There’s no denying it. Horses in general are expensive. Even to care for one horse, due to its sheer size, of course it’s going to cost more to feed it than say…a gerbil. However, there are of course many joys that come with horse ownership and riding that can far outweigh financial strain. I feel you — I pinch and squeeze here and there to keep horses and get an occasional show in. I buy blankets from the clearance section, look for sales at the grocery store, and do what I can to keep horses in my life. I’ve even thought about taking a break from the sport altogether, but the fear of not getting back into it kept me from doing so.
That all being said, I’m competitive. Aside from the “hurry up and wait” part at shows that I absolutely can’t stand (I miss ride times back from my eventing days…), I enjoy getting off the property and trying out new courses in new environments. That being said, showing can be quite pricey…depending on what you’re doing! Our team member Susan Glover recently wrote an article about alternatives to multi-day shows that are well worth trying out, especially with COVID-19 truly throwing things for a loop. One of the HUGE advantages to these alternatives is price. Same footing, great venues, and earn points — can’t beat that.
Scholarships, grants, and other (relatively limited) opportunities that are currently out there aside, I’m on a little side mission to do some exploring on just where our dollars in the horse world go. I’ve seen some older articles on this and other sites regarding board and show breakdowns, but of course the price of everything (hay, I’m looking at you) increases at least annually. I’ve done plenty of thinking on shows lately and want to introduce a price breakdown by region to start opening up a discussion on being able to “afford” horses and/or showing, and exploring just where fees go and why they’re so expensive — especially in a time like this where a one-day show may be more prudent (or more fun?!), and shows have been canceled at a moment’s notice with competitors’ thousands of dollars already spent. Maybe this can lead to the start of an investigation on how the sport can revolutionize during this time (new divisions? new formats?) — and it starts with cost. After we look at shows, I’ll introduce further parts to this exploration: Board, and our own jobs, to name a few.
Photo by JP Valery/Unsplash/CC.
Our team at Jumper Nation dug into our latest itemized show bills to provide our own breakdowns. Do bear in mind that some of us do our own hauling and care, so hauling and day fees aren’t included in that breakdown (if they were included, add on about $75-150/day). Hauling fees also will vary depending on how far away the venue is from the farm. We also don’t currently have a West Coast team member, so if you do have any insight on a show you recently attended, we’d love to hear the breakdown! Shoot us an email at: lynn@jumpernation.com or leave us a note in the Facebook comments.
Midwest
Illinois
HITS Chicago Equifest I (“A” Show)
- 1 Training Jumper Division (3 classes) – $150.00
- Office Fee – $65.00
- USEF Drug/Horse Fee/USHJA Fee – $30.00
- Nightwatch – $15.00
- Horse Substitution – $10.00
- Trainer Splits (Tack Stalls, Feed/Bedding) – $352.00
- Wayne Tax – $12.50
- Total – $634.50
Hauling
- $300.00
Day Fees & Tips
- Day Fees (5 x $125.00) – $625.00
- Tips (3 x $80.00) – $240.00
GRAND TOTAL: $1,799.50
HITS Chicago Equifest II (“A” Show)
- 1 Training Jumper Division (3 classes) – $150.00
- Office Fee – $65.00
- USEF Drug/Horse Fee/USHJA Fee – $30.00
- Nightwatch – $15.00
- Trainer Splits – $512.00
- Wayne Tax – $12.50
- Total – $784.50
Hauling
- $300.00
Day Fees & Tips
- Day Fees (5 x $125.00) – $625.00
- Tips (paid above)
GRAND TOTAL: $1,709.50
East Coast
Maryland
Maryland Recognized Event (Equivalent of H/J “A” Show)
- Entry Fee (3 Phases): $300.00 (generally includes stabling)
Hauling
- $50.00 (many shows are close to each other and to farms)
Day Fees & Tips:
- Day Fees – Possibly N/A if client does own care
- Tips – Depends on client
GRAND TOTAL: $350.00 (+ Day Fees/Coaching)
Northern Virginia
- 1 Division (3 classes) – $50.00
- Office Fee – $20.00
- California Warmup – $15.00
Hauling
- $1.15/mile
Day Fees & Tips
- Day Fee (for coaching only; clients did their own care) – $75.00
- Tips – Depends on client
GRAND TOTAL (2 Divisions): $267.00 + Hauling
Northern Virginia Starter Horse Trial (Equivalent of H/J “B” Show)
- Entry Fee (3 Phases) – $125.00
Hauling
- $1.15/mile
Day Fees & Tips
- Day Fee (for coaching) – $75.00
GRAND TOTAL: $250.00 + Hauling
Northern Virginia Recognized Event (Equivalent of H/J “A” Show)
- Entry Fee (Recognized Beginner Novice) – $365.00 (depends on level — increases $15.00/level)
- Office Fee – $25.00
Stabling/Grounds Fee
- Not usually a grounds fee
- Typically, people ship in (also, it is easier to socially distance) — no stabling fee
Hauling
- $1.15/mile or competitors haul themselves
Day Fees & Tips
- Day Fees ($75.00 x 3) – $225.00
- Tips – Depends on client
GRAND TOTAL: $615.00 + Hauling
Virginia
HITS Culpeper (Virginia) (“A” Show)
- 1 Low A/O Division (2 Classes + Classic) – $265.00
- Nominating Fee (Jumper Classes 1.20m+) – $175.00
- Stalls – $250.00
- Office Fee – $25.00
- USEF/Drug/Horse Fee/USHJA Fee – $30.00
- Total – $745.00
Hauling
- $80.00 –
Day Fees & Tips
- N/A — Does own care
Grand Total: $825.00
North Carolina
Tryon International Equestrian Center Summer Series (“AA” Show)
- 1 Low A/O Division (2 Classes + Classic) – $300.00
- Nominating Fee (Jumper Classes 1.20m+) – $225.00
- Stalls – $275.00
- Office Fee – $50.00
- USEF Drug/Horse Fee/USHJA Fee – $30.00
- Nightwatch – $20.00
- Ambulance Fee – $15.00
- Total – $915.00
Hauling
- $80.00 – Full tank of diesel fuel
Day Fees & Tips
- N/A – Does own care
GRAND TOTAL: $995.00
Pennsylvania
Swan Lake Pennsylvania (“A” Show)
- 1 Low A/O Division (2 Classes + Classic) – $260.00
- Nominating Fee – $175.00
- Stalls (early entry pricing) – $190.00
- Office Fee – $50.00
- USEF/Drug/Horse Fee/USHJA Fee – $30.00
- Nightwatch/Misc. Fees – $20.00
- Total – $725.00
Hauling
- $80.00
Day Fees & Tips
- N/A – Does own care
Grand Total: $805.00
Swan Lake Pennsylvania (One-Day “B” Show; you can still earn NAL and other points!)
- Open 1.20m Class – $45.00
- Low A/O Class – $55.00
- Low A/o Classic – $60.00
- Office Fee – $25.00
- Miscellaneous Fees – $25.00
- Stalls – N/A
- Total – $210.00
Hauling
- $80.00
Day Fees & Tips
- N/A – Does own care
Grand Total: $290.00
Swan Lake Pennsylvania (One-Day Open Schooling Show)
- Classes (3) – $54.00
- Office Fee – $25.00
- Stalls – N/A
- Total – $79.00
Hauling
- $80.00
Day Fees & Tips
- N/A – Does own care
Grand Total: $159.00
The Math
It appears that recognized events, when stalls are added in, are basically about the same cost as a hunter/jumper show. The one-day events are similar in price to a one-day or local “B” H/J show. “A” H/J shows are VERY close in price across the board, once you factor in day fees and hauling. The interesting thing that I do find, at least in my experience in the Midwest, is that it isn’t common to do your own care at shows — so, automatically factor in those day fees. Most of us don’t haul ourselves to shows, either, unlike eventers in the Midwest. Meanwhile, on the East coast, the total pricing of H/J “A” shows is about the same as in the Midwest — and across the board, it’s the nominating fees for the jumpers at 1.20m+ that get you. That nominating fee, for those who may not be familiar, is essentially an extra fee that you pay to enter classes with larger prize money amounts. The risk, though, is that you pay that fee, enter the class, don’t place, and then you’re out both that class fee AND the nominating fee.
In addition, office fees for “A” shows are pretty close ($50-60) across the different shows, and nightwatch is close as well ($15-20). I understand about nightwatch and do find that helpful, as it can save you from having to come back to the venue to do nightcheck — and having extra sets of eyes on your horse at night is reassuring. Meanwhile, those USEF/USHJA fees ($30 a pop) are standard despite us all already paying for both USEF and USHJA memberships in order to compete — but I guess, better to pay the $30 than to pay the show pass fees of $75+ for non-members.
The Money
Some of the places where our fees do go cover:*
- Facility maintenance
- Jump maintenance and/or new jumps and/or jump rental
- Pay for show staff (announcer, ring crew, ring stewards, jump crew, show manager, office staff) + hotels
- Pay for judges (+ hotels)
- Show approval fees
- Advertising
- Utilities (water, electricity, etc.)
- Stall cleanup
- Drug testing fees
- Prizes
- Vet and farrier on-site
- Ambulance or EMT fees
- Food caterers
- VIP area (tablecloths, special food, furniture rental, etc.)
- General liability insurance for the event
I was hoping to uncover some sort of earth-shattering knowledge that, for instance, lightbulb! Virginia “A” shows are so much more incredibly less expensive than Illinois! But…they’re not. It appears that it does come down to the venue, and whether it’s a large, well-maintained one, as well as the number of days the event is held — plus the rating, as more expensive shows will be the “As” and less expensive naturally will be the one-day or “Bs.” Insurance for a one-day show with far less competitors on the show grounds will be much less expensive for the show management company to purchase than insurance for a gigantic, internationally-recognized ten week circuit. However, this does make you wonder…OK, we’re all basically paying the same amount to show (unless we try these marvelous one-day shows IF they’re available in our region and are on good footing, that type of thing). Where else do we spend our money? …The board breakdown is next.
Sources:
- AQHA/Go Horse Show
- I also worked in risk management for years…insurance is expensive. 🙁