Traverse City, Mich. – Mar. 4, 2020 – The countdown is on until the Traverse City Spring Horse Show (TCS), presented by Turtle Creek Casino & Hotel, which will bring world-class hunter/jumper competition to exhibitors and spectators at Flintfields Horse Park from June 3-21, 2020. The new spring series is a welcome addition to the summer schedule, which includes the Great Lakes Equestrian Festival (GLEF), and will offer three more weeks of competition, two of which are FEI rated, in Traverse City. Now with the prize list released, exhibitors can begin to plan their time in Michigan and prepare their horses for the show ring.
The TCS will highlight a variety of classes, including CSI2* competition during its latter two weeks. Hunters, jumpers and equitation competitors alike will have plenty of classes available to them between USHJA National Hunter Derbies, a Welcome Stake each week and a deck of top-tier equitation classes. Throughout the June show weeks, exhibitors will have opportunities to qualify for the Dudley B. Smith Equitation Championship, which will take place during GLEF. Contests for all levels will be offered at TCS, ranging from FEI to ponies and incentive classes. Full weeks of competition will come to summation on Sundays with the $30,000 Grand Prix at the end of Week One and the $50,000 Grand Prix to conclude Weeks Two and Three.
Photo by Dani Mac Photography
In the jumper ring, TCS is proud to welcome a distinguished line-up of course designers to create a variety of unique tracks that will appropriately challenge each horse-and-rider duo in the jumper rings across the property. In Week Two, Ivan Tagle (ARG) is at the helm of course designing. During his 25-year tenure as a course designer, Tagle has frequented the West Coast and has also built for the South American Games and qualifications for the Pan American Games. In Week Three, Casty Cruz (MEX) takes the reins as an FEI Level 3 course designer. Cruz is a well-seasoned designer, having created tracks for the Winter Equestrian Festival, Tryon International Equestrian Center, Blenheim Equisports, Caledon Equestrian Park and more. Stay tuned to find out who will be the course designer for Week One!
Additionally, safety and quality are a number one priority at TCHS, so Flintfields Horse Park has continued to improve upon renovations completed prior to the 2019 season to provide the best quality showgrounds for competitors and their horses. The first-class venue boasts newly constructed schooling rings, new hospitality structures built to accommodate exhibitors and spectators and, thanks to GGT Footing, 4G Surfaces and JTWG, Inc., each ring was completed with new GGT footing.
This year, athletes competing at both TCS and GLEF will be offered a complimentary layover week between the end of TCS on June 21, and the beginning of Week One of GLEF on July 1. For no extra charge, competitors will be allowed to keep their horses on-site at Flintfields Horse Park for the duration of the intermission, making for an easy and stress-free transition between the two shows.
To confirm your stalls for the summer season, make sure to complete the Stabling Reservation Form here. Exhibitors opting to spend the entire season in Traverse City can expect significant savings thanks to the complimentary layover as well as a discount for staying the entire eight weeks of competition.
As the staple summer shows in the Midwest, Traverse City Horse Shows have continuously grown in popularity and status since their inception. The series attracts national and international competitors from multiple continents to participate in the summer circuit. Due to growing demand and the addition of two weeks of competition, lodging and accommodations around Traverse City will go quickly. Whether you are dreaming of a room at a resort or a house on the lake, don’t wait to book your housing for the summer season! For more information about housing and lodging, please visit the TCHS accommodation page here.
