK equestrianism are women - so obviously not of general public interest then… And I suspect it is the same in the USA.

On a practical level, how does TV cover a sport that is held over extensive ground, with multiple runners on course at the same time and one where a competition may be held for 2 hours while the air ambulance lifts out an injured rider… Digital technology is a real breakthrough here - think Burghley coverage of each individual round - but that is not mass market.

Then back to image again, how does an ‘expensive, elitist’ sport compete against ‘popular’ ones like cycling (80% male participants in UK). Such image does not need to be backed up by facts or knowledge. There is a lot of cycling coverage in the UK, up from zero about 20 years ago.

[AmmyHunter]

[QUOTE=Mardi;8525705]
Isn’t that the Tiki Hut ? (just curious).

I have a feeling I came off as a snob in my earlier post about wanting to have lunch in the VIP area vs the Tiki Hut experience. Sorry if I sounded that way; it wasn’t my intent. It was just puzzling to have been told that there wasn’t a nicer ringside lunch option available other than TH, while rows and rows of empty tables, set and ready, are just yards away.

Just trying to express that of if Mr. B/ESP/WEF are truly in the “attract more spectators” mind set, while attracting more money (sponsors and owners) at the same time, it makes sense to have a place where those people can test the product at WEF (hunter/jumper land). Day tables in the VIP tent would give them a taste of that experience and a nice atmosphere to watch top horses. To limit it to season ticket/table holders is just odd, if the intent is to attract more people to the sport.[/QUOTE]

I can see why you (and other spectators) might like to have that option, but from an operations standpoint, if they can sell the tables by the season, it seems like it would be a hassle to have to manage and keep track of some day tables when you could have just sold them up front and been done with it. Also, there would be a lot of days that there would be no real market for that, so that’s a lot of days of lost value from their end.

[GotMyPony]

[QUOTE=goodmorning;8523350]
Unless he’s going to bankrupt his company - His goal is in fact to protect & grow his investments. To do his job & make money.
Some facts from a 2012 article, answered by MB himself:

Mark Bellissimo, 49, is managing partner and the largest shareholder of Wellington Equestrian Partners LLC, which includes Equestrian Sport Productions LLC. ESP operates the Winter Equestrian Festival in Wellington, Fla., attracting more than 5,000 horses from 49 states and 30 countries with more than $6 million in prize money to their Palm Beach International Equestrian Center each winter.

What’s your involvement in ESP?

While I oversee a number of personal private equity investments, I’ve pretty much evolved to WEP and ESP full time. This has turned into a larger investment and a larger scope project than I originally anticipated (more than $200 million), and I personally have tens of millions of dollars of capital invested. It’s much more of a lifestyle investment as I’ve had the pleasure of interacting and working with my wife and family on this endeavor, and I’ve developed some great relationships/friendships with my partners.

And as to that him identifying a weakness and lack of leadership in eventing. You betya! Another quote form Mb himself, and though it contextually refers to WEF, identifying others weakness means a business opportunity for someone else.

“[I’ve had significant experience with] corporate restructurings and business turnarounds. I’ve been involved in a diverse set of industries including airlines, manufacturers, software and service companies. The common theme in failing/flailing companies is the lack of focus and discipline in understanding the relationship between evolving market conditions, customer value propositions and business cost structures/capital investments. I believe this to be true also in the horse show business.”[/QUOTE]

OMG, from these quotes, OP is right: MB is clearly evil incarnate and all of us need to run him out of the equestrian industry asap. He is after not only our money and our horse sports (and their money), he will stop at nothing but world domination. Bwahahah.

[Jealoushe]

You can already notice the change in sport with the young riders. Many kids wintering in Florida, in full training with pros, multiple horses and cci events every weekend. When I was doing YR we were all riding cheap horses and sitting in hard crappy saddles. I see the insane tack and trailers of kids not even done highschool.

Eventing is already being changed with money. With those who could ride their way to the top not standing a chance against other kids with $30k imports.

[FlightCheck]

Jealoushe, you need to add a lot more dollars to that figure. Nearly triple.

[Bensmom]

I know the fact that Jim Wolfe had read the forum was mentioned up thread somewhere, but over the weekend, I listened to the latest Eventing Radio Show, it was interesting to hear him address directly the concerns raised in this thread.

I’m still concerned about future showcases pulling entries away from shows that have been on the calendar for years if the idea spreads, but that’s a wait and see issue. In the meantime, the discussion was informative.

http://eventingradio.horseradionetwork.com/2016/02/11/eventing-radio-episode-391-by-bit-of-britain-max-joe-all-about-ceecoach-wellington-eventing-showcase-with-jim-wolf-dan-jocelyn/

[pheasantknoll]

Just to add . . . . traditionally the USPC championships are either in Lexington VA at t he equine center or Lexington, KY at the KHP. This year . . duh, duh, dunnnh, they are in Tryon. And YR is at Colorado HP. Smelly.

[phoenixrises]

[QUOTE=pheasantknoll;8531536]
Just to add . . . . traditionally the USPC championships are either in Lexington VA at t he equine center or Lexington, KY at the KHP. This year . . duh, duh, dunnnh, they are in Tryon. And YR is at Colorado HP. Smelly.[/QUOTE]

And since it’s Tryon in the midst of summer our barn will be giving it a miss.

[Jealoushe]

[QUOTE=FlightCheck;8528252]
Jealoushe, you need to add a lot more dollars to that figure. Nearly triple.[/QUOTE]

That’s how far out of reach these numbers are for me lol I’m wayyy off and I don’t even know it lol.

Even for an ammy like me. I go eventing and compete against our Olympic team riding 3 horses each in my division. Does it feel good to do well with them? Yes, but I kind of also would like to compete against those who don’t do it for a full time job. The eventing world is becoming a strange place.

[Carolinadreamin]

[QUOTE=phoenixrises;8531559]
And since it’s Tryon in the midst of summer our barn will be giving it a miss.[/QUOTE]

Why? The average temps for the 3 locations you mentioned are the same for the months of July and August.