DigitalHorseShow.com (DHS), a Premier Online Equestrian Experience, is set to launch this week. Designated as the official sanctioned online horse show competition of the United States Hunter Jumper Association (USHJA), DHS offers competitive, educational, and interactive digital events.
Photo by DHS.
The DHS Concept
The state-of-the-art DigitalHorseShow.com platform, designed to provide viewers and competitors a full horse show experience delivered digitally, was crafted by a group of industry professionals with experience in video, show management, entry systems, sales, and marketing. DHS offers a cost-effective opportunity for equestrians to receive thoughtful feedback for themselves and their horses and be a part of a worldwide community that wants to learn, compete, and connect.
“We are very excited to welcome DigitalHorseShow.com as the official online horse show competition of the USHJA,” said USHJA Executive Director Kevin Price. “We know the team behind DHS has decades of experience, and we feel that their vision for an online platform that merges a full experience of competition and a way for riders to learn and improve in an entertaining format will be an incredible addition to the offerings available to USHJA members and all equestrian fans.”
“The concept of DigitalHorseShow.com is to combine the best of horse shows and online formats and features,” explained DHS co-founder, USEF-licensed judge, FEI official, and horse show manager Oliver Kennedy. “We incorporated technology to create an online horse show community that was not only a place for competition, but for entertainment, education, and commerce. DigitalHorseShow.com offers all of this and will be a place for equestrians to come together online for a variety of opportunities.”
Digital Horse Shows
The initial weekly horse shows will have a range of hunter and equitation divisions consisting of over fences and under saddle classes available for just $25 per class. The premium competitor membership offers the chance to compete along with the ability to view any video in the horse show, chat on any DHS event, watch DHS event broadcasts with judges and special guests, add spectator scoring, and participate in event broadcast Q&As.
With courses developed by USEF-licensed course designers that can be easily replicated at any home barn, along with an explanation of course materials, distances, and a helpful how-to video on how to set the course to fit in any size arena, anyone can learn and compete at DHS. Riders upload a video of themselves competing over the course at home to the DHS platform, and their round will be evaluated by a USEF-licensed official and include written and audio comments explaining what the judge sees and what their score reflects.
How to Participate
Those members who aren’t competing can participate at different levels in the DigitalHorseShow.com experience. Those who want to watch videos can sign up for a free Insider membership, which gives them the opportunity to view any round from any class and any show, join chats, give a spectator score, and watch the judge and guests in the live broadcast.
All DHS members must have a USHJA membership number when signing up on the platform. USHJA offers a free Outreach membership, which makes it easy to become a part of the DHS community.
When entries open for each week’s show, riders will have a set number of days (noted on the show information page) to submit their best round (any videos submitted must be done in one round, edited videos are disqualified) using a smartphone or computer before the deadline. The judge for the event reviews each round after the closing deadline before they are posted online for viewing. VIP, Premium Competitor, and Elite members have the opportunity to submit a spectator score for the rounds. The average of all spectator scores will be posted and viewers can compare it to the judge’s scores.
In the live event broadcast, there will be panel of guests, including an announcer/host, the week’s judge, and one of the week’s winners. They will play some of the top rounds of the week and discuss what made the round so good, the winner will be interviewed about them and their horse, and there will be a Q&A session answering questions from VIP, Premium Competitor, and Elite members submitted during the week.
The DHS Community
Aside from being the leader in online equestrian experiences, DHS offers a variety of opportunities for several other facets of the equestrian community, including: an excellent outlet for international equestrians to market their horses to potential buyers that may have current travel restrictions limiting horse shopping and trials; the DigitalTackBoutique.com, which allows users to shop quality equestrian brands in one convenient location; allocating many of its features and assets to the promotion of future sponsors and partners; and reaching a highly engaged audience of equestrian fans.
“We wanted to create the opportunity to bring people from all parts of the world together to compete in an interesting new format where they are judged by not only top officials, but where viewers can contribute and interact as well,” said co-founder Cesar Hirsch, who is also a top FEI-level judge and steward. “Our goal is to bring horsemanship to every corner of the world for all fans that share a passion for the horse and the sport.”
The technology behind DigitalHorseShow.com comes from the team at IA Multimedia, who have produced live streaming and video clipping services at some of the biggest horse shows in North America.
DigitalHorseShow.com will continue to expand as the equestrian industry reacts and changes in this unprecedented year, with plans for riding and continuing education clinics, young horse competition, and welcoming additional equestrian disciplines. DigitalHorseShow.
For more information on DigitalHorseShow.com and to sign up, click here.