theplaidhorse.com • October/November 2016 • 69
PUT ON A SHOW
Horse shows are expensive. Let us start with this premise; it is an absolute. Big shows or small, huge venue or local grounds, USEF premier or local association, all exhibitors are painfully aware of the price of competition in the hunter/jumper industry. What is responsible for the current cost of horse showing? How do the managers determine their prices? Can rising costs be controlled? The Plaid Horse set out to answer these questions with the help of four horse show managers: Oliver Kennedy, Louise Serio, Tucker Ericson, and Susie Wetherill. Each of these individuals brings perspective from both sides of the in-gate, having been exhibitors, owners, and managers. The horse shows that they run vary in size, scope, and expense. One thing that they agree on: horse shows are expensive. Louise Serio began the Brandywine Summer Series Horse Shows in 2011 as an alternative to the shows available in midsummer in the north east. Held at the iconic Devon Horse Show grounds, the Brandywine Horse Shows have had resounding success, including hosting the USEF Junior Hunter Finals from 2014-2016. A member of the Show Hunter Hall of Fame, Serio is one of the country’s greatest hunter riders and trainers. Tucker Ericson is a prominent USEF “R” hunter and equitation judge who in 2016 co-managed two weeks of the Country Heir Horse Show series at the Kentucky Horse Park. He is also the founder and manager of the newly formed Monmouth at the Team Horse Show held at the USET Headquarters in Gladstone, NJ. Oliver Kennedy brings over 30 years of horse show management experience to the conversation, including the Capital Challenge Horse Show. He has managed hundreds of horse shows as well as functioned as announcer, FEI and USEF “R” jumper judge, and co-owner of ESP Farm which exhibits horses throughout the East Coast circuits. Susie Wetherill founded the Chester County Horse Show Association in 1983 as a local horse show series in Chester County, PA. Thirty -three years later, the series continues to have a schedule of 20 one- day horse shows throughout the year. Her circuit caters to riders from the leadline to 3’ 3” hunters who choose to compete on a local basis. What inspired you to stage a horse show? Louise Serio: “I wanted a horse show as an alternative to the shows that were available. I wanted one that was closer and had good footing. And, I think the Devon grounds is an amazing place to show.” Tucker Ericson: “Too many young trainers and exhibitors don’t understand the tradition in our sport. By bringing our
community together at Gladstone, we can educate everyone on the mission of the USET Foundation and assist the facility with improvements. At the same time, we can raise the bar for horse show standards and offer an alternative to the status quo.” Oliver Kennedy: “Billy Glass and I got together and thought we could run a show before Indoors. We were going to be the best warm-up for indoors. Then, we realized that we could make it much more, and we got it off and running. Susie Wetherill: “When I started the CCHSA, there were few unrecognized shows and they were all on each other’s dates. It was time to offer more quality, a better schedule, and an awards program. Our mission statement is to promote equestrian sport and good sportsmanship.” Did the cost of running a horse show surprise you? Serio: “My goal with Brandywine was to show that you could run a top quality horse show for less money. What I found out was that you can’t run a top quality horse show without huge expenses. You have no idea until you get to the other side.” Ericson: “One of the most significant things that I learned this year is the staggering cost of running horse shows.” Kennedy: “We lost a lot of money the first year with start- up costs and low participation. We made a lot of mistakes. I thought, “I am going to lose my house if this happens again.” “ Wetherill: “It is a business, and [like any small business] sometimes I have to put the cash in to keep it alive.” How intensive is the managerial side of running horse shows? Serio: “It is a tremendous amount of work all year and you need an expert, committed staff.” Ericson: “The biggest surprise being on the managerial side of a horse show is the amount of time that the managers must commit all year round in order to pull off a successful event… The amount of work that goes into a good show is overwhelming.” Kennedy: “I work on Capital Challenge 364 days per year. I take one day off to sleep!” Wetherill: “I work on my shows for five hours a day all year long. This does not count the twelve hour days before, the day of, and the day after the show. It is a labor of love, but a lot more work than people think it is.” What drives the cost of a horse show? Serio: “The cost of the facility and the staff are our biggest expenses. We want to provide a great experience for our exhibitors and it takes a great facility like Devon and a large amount of staff to