12/09/2025
Food for thought
When I founded the United Dressage & Jumping Club (UDJC), one of my strongest convictions was this: horse shows in the United States have gotten out of hand. What used to be community gatherings that gave every rider a chance to progress with their horse have turned into luxury events with price tags that keep most families out.
Showing has become so expensive that the very foundation of our sportโeducation, accessibility, and horse developmentโis crumbling. If we want riding to thrive again, we have to address this head-on.
๐ช๐ต๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐๐ถ๐ฑ ๐๐ณ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฑ๐ฎ๐ฏ๐น๐ฒ ๐ฆ๐ต๐ผ๐๐ ๐๐ผ?
For decades, horse shows here drifted from their roots. Instead of being sport-first, they became business-first. Bit by bit, fees piled on: grounds fees, association fees, covid fees, mandatory extras that add little real value. Add to that inflated stall prices, overpriced food and bedding, and an endless list of โconvenienceโ charges.
Meanwhile, venues often treat shows as a revenue stream instead of a service to the horse community. Too many organizers fall into the trap of thinking bigger equals better: more dรฉcor, more ceremonies, more costs. The result is the same everywhereโweekends that cost families $1,000, $2,000, sometimes much more, just to get their child in the ring.
Itโs no wonder participation is shrinking. Too many talented kids never get the chance to show. Too many horses miss out on valuable competition miles.
๐ง๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐๐ฟ๐ผ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ป ๐๐
๐ฎ๐บ๐ฝ๐น๐ฒ
Spend a weekend at a show in Germany, France, or the Netherlands, and youโll see whatโs missing here. European shows are professional without being commercialized.
The community comes together: parents, trainers, and local supporters pitch in. Volunteers scribe, manage gates, help set jumps. The structure is organized, the officials are experienced, and the shows run with clockwork efficiency. But what you donโt see are inflated price tags.
Itโs not about stripping professionalism awayโitโs about building it on community, not greed. The pride of the local equestrian scene fuels the quality, and sponsors step in to make sure costs for competitors stay low. In many areas, kids can compete every weekend without bankrupting their parents.
Thatโs what affordable horse sport looks like.
๐ช๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐ก๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ฑ๐ ๐๐ผ ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ป๐ด๐ฒ ๐ถ๐ป ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐จ.๐ฆ.
To bring back affordable shows, everyone has to take responsibility:
๐ฉ๐ผ๐น๐๐ป๐๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ โ ๐ง๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ธ๐ฏ๐ผ๐ป๐ฒ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐๐ณ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฑ๐ฎ๐ฏ๐น๐ฒ ๐ฆ๐ฝ๐ผ๐ฟ๐
Volunteers are not โcheap labor.โ In the right structure, they are an army of dedicated people who can keep costs down without sacrificing quality. Scribes, ring stewards, announcers, scorers, jump crewsโthese roles can be filled by parents, students, or members of the community. The key is organization and respect. If we treat volunteers as essential and provide the right guidance, professionalism will follow.
๐ฉ๐ฒ๐ป๐๐ฒ๐ โ ๐ง๐ถ๐บ๐ฒ ๐๐ผ ๐ฆ๐๐ฒ๐ฝ ๐จ๐ฝ
Facilities cannot see horse shows purely as a cash cow. If a venue has empty weekends, those dates should be offered at reasonable rates. Lower stabling prices and fair rental fees go a long way toward making shows possible. Venues that support affordable shows will build loyalty, fill their calendar, and ultimately strengthen their own business long term.
๐ฆ๐ฝ๐ผ๐ป๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐ โ ๐๐ป๐๐ฒ๐๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ถ๐ป ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐๐๐๐ฟ๐ฒ
Sponsorship is not charity; itโs investment. Companies that want to sell feed, tack, trucks, or clothing need the next generation of riders in the pipeline. Affordable shows attract those grassroots riders and create brand loyalty early. Sponsors must recognize that if the base of the sport disappears, so does their market.
๐ง๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ถ๐ป๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ โ ๐๐ถ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐น๐ผ๐ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐ฅ๐ถ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐
Trainers are gatekeepers. If trainers only push students to expensive, fancy shows, then affordable circuits will never thrive again. Trainers need to bring their barns to local, community-driven shows. Not only does it help students progress at a fraction of the cost, but it also teaches them that showing isnโt about glitzโitโs about riding well and developing horses correctly.
๐ข๐ฟ๐ด๐ฎ๐ป๐ถ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ โ ๐๐๐๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐น๐๐ณ๐ณ
We as organizers must be disciplined. No hidden office fees. No pointless extras. No nickel-and-diming. Shows can be lean, transparent, and still professional. Riders appreciate honesty and efficiency far more than overpriced frills.
๐๐ผ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฆ๐ฝ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐๐ฒ๐
At the heart of this conversation is horse welfare. Affordable shows mean more horses can show regularly, build confidence, and progress correctly. They mean more kids can learn without financial strain destroying their familyโs commitment. They mean trainers can give their students the mileage they need to succeed.
Affordable shows are not about lowering standards - actually the opposite is the case - and theyโre about cutting out greed. They are about ensuring that opportunity is not reserved only for those with deep pockets.
๐๐ณ ๐๐ฒ, ๐ฎ๐ ๐ฎ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐บ๐บ๐๐ป๐ถ๐๐, ๐๐ฎ๐ป๐ ๐๐ต๐ถ๐ ๐๐ฝ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ ๐๐ผ ๐๐๐ฟ๐๐ถ๐๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ด๐ฟ๐ผ๐, ๐๐ฒ ๐ต๐ฎ๐๐ฒ ๐๐ผ ๐ฐ๐ต๐ฎ๐ป๐ด๐ฒ ๐ฑ๐ถ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐ป๐ผ๐. ๐๐ ๐๐ถ๐น๐น ๐๐ฎ๐ธ๐ฒ ๐ฒ๐ณ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ ๐ณ๐ฟ๐ผ๐บ ๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐ผ๐ป๐ฒ.
- Venues offering fair prices
- Sponsors investing in the grassroots
- Trainers guiding students toward affordable circuits
- Volunteers stepping in with structure and pride
- And organizers running lean, fair events
๐ง๐ต๐ฒ ๐จ๐๐๐ ๐๐ผ๐บ๐บ๐ถ๐๐บ๐ฒ๐ป๐
This is why UDJC exists. We are building a model where showing is professional, structured, and fair, but also accessible. A child with a modest pony deserves the chance to stand in the ring just as much as the rider with the imported warmblood.
If you believe in the future of horse sport, then you must believe in affordable shows.
They are not optional - they are the backbone of the sport we love.
