Average Cost USEA Events

This year Annie and I competed at 5 USEA rated horse trials. I thought it would be interesting/ helpful to share info about the actual cost of these events for people thinking about it and then the average cost spent for all events.

Looking at these numbers you can see that there are pretty big variances. Camping towards the end of the year after I got my truck tent really reduced costs. Additionally who I was coached by played a huge factor. I didn’t do the math on gas for this conversation but that was also a fairly wide range just due to the variance in distances for various events chosen.dsc_0068

  • MayDaze (May) – $495
    • Entry: $205
    • Stabling: $90
    • Hotel/ Camping: free.99 – stayed with a friend
    • Coaching: $200

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  • River Glen (Jun) – $750
    • Entry: $190
    • Stabling: $160
    • Hotel: $265
    • Coaching: $135

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  • Chatt Hills (Jul) – $730
    • Entry: $200
    • Stabling: $200
    • Hotel: $130 – split with a friend
    • Coaching: $200

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  • River Glen (Aug) – $545
    • Entry: $190
    • Stabling: $160
    • Hotel/ Camping: $60
    • Coaching: $135

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  •  Feather Creek (Oct) – $475
    • Entry: $225
    • Stabling: $150
    • Hotel/ Camping: free.99 – camped
    • Coaching: $100
  •  Average for 5 events – $599
    • Entry: $202
    • Stabling: $152
    • Hotel/ Camping: $99
    • Coaching: $154

When I think about the 2 rated hunter jumper shows that I attended this year the total cost per event was significantly lower. In comparison I really feel like eventing is a deal. My bill for the summer show at Tryon was $723 and that didn’t even factor in the pro rides that Annie got or the Air BnB that I shared with a friend. Primitive camping is a bit frowned upon at HJ shows…

For next year I am going to try to find more events that allow primitive camping. Or maybe I will just exclusively show at River Glen – love that place!

I know that these fees and how they impact different people are all relative but as someone that has shown in both worlds I feel like getting in and out all in from a horse show under $1,000 regularly is a huge win. Also ride times. Ride times are where it is at!

14 comments

  1. Tracy says:

    I’d be interested in seeing like a “cost per class” type of breakdown. Because while eventing seems to be cheaper, you only get in the ring 3 times… whereas at hunter shows, I show in a minimum of 5 classes — almost always more.

    • Equestrian At Hart says:

      So I think most eventers would say that eventing is 1 class/ division with 3 sections. I haven’t thought about it this way but even if I look at my total cost per class from the July rated show I am pretty sure it was a lot higher. I guess for me Hunters have a lot more classes per day/ division but jumpers usually don’t ride in more than 2 classes a day (that was just my experience). Definitely a different model though so I can see where the interest in a break down would come from. I’ll have to take some time to do some math 😉

    • Amanda says:

      It’s really just one class, if you think about it lol. Like a derby or a medal with more than one section. That’s the sport though. To me it doesn’t really make sense to break it down into a “cost per class/time in the ring” breakdown, because that’s not really relevant to the sport of eventing. It would be for hunters or jumpers, or even dressage people to an extent (although they rarely do more than 2 classes a day) but eventing, not so much. Per show breakdown is really the only thing applicable across all sports. Or – take all the class fees completely out of the equation and just add up stabling, hotel, misc costs, training, etc. But then you’d have to figure it per diem, blah blah blah.

  2. Nicku says:

    Cool analysis! We did something similar when contemplating a lq trailer…the hotel costs add up! I showed a lot at our local horse park so I could “commute” to the horse trials, clinics and combined tests to save some money.

      • Nicku says:

        Yeah ended breaking even with the amount of showing I was doing in terms of payoff vs payments which was interesting to do the math on. We never bought it obviously but if I ever show that much again it will be a strong consideration!

  3. Heather says:

    This makes me day dream about making the switch just because showing is so much more affordable in Eventing! Still costly obviously, but compared to H/J shows, especially around here when there are limited choices and there’s 0 competition, costs add up fast. But, I really do love hunter/jumpers and XC scares me a little too much. Sigh. This is a great breakdown though!

  4. Bette says:

    I agree with you that River Glen is great!!! Plus camping at River Glen is definitely the way to go 🙂 30 minutes to the closest hotel is a pain in the ass and makes camping seem like the way better option!

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