Traverse City Horse Shows Hopes to Woo Local Visitors

Most locals have heard or read about one of the region’s most nationally prominent events, but the vast majority of them haven’t experienced it for themselves. Organizers hope that changes this year.

What's now known as Traverse City Horse Shows in Acme Township has been around since 2015, though its predecessor, Horse Shows by the Bay, started in 2004.

Beginning with just a few weeks of competition twenty years ago, the annual gathering has blossomed into one of the sport’s top events, with millions in prize money awarded to riders from around the world during more than three months of competition.

And while those in the sport are now very familiar with Traverse City Horse Shows (and the Great Lakes Equestrian Festival, which falls under TCHS and takes place during July and August) most locals have never set foot on the sprawling, 130-acre Flintfields Horse Park off Bates Road. That’s in large part because they probably don’t know that the public is welcome there most of the time.

But the public is encouraged to come out, TCHS leaders say, even if they know nothing about horse competitions.

“Even if you’ve never caught a show jumping event, watching these athletes – both the horses and riders – is something else,” Gary Howe, TCHS marketing and communications manager, tells The Ticker. “It’s just a 20-minute drive from town, and it’s a nice place escape the traffic and see Olympic-level sport right in your backyard.”

This year in June, for instance, Olympian Kent Farrington is expected to be at the show before later representing the USA at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris. Several other current and past Olympians will participate in events, joining roughly 4,000 riders who will stop in during the 13-week season.

Generally speaking, the gates are open to the public from Wednesday through Sunday, starting at 8 a.m. Certain events are ticketed, though there’s almost always something to watch for free, even if it’s riders practicing. Live music is frequent, and there’s also plenty of stuff for the kids, including a horse-themed playground.

“The public is definitely welcome,” Matt Morrissey, TCHS event director, tells The Ticker. “We’ve been working really hard on enhancing that spectator experience.”

The economic impact of the horse shows is significant, with a recent economic impact study showing a $120 million direct impact on the local economy. The show drew attendees from 46 states and 28 countries in 2021, with participants staying in the area an average of 33 nights. 

“It’s a very big deal. It’s become a whole lot bigger than I think anyone around here could have imagined when they first came,” Acme Township Supervisor Doug White tells The Ticker. “Generally speaking, most everybody feels it’s been a pretty big boon, that’s for sure.”

Trevor Tkach, President and CEO at Traverse City Tourism, says the greatly expanded horse shows run has been “huge” for filling hotel and restaurant demand in early and late summer and throughout the week all summer long.

Beyond that, Tkach says, the particular horse show participant not only comes from a wealthier background, but has also shown a proclivity to boost the region over the long term by starting businesses, supporting local organizations or otherwise investing in the area.

“Not only do they potentially have more wealth and more spending capacity, but they also typically have shared values,” he says. “After they visit here, we then have advocates on our behalf who have the resources to help to support (our community) and help look out for the future of the Traverse City region.”

Harry Burkholder is interim CEO of the Traverse City Downtown Development Authority (DDA). He said the TCHS has a “tremendous” economic impact on the region.

“Downtown is a direct beneficiary of that,” he tells The Ticker. “We look forward to our entire summer, but especially this event. It brings a lot of new people to explore and have fun in our stores and our restaurants.”

Among many improvements at the show this year is a fiber-based internet network which encompasses the property, ensuring that guests and competitors can stay well-connected. In addition to spectator structure and amenity improvements over the past several years, crews are working to build new barns so competitors have space there instead of in tents.

The TCHS team is constantly working to improve the park and its features for riders and horses, Morrissey says. They’re paving more roads to get away from dirt, for example, and over the last few years have spent a whopping $3 million on improved “footing” in the show arenas and practice areas.

This footing is a combination of sand along with textile/fiber strands that’s designed to give the horses the safest and most functional support as they move around, Morrissey says.

“Combine the sand and those two textiles and it keeps the moisture in, it gives a little cushion on the ligaments and tendons of the horses,” Morrissey says. “And then you keep a water base on it. Much like going to the beach, where it’s tougher to walk further away from the water, you want that feeling very close to the water where it’s firmer.”

TCHS is also looking to invest in something else of critical importance. Like almost all local operations of any size, they're always scrambling for workers.

"Finding staff is always a problem," Morrissey says. "We have to bring in quite a few people."

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