A letter to the editor in Great Britain’s Horse & Hound magazine last week caught my eye, because it reflects what I hear from many people in the U.S. They obviously are not alone.
Reader Carolyn Selley of Devon (England, not Pennsylvania) wrote that she has “a nice horse and would love to show him, but though at one time there were plenty of local shows and gymkhanas, these no longer exist–larger shows are the only option.
“They are too expensive for someone like me–there are so many organizations I have to join just to put a foot in the ring, and I am sure there are many others too who just don’t bother. I’m not looking for a qualifier; if I could show my horse without having to join all these organizations, I might give it a go.”
The U.S. Hunter Jumper Association and the U.S. Equestrian Federation have tried to address the issue with their Outreach and Lite shows respectively, and that helps. But can they make up for the disappearance of so many local unrecognized shows, which used to be where riders would enter their first competitions as they took a first step into the world of showing?