The numbers are in – and contrary to talk on the street, they look good.
Could this be the signal we have all been waiting for – a sign that the tides are changing? One thing is for certain, regardless of what pundits may say about the rest of the economy, the horse business is trending up. The encouraging news is evidenced by the statistics.
After a long downturn in registrations, transfers and stallion breeding reports, all are seeing positive growth at AQHA. For the first time since 2004, reports show an increase in the number of mares bred. Likewise, horse shows are seeing healthy increases across the country, across disciplines and across breeds.
AQHA reports that total entries were up in 2014 with the biggest increases coming from equestrians with disabilities followed by youth and amateur. APHA showed increased entries at both their Youth and Open World Championship Shows. NCHA also reported record high entries at NCHA produced shows in 2014.
According to APHA Executive Director, Billy Smith, “the trend is promising.” He reports that after several years of being in the red, APHA was back in the black showing profits in 2014. Similarly, AQHA is once again investing in its reserve funds, regardless of reports from other sources.
Perhaps the best news of all is found in the sale ring. Western Bloodstock Ltd.’s 2014 NCHA Futurity Sales set sale session records and concluded with an all-time average of $27,696 – 23% above the previous record set in 2006. Granted the cutters are also riding for record prize money. With 2014 total purses exceeding $36,000,000 its no wonder 20 horses sold for over $100,000.
Prize money has attracted more participants to NSBA’s program too. The BCF 100 head yearling sale grew the payout for those graduates by almost 15 percent. Nominations are also up over 2013 and have more than doubled since 2012. The same is true for the NSBA’s Stallion Incentive Fund program. Perhaps some of NSBA’s success can be contributed to the fact that everyone earns a payout; open amateur and youth in the form of smart points. According to Executive Director Dianne Eppers, NSBA’s the Smart Points Program is a win-win for parents and youth.
The Arizona Sun Country Circuit kicked off 2015 with increases, especially in leveled classes. Show manager Doug Huls attributes the growth and the retention of entries to AQHA’s Leveling program. This year’s senior trail showed a high of 135 entries with contestants split almost equally between level 2 and level 3.
For those who have lived through downturns before, the uptick comes as no surprise. Remarkably, with each upturn the market changes. Opportunities proliferate in different areas – think multiple embryos, Congress Futurities becoming all-breed classes, GoHorseShow.com reporting news instantaneously – allowing the industry to flourish in directions never before predicted.
While the economic and demographic issues blamed for the downturn may still lurk in society, the horse business has found a way around them. Horse people are a resourceful group. Their attachment to the horse and the industry make life without horses or horse shows inconceivable. The recent successes seen at AQHA, APHA, NCHA and NSBA and others are sure signs of this industry’s unwillingness to accept poor results.
Horse shows will always buzz with rumors. And there will certainly never be a shortage of fodder for chatter at any horse event – it is part of the charm. Whether it is lip chains, the helmet rule or salaries, you will always be able to find someone or something to gossip about ringside at a horse show. The talk often seems meaningless at the time, yet it may cause far more damage than we think.
We live in times of twenty-four hour news, easy access to personal information and an insatiable appetite for negative news. The greater the shock value the more “hits” a site, paper or station receives. High traffic attracts advertisers, creates more buzz and the cycle repeats itself. Each writer strives to gain ground by feeding a story everyone wants to read.
At the same time, opportunities are more infinite than ever before. Hopefully the good news coming from associations encourages everyone in the industry we love to take an active role in redefining our future. Change comes whether we take hold of it or not.
The United States is more urban than ever, fewer kids grow up on or near farms granting little opportunity for children to engage with horses. With all of the smart people who ride, train and show horses and work for the horse, it will be exciting to see how they once again, revolutionize the horse business in the good years ahead.
Take part in the process by attending your association’s convention. AQHA’s convention is March 6 – 9 at the Omni Hotel in Fort Worth. APHA’s convention starts February 26th and runs through March 2 and is held at the DFW Marriott Hotel & Golf Club at Champions Circle.
Interpretation is a call not a fact.
About Stephanie Lynn: Professional Horseman Stephanie Lynn coached her first AQHA World Champion in 1988. She has since coached, trained and shown World, Congress and Honor Roll horses across disciplines. She is a judge for AQHA, NSBA and APHA and has judged World Championship shows for each association. Most recently, Stephanie is the author of The Good Rider Series and A Lifetime Affair: Lessons Learned Living My Passion. The Good Rider Series is a library of resource material that is both practical and applicable in the barn and show ring for riders. Stephanie can always be reached through her website: http://www.stephanielynn.net to answer your questions, schedule a clinic or lesson.
