GEDDES, N.Y. (NCC News) –— For the second consecutive year, HITS, a company that organizes horse shows across the United States, has chosen to host the indoor finals for the Marshall & Sterling Insurance league at the State Fairgrounds outside of Syracuse. Event Manager Jerry Dougherty said that the newly built Exposition Center is the main draw to the area.
“This is a good place to practice and get used to riding indoors,” Dougherty said. “Get your horse used to doing it indoors. Get the feeling, the excitement, and a little bit of the pressure that goes with a final indoors.”
Dougherty said that indoor horse shows aren’t that common, as most equine events happen in the open air. However, for the location of this event, the indoor space makes the most sense.
“The weather is a little unpredictable in upstate New York this time of year,” Dougherty said. “This is a great place to be where you don’t have to worry about that. It’s a beautiful day today, you wouldn’t mind riding outside, yesterday it rained all day.”
The Exposition Center at the fairgrounds could accommodate many more horses than the 150 that are competing over the next four days. Dougherty said he’s looking forward to seeing the even grow. In the next five years, he hopes that the indoor finals for the Marshall & Sterling will double in size again.
“You could do a one-ring horse show with 350 horses and you could easily handle it here for the ring time you’d need,” Doughtery said.
Climate control, a warm-up ring conjoined with the competition ring, good lighting and one of the largest indoor event spaces in New York make for a venue that HITS is hoping to operate out of for years to come.
The first competitions will start on Thursday morning and continue through Sunday evening.
