Putting It All On The Line For A Quality Event

By Alison Mitchell

Alex Rheinheimer developed a love for horses very early on: she began riding lessons at age 6. Rheinheimer has carried a passion for horses and equestrian events throughout her life and has made it her career.

Along with her husband, Dean, Rheinheimer runs Horse Shows by the Bay Equestrian Festival, a prestigious annual, multi-week summer event held at Flintfields Horse Park in Traverse City, Mich. At the event, thousands of the nation’s best horses and riders compete in disciplines such as show jumping and dressage, and there are also events for show hunters and equitation riders. Approximately $395,000 in prize money is awarded throughout the festival.

SportsEvents recently spoke with Rheinheimer about her love of horses, what it takes to pull off equestrian events and the unique challenges of dealing with four-legged participants.

Please tell me about your position with Horse Shows by the Bay. Have you always been interested in equestrian sports?

I’ve been interested in horses since the age of 6, which is when my mom first enrolled me in the local riding stable where I took weekly lessons. At that time we were living in New York. Fast forward 30 years, and I am now the co-founder, co-owner and co-producer of Horse Shows by the Bay Equestrian Festival, which is based out of Traverse City, Mich.

Since that initial riding lesson, I’ve become immersed in the equestrian industry as a rider, horse owner, caretaker, awards presenter, show announcer and show judge. I’ve worn and continue to wear many hats.

Explain Horse Shows’ mission and tell me about the event’s participants.
My husband and I are the owners and festival producers. Our mission is to provide our participants a quality event that excels in customer service and to also provide, to the best of our ability, a superior facility that continually keeps in mind the horses’ safety and comfort.

Our participants are nationally ranked riders and horses who are mostly from the Greater Midwest region; however, about a third of our total population travels from either the East Coast or West Coast. They excel in the Olympic sports of show jumping and dressage and also compete in equitation and hunter events.

The month-long festival is composed of weeklong competitions that are sanctioned by the U.S. Equestrian Federation as “AA” rated, which is the highest rating a horse show can receive.

What makes equestrian sports so appealing? What kind of athlete excels?
Equestrian sports are unique because of two aspects. First of all, it’s the only sport where both men and women compete against one another on a level and equal playing field; second, the sport involves an animal, which in itself is a challenge and is different from most athletic sports. The typical athlete who excels is dedicated, first and foremost. Talent oftentimes is secondary, especially on the part of the riders. Specifically, horses and riders must be in the best shape possible and be mentally tough and fit to weather the extreme demands placed on both their mind and body.

Do equestrian sports require a different kind of commitment than other sports because of the animal component?
Typically at this level, the horse and rider  are so dedicated to the sport that it becomes more of a lifestyle than just a hobby or occasional competition. This is because it takes a lot of time, energy, money and tenacity to achieve success. Certainly, a more recreational rider can get by with devoting less.

The team aspect is very evident. Not only do horse and rider compete as a team, but also behind the scenes it takes a village to get a horse to the competition ring. Typically with each horse there is a groom or caretaker, a veterinarian, a farrier, a massage therapist, a trainer, a rider, a braider and an owner.

At the competition itself just about every event is an individual one, where each horse/rider combination is being compared  to or competing against their fellow horse/rider combinations; however, occasionally, like at the Olympics, teams of four horse/rider combinations are formed (based on geographic location) to compete against one another. The United States is the reigning Olympic Show Jumping Gold Medal Winning Team.

Tell me about your festival events, including details about marketing, setup, logistics and some of the most exciting aspects of the events.
At Horse Shows by the Bay, we host approximately 1,400 horses and their riders throughout the month-long series. It’s staged just a few miles east of idyllic Traverse City, which is situated on the southern tip of Lake Michigan’s Grand Traverse Bay. The facility is called Flintfields and boasts 10 riding arenas (each with carefully laid out drainage and footing) plus enough land to house 1,200 10-foot-square horse stalls, which are housed under 10 big canvas tents.

Once we are all set up, our 84-acre parcel is just about all accounted for as we also have parking lots for the cars and horse trailers, a 28-site campground, and buildings for viewing and operations. The site has a complex irrigation system and is also equipped with lights and plenty of electricity to power up everything from the full-service kitchen that feeds the participants to the show offices that house the press room, vendors and registration stations.

Most of our advertisers and sponsors are from the equestrian industry, so we market heavily within our industry to the businesses that are most directly impacted by our participants’ support. We recently launched a local Traverse City campaign to attract spectators and local business partners. It’s been very successful so far, and as a result our participants feel more connected to this wonderful region they call home for a month or so. They like having people in the stands clapping and cheering them on, plus they enjoy hearing “welcome” as they enter their favorite downtown restaurant or boutique.

I handle most of the marketing and act as the liaison between our two marketing firms. I dedicate just about every day of the year to this event, as I am the person who also hires all of the staff, organizes the accommodations and sets each day’s schedule. I also write all of the registration and advertising material throughout the season, plus I’m the party planner and charity fundraiser guru. My husband is in charge of just about everything else, especially if it involves the facility.

Do you work with the local convention and visitors bureau (CVB) or sports commission in planning the festival?
We work closely with our local CVB in terms of assisting our participants with lodging arrangements, and the CVB uses our festival as a way to promote the region to potential tourists. The CVB doesn’t market our event to our participants, but it still plays a crucial role in promoting our event to the tourist market, which potentially are our spectators.

It’s essential, in my opinion, to work closely with your local visitors bureau, as they typically have many ways and means to help with promotion. We are lucky in that Traverse City has a very forward-thinking group in charge, so they see the forest through the trees. They are supported by a great group of volunteers who take pride in promoting the region and the various events within the community.

What tools or tricks do you use in planning events?
We live by this motto: “Proper planning produces a good performance.” Just like our participants, the homework needs to be done at home—not in the show ring. Once the festival starts, typically we’re just keeping the wheels from falling off the wagon. It helps, though, to have two people at the helm so that if by chance one of us is freaking out the other can take over.

What makes a great location?
A booming horse show such as ours will have these common location features: it’s close to a major highway, has access to at least 1,000 hotel rooms, and is set up at some type of facility conducive to hosting a horse show. However, what sets us apart from other summer events is that we are located in one of the Midwest’s premier destinations—so our participants have more to do than just compete in the event.

What characteristics should a good sports event planner have?
There isn’t a job that either my husband or I are afraid of taking on, whether it’s mucking out the stalls in between events, making or painting the competition show jumps, or picking up the trash. We’re there if needed.

When not actually running this festival, my husband and I work for other festival promoters, so oftentimes we are in the trenches doing the very jobs that might not be at the top of everyone’s list. That is how we continue to learn.

Because our sport is so specialized, it would be hard not to have a firm grasp of the industry’s nuances. Besides having the knowledge of the sport, we feel it’s important to surround ourselves with the very best support staff possible. Without the proper tools in the tool box, we’ve found that it’s next to impossible to run a great event, regardless of how much determination we have.