Great Meadow 2020

Great Meadow's CCI4* was held this past weekend -- one of the very very few 4*s around this year. Meaning it was an absolutely packed division chock-full of world-class riders and horses. The event promised to be very exciting with a lot of action in what has otherwise been a fairly bleak FEI competition landscape.

And obviously I was excited to get down there to see it all unfold -- dutifully signing up for a volunteer role for the privilege.

so excited to watch horses jump through the blue numbers again!!

Because... We all know the USEF Action Plan, right?

In essence: 
- Everyone wear a mask, no exceptions
- No spectators
- Only participants directly involved in the care of the horse / competitor, or sponsors providing direct services to the competition organization are allowed

 link

So..... I was surprised to see tailgates (and LOTS of them, wow) set up all over the GMI grounds. Standard tailgates -- just like I've done in years past at Fair Hill and Kentucky -- long lines of tents right next to each other, each filled with party groups.

And people out there with the whole kit 'n kaboodle: champagne and picnics and sunhats (must protect from the sun!! tho, notably, very few masks haha. very very few).... Ya know. The usual. It's a great way to spend a summer day outside, enjoying the company of your friends, and spectating as incredible horses and riders conquer unimaginable obstacles....

one area of tailgates -- you'll see they're fairly prevalent throughout the video across all main features and combinations on course

Except, wait a second -- isn't spectate the actionable word there? Isn't that.... exactly what the USEF prohibited above?

Turns out, nope. I guess those tailgate fees (ranging from $125 to $5K+ at this particular event...) are all that's needed to be considered the "sponsors providing direct services."

GMI's website explains in more detail below: 

colorful emphasis mine. orange = GMI rationalizing why tailgates packed in like sardines are ok, while green = GMI very sadly saying that the poor humble general public can't be allowed.

And ya know... I guess this makes sense on paper. I totally 100% understand that every single aspect of the horse sports community is under extreme pressure and duress because of Covid.

These are massively expensive events to pull off, and general admission and/or parking fees don't come even close to footing the bill. A $5K VIP sponsorship tent tho? Yea, that helps. So... Ya know... Financially, I get it.

But it bugs me. It doesn't feel in keeping with the whole global pandemic environment. Because again, and I can't stress this enough, the tents were all lined up in a row, each filled with unmasked party-goers. But maybe the sponsorship fee also inoculates against the virus?

I was kinda further bugged at how, presumably in further efforts to subsidize the event, access to all the content and live stream coming out of it (for all you rubes who couldn't cough up the tailgate fee) were likewise kept behind a paywall.

gosh but i love watching them go, live and in socially-distant-person! this particular combination is always crazy to watch -- esp bc the horses always seem to handle it so well

Sure, the $9.99 for a one-month subscription to Horse&Country probably isn't much in the grand scheme of things... Esp for hardcore eventing fans starved for action.

But idk. It kinda leaves a bad taste in my mouth, combined with the high cost of entry to the event itself. Which, in case you weren't aware, also offered national divisions -- not just FEI classes.

My impression is that.... It feels like the little guys in equestrian sport are getting the squeeze, while the big fish get to carry on as usual.

Small local horse trials must operate under the same USEF rules, tho they don't have the draw of ritzy tailgaters to help subsidize costs. And, obvi, nor do they get the live stream coverage for the various family, friends and supporting cast members who weren't allowed in under the 'no spectators' policy.

i match the jump!!

And, to be perfectly honest, it's been my experience at HTs since competitions started running that compliance with the USEF rules is much much more strictly enforced at HTs than it was at this major FEI event.

Idk, I'm not trying to make any grand statements on the rules themselves here. Because basically I'm just a rules follower -- I'll do what the folks around me are doing, ya know? I comply with the rules that are necessary to keep these events running, because I love horse shows -- going to them, riding in them, volunteering at them...

What bugs me tho is that the rules are unevenly applied. Especially when the implication is that the rules bend completely with the application of a little cold hard cash. Because.... I really don't think pandemics work that way haha.

FREE highlights & compilation video from the 4* XC

So idk. I'm glad I went to Great Meadow bc the show itself was amazing -- the grounds are so beautiful and there were so many incredible horses and riders to watch. And, perhaps more importantly, I'm pleased to be able to offer you a highlight video that won't cost $9.99 to watch with purchase of a H&C subscription haha.

So ya know, enjoy that lol. And maybe share it with your friends too. Bc fuck it, we should all be able to enjoy this sport we buy into with our own memberships and entry fees, right?

And in the meantime, I'm honestly a little skeptical about implications this might have for future access to upper level events and related coverage in the future. Once venues get a taste for raising the cost of access, will they really want to let that go? Or maybe you think I'm overreacting to organizations doing what they gotta do to exist in these "unprecedented times"?