The price of showing–and the ever-rising cost of owning horses–have been the hot topics over the last few years. For the U.S. Equestrian Federation, it came to a head with pushback when a fee increase (effective April 1) was announced last year.
In an effort to find answers, at its annual meeting this month USEF held a forum with key figures from the industry to discuss competition costs. The federation noted that a University of Guelph (Canada) study released late last year found that the cost of keeping a horse in that country had risen 466 percent since 2010, while the average income only rose 15 percent. As USEF pointed out, the cost of showing isn’t just horsekeeping plus the amount paid for entering shows. There also are the fees for hotels, travel, training and coaching, meals, and more.
All of this is why US Equestrian included a panel discussion on competition costs as part of the educational program in its 2026 annual meeting, which was held Jan. 15 to Jan. 17 in Louisville, Ky. Simply said, we hear our members’ frustration and decided to host a panel discussion between horse show managers, competitors and trainers to start the conversation. Panel experts , representatives of various breeds and disciplines, as large and small competition organizers, trainers, competitors, and breed group leadership.
Judy Sloan, USEF board member and amateur competitor, moderated the panel; that included: U.S. Hunter Jumper Association President Britt McCormick; Michael Stone, president of Wellington International, home of the Winter Equestrian Festival; Lisa Blackstone, Arabian Horse Association president and exhibitor; Tim Roesink, Morgan trainer, judge, Morgan Gold Cup Regional Horse Show president and Heather Petersen, show manager, dressage steward/TD, amateur competitor and horse show mom.
We feel it is worthwhile to recap the session (edited for length) on this website, because the topic is on everyone’s mind. If you have time to listen to the whole session, here is a link to a replay of the presentation. Otherwise, go to the summary below.
USEF stated: To understand why the entry and other fees you’re paying have been going up, it’s helpful to first understand the expenses a competition organizer has to cover. Whether or not they’re running a sanctioned show, they have to pay for the facility, staff people, officials (including per diems and travel-associated costs), prizes, and sometimes footing maintenance or even footing changes.
Petersen runs a number of dressage and eventing shows around the country and presented averages from last year’s competition season. For her larger shows, the average budget was between $150,000 to $200,000, of which 40 to 50 percent is paid to the facility. Stalls cost about half that 40 to 50 percent, sometimes as much as $50,000. Shavings are also within that facility budget; for Petersen’s competitions, the horse show was charged an average of $14 to $16 a bag for them. Travel and lodging for officials and employees were about 10 percent of the total budget. Golf cart rental was about 2.5 percent or $5,000, and the day rates for judges, vets, farriers, and EMTs were about $27,000 for a four- or five-day show on a $200,000 budget.
Petersen pointed out that much of the profit for these shows came from sponsorship – otherwise, they would have lost money. McCormick, likewise, recalled operating shows with a similar total budget that could either come out $5,000 in the black or the red, which prompted him to stop organizing competitions years ago.
Petersen says she often hears frustrations from competitors who believe that USEF and affiliate fees are what drive horse show prices up. Her analysis found that on average, the fees for both USEF and the U.S. Dressage Federation were about $6,000 of a $200,000 budget, or 3 percent each. USEF requirements do result in other expenses, such as a veterinarian and an EMT, but some of her shows also have nighttime security or biosecurity personnel who help to verify vaccination and Coggins tests, which aren’t required by USEF but are safety and welfare services.
Roesink, who is chairman of the Gold Cup Horse Show, said that Morgan competition for 200 to 250 horses costs about $160,000 to put on, of which $70,000 is the facility cost. Stone agreed that entry fees don’t come close to covering the prize money in Wellington. WEF has 530 employees during the show season, 100 of whom stay year-round.
Expectations vs. Costs
One recent development that factors into the expense of horse shows is an evolving expectation of facility features, particularly footing. Since the evolution of artificial footing, panelists agreed many competitors expect shows to offer engineered footing but may not realize that it costs seven figures to install and to maintain.
“I think we’re our own worst enemy,” said McCormick. “We’ve insisted on having this specialized engineered footing for whatever reason. For the upper levels, yes, that’s a game changer, but for the most part, the idea of riding on sand or grass is just out the window. And that limits your abilities to put on a horse show. How do we walk that back? I’m not sure we can.”
Petersen was quoted $85,000 to $125,000 at one facility to remove the existing sand footing in one arena and replace it with engineered footing after her competitors demanded it.
“If that’s the footing you guys want, that’s what we have to pay,” she said. “And that cost gets passed to you.”
Certainly, panelists agreed, the artificial footing is a huge safety advantage for high-impact competitions, but there’s no data on whether it makes just as much sense for low-impact sports or levels.
Facilities
Petersen reflected on the number of facilities she had seen close or convert away from horse show rentals in the time she has been managing competitions. The general loss of agricultural land has been a factor in some cases, while in others horse shows have lost out to other events that bring in more people at a lesser cost to the facility.
For some organizers, such as those running breed shows, there may be a range of disciplines hosted at one event, each of which come with different footing or facility needs. That can make finding the right host (or even just a willing one) a challenge.
Many competitors have wondered why the same stall has a different cost at one show, compared to the show there one week earlier. Sometimes, this comes down to discipline and how the horse show is structured. Hunter/jumper classes and dressage classes have similar average entry fees for non-international, non-championship classes, but hunters and jumpers may make more appearances in a show (which may cover more days) than a dressage horse will. Some breeds and disciplines book more or less tack stalls and RV spots, which also affects the money an organizer can make on those line items.
Challenges facing the smaller shows
The panelists agreed that the top levels of their sports are strong when it comes to entries – despite the expense that comes with them. What concerns them is the smaller shows. Roesink said the Morgan breed has experienced growth in the number of smaller competitions, but this can cannibalize entries. In the Arabian breed shows, Blackstone pointed out that many of the smaller shows were formerly organized by local and state Arabian clubs and had a volunteer culture as well as a social element. That structure is shifting away from these volunteer-led efforts, and limiting opportunities at that level.
Grassroots
The biggest concern raised by the audience (both in-person and virtual) is where the next generation of competitors will come from. In a world that’s increasingly full of year-round sports opportunities for youth that are less costly, many in attendance felt it’s harder for families to find affordable lesson barns. Those that do can have a hard time grasping the cost difference between going to a schooling competition versus an organized show. The latter may make sense for riders hoping to qualify for regional or national championships, while the former may be a better entry point for beginners who don’t have those priorities.
“I think the importance of USEF is the fairness of sport,” Roesink said. “I think when you don’t have rules and regulations, and when you go unrated, it becomes a slippery slope.”
McCormick agreed that the extras USEF offers – maintaining the rulebook, performing drug testing, organizing investigations and resolutions, SafeSport, and other programs and services – may seem like extras, but they are there for everyone.
“We’re a little like insurance — you don’t need it until you do. And when you do, there’s no replacing it,” he said.
There are programs out there to make riding more affordable. Petersen cited urban farm programs, which can help subsidize the cost of lessons, while the U.S. Dressage Federation recently launched a grant program for dressage lesson barns and offers Opportunity Classes at a reduced cost to competitors. USEF offers USEF Lite as a way to reduce exhibitor and competition organizer costs, while enabling riders to get many of the benefits of a sanctioned environment.
Members were allowed to ask questions, such as, “Why can’t USEF put a cap on what shows charge for entries and other fees?”
McCormick: “I think people have to understand that USEF (and most affiliates) don’t ‘own’ the competitions and market forces drive prices. It would be impossible and unwise to regulate fees. One example that I give is when USEF eliminated the ability of local and state organizations to charge non-member fees or participation fees, a lot of those organizations disappeared and we are now feeling the effects of those local organizations either being gone or no longer affiliated with the USEF.”
Stone: “The cap for fees is not as easy as it seems. I think that fees should always be looked at. The FEI is currently looking at fees that are being charged in Europe in the jumper discipline, where there are fees for almost everything, even an unloading fee when the horses arrive. However, every location has different circumstances and different costs, so a show in Iowa has a completely different cost basis than one in California or Wellington. I don’t think the USEF or indeed any affiliate is able to decide that say the office fees should be capped at $25, or the stabling at $300, as every situation is different. From my perspective it would not be feasible.”
Why do I have to pay both affiliate and USEF fees?
McCormick: “The reasons for being required to belong to the affiliate as well as the USEF are numerous, but for the most part, there are multiple organizations with different roles and responsibilities.
Speaking for USHJA, the way we simplify it is that USHJA provides programs, education and advocacy, while USEF is in charge of licensing and regulation.”
Part of the expense of showing is all the gear. I feel like if others have the highest-end attire and tack, I need to have that too or I’ll be at a disadvantage in a subjectively-judged sport.
Petersen: Clothes are perceived as making a difference, but if they are legal, then the horse is really the only thing the judges are looking at.
Blackstone: I am an Arabian judge and never do you judge on show clothes, so long as they are legal. The horse is being judged only. This is a non issue.