Most horse shows allow riders little time for relaxation these days, what with evening classes, ranking points and plenty of cash on the line.
But the two weeks of showing at Lake Placid, which just marked its 50th anniversary, enables those taking part to combine a vacation with competition. It’s known as a family destination, offering opportunities for boating, hiking, fishing and kicking back in the scenic beauty of the Adirondacks.
The U.S. Equestrian Federation Heritage Show has quite a history. The grand prix winners over the years have included many of the best horse/rider combinations in the country, from Rodney Jenkins and Idle Dice to Michael Matz with Jet Run and Leslie Burr Howard on Albany. The final Olympic selection trials for the 1984 and 1988 Olympics were at Lake Placid.
While the show struggled at one time, noted Lake Placid’s chairman, Philip Richter, it has since found itself and people have come back in droves. It turned around in recent years despite a crowded calendar, with such major big money shows as Canada’s Spruce Meadows, the Great Lakes shows in Michigan and Tryon in North Carolina on its dates. Even so, there were so many entries at Lake Placid this year that 100 horses had to be turned away because the facility was at capacity.
“It’s just a reaffirmation of how different these two weeks are from the run-of-the-mill shows,” Philip maintains, noting that people get tired when they camp out for months at a showgrounds.
At Lake Placid, “people enjoy a vacation with their horses. It’s short, it’s special with some great competition,” he said, noting both grands prix are now $100,000 classes on turf. That’s indicative of the money that has been put into the show over the last few years, with $1 million spent three years ago on all-weather footing. Last year, $200,000 was devoted to a new ring with all-weather footing.
Lake Placid Chairman Philip Richter (left) does a little of everything at the show, from making presentations to competing in the amateur-owner jumpers and insuring things run the way they should. (Photo by The Book LLC)
“We have to keep reinvesting in the grounds,” said Philip, “Our view is that having a bunch of money in the bank isn’t doing us any good. We’re not in the business of making a profit for profit’s sake; we’re in the business of reinvesting in the grounds and having the exhibitors come back again.”
Improvements on the horizon include increasing the power to industrial grade to cope with demands such as fans, microwaves. refrigerators and a variety of devices used in the stables.
Philip also wants to improve the drainage in the wash rack area and take steps for the show to end earlier in the day so people can have more time to enjoy their surroundings.
“We know we have to improve a lot,” said Philip, but he added, “There’s a lot of low-hanging fruit.
“We’re working on various three- to five- to 10-year plans for the horse show,” he explained, noting long term that also includes looking at making Lake Placid an FEI (international equestrian federation) show. If the sport continues to move that way, he pointed out, “we can’t ignore that.” However, at present, it doesn’t have the amount of land necessary for all the stabling and rings required.
“We strategically really have to be on our toes and understand how the sport is changing and change with it if appropriate,” said Philip.
“Changing with the times” also means an upgrade to the food at the show, with more healthy and vegetarian options, and updating the clothing and accessories sold in the show’s store.
Another goal is to get some of the grant money that New York State has allocated for the Adirondack State Park. The process should be helped by the results of a study from the State University of New York at Buffalo about the show’s economic impact on the Adirondack region.
Two years ago, Philip succeeded the late Richard Feldman, the captain of the show for decades who was revered for his dedication to it. The show is now run under a different operating structure, an executive committee of five members—including Philip, Collin McNeil, Louis Jacobs, Tim Hooker and Brian Sweeney–who make decisions that must be approved by the board of directors, which includes new, younger people who are actively involved in the show.
“There’s so much history and heritage in these rings,” said Philip.
“We’re trying to keep the nucleus of what we’ve got, but modernize and improve every day and aggressively go after some of these things that can continue to make the show competitive.”
–Nancy Jaffer