TRAVERSE CITY — Traverse City Horse Shows is back at Flintfields Horse Park, offering residents and visitors 13 weeks of world-class equestrian competition. The shows will feature several of the sport’s most prestigious riders.
While TCHS will host all of its usual top attractions, like the American Gold Cup, a Concours de Saut International 5-Star event (also known as CSI5, the highest level of equestrian competition), spectators will also have the opportunity to witness Michigan’s first ever FEI Nations Cup competition, culminating on July 24.
TCHS Press Officer Lindsay Brock said the Nations Cup is a unique opportunity for competitors to represent their country of origin in an Olympic games format.
“Teams from different countries come and compete for individual and team medals,” she said. “Horse sport is predominantly an individual [discipline], so this is an opportunity for competitors to ride for their country.”
TCHS will also be hosting the North American Youth Championships from July 29 through August 3, featuring show jumping and dressage up-and-comers.
“The North American Youth Championships are for competitors who have dreams of going to the Olympics one day, or riding for their country one day, she said. “It is the only time that we host dressage.”
While the youth championships will spotlight young phenoms with big dreams, spectators will also have the opportunity to witness performances by several riders who turned those same dreams into reality; including three athletes who competed in last year’s Olympic games.
McLain Ward, Karl Cook, and American Gold Cup winner Shane Sweetnam all competed in Paris last summer, and are all expected to return to Flintfields Horse Park this year.
Kent Farrington, the No. 1 ranked showjumper, is also expected to compete, Brock said.
Between the North American Youth Championships and the Nations Cup, Brock said she expects 20 to 30 countries to be represented at this year’s horse shows.
“Last year, we didn’t have as many of our top international athletes during the spring and early summer because they were already on the road to Paris,” Brock said. “But we saw a lot of the horses that started in the Two-Star divisions in Traverse City work their way up over the past few years, and show in the Olympics. That was really incredible to see.”
Brock said there are two different types of competition at the horse shows: jumpers and hunters.
“Jumpers are like the speed skaters [of the equestrian world],” she said. “Hunters are more like figure skaters. Their discipline is very subjective and is based on turnout, flow, and how pretty a round of jumps is.”
She said the Traverse City Horse Shows attracts top hunters because it offers a lot of qualifying opportunities for year-end finals.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, many participants come to Traverse City to compete, but leave thinking of it as a second home – and some of them decide to make it just that.
“A lot of the barns and trainers are based in Florida in the winter, but they don’t always have a summer base,” Brock said. “I know several barns that came up and fell in love with Traverse City and purchased property to base their horses here in the summer.”
Local Realtor Molly Buttleman said this is an increasingly common occurrence, with many horse show families purchasing second homes in the area.
“It started in Williamsburg and Acme, but they were mostly renting,” Buttleman said. “Now they are buying all over the area – Long Lake, Old Mission Peninsula, even downtown Traverse City. … It’s spread pretty evenly across all the townships in Grand Traverse County.”
Buttleman said most of the horse show clients she works with are primarily interested in second-plus homes.
“After the shows are over, [these buyers] might come back for fall performances,” Buttleman said. “But, for the most part, they wrap up shop and are gone [until the following summer] because they compete year-round across the country.”
While a lack of affordable housing in the area makes it increasingly difficult for many residents to continue living in the area, Director of Traverse City Tourism Trevor TKach said that horse show families who buy property here care about integrating themselves into the community, and work to fit into the Traverse City lifestyle rather than trying to make the Traverse City lifestyle fit into their own.
“Every year, the horse shows introduce new folks to the region,” TKach said. “We are very blessed to live in a beautiful place. It is very awe-inspiring for someone to come in for the first time. You have to put yourself in their shoes.
“They come to compete at a very high level, and that is their primary objective. But it shouldn’t come as a surprise that a lot of these folks are caught off-guard by the splendor of our region, and [that many of them] decide to invest themselves in the community.
“It makes good sense.”
While those who know and love Traverse City recognize it as a hub for agriculture, wine, food, the arts and outdoor recreation, TKach said some may assume that, since it is in a more rural part of the state, it won’t offer many “premium experiences.”
“The initial thought might be that this is a less sophisticated sort of place, but we have James Beard-nominated chefs and award-winning wine, the Interlochen Center for the Arts,” TKach said. “We have done a nice job of creating high-value experiences. We have some of the best golf in the world, and a great temperate climate. You don’t even have to have your own boat to enjoy the water.”
TCHS Marketing and Communications Manager Gary Howe echoed TKach’s statements, and acknowledged that a lot of the riders who come to Traverse City for the horse shows for the first time don’t know much, if anything, about Michigan.
“They are passionate about this sport that they have dedicated their lives to, and a lot of them aren’t necessarily familiar with American geography,” Howe said. “Then they fly into Traverse City and are like, ‘Whoa, what is this place?’”
TKach noted that The Wall Street Journal recognized Traverse City as one of the top 10 places to visit in 2025, but stressed that the region’s appeal transcends its value as another vacation destination.
“People get here and fall in love with the area,” he said. “They want to be a part of the culture here. The horse shows really embody that.
“This group of customers are becoming part of the Traverse City family. They want to keep it special. We are drawing people who share our values and who want to see this place maintain its unique appeal. As a community, we do that by maintaining high levels of commitment to preservation, conservation and sustainability. There’s a lot of value-driven decisions being made to preserve farmland and protect natural resources. The horse shows fit into that really well, and I think their customers are invested in that.”
Speaking of value, the 2024 horse shows saw a 45% increase in ticket sales compared to the previous season, according to TCHS’ 2024 Recap Report.
Gary Howe said he expects those numbers to continue to rise well into the foreseeable future.
According to local Realtor Ryan Craig, that trajectory isn’t limited to ticket sales. He called the horse show’s local housing market “unlimited” and “exponential.”
“The more people see this place, the more people want to be here,” he said. “The horse shows have been awesome. They draw more attention to our area and bring more diverse buyers.
“A lot of the people that come here for the horse shows are affluent, and they want to establish something here.”
Most of the show’s participants are affluent, with a 2021 poll conducted by Survey-EDGE confirming that 33% of 2021’s Traverse City Horse Shows participants earned an annual household income of more than $500,000, while 10% of those involved earned less than $49,999.
That same year, the shows injected approximately $352.9 million into the area’s local economy, according to the horse show’s most recent economic impact report.
Buttleman said real estate buyers from the horse show hail from across the country, but that the majority are coming up from Florida, where many of them show at Wellington International’s Winter Equestrian Festival.
“There was a point in time when they told us that horse show (buyers) would not go farther than Acme, but that’s just not true,” she said. “They want to be close (to Flintfields), but they are buying everywhere in Grand Traverse County.”
Brock likened the horse show lifestyle to something like that of a traveling carnival, with all of the time competitors, as well as their trainers, veterinarians, and families, spend traveling around the country from weekend to weekend all year long.
“Our 13-week series gives them a soft spot to land in the summer,” she said.
Of those 13 weeks, 12 feature solely FEI competitions. They are broken into three separate events: The Traverse City Spring Horse Show, from June 4-22; the Great Lakes Equestrian Festival (GLEF), from July 2 to Aug. 10; and the Tournament of Champions, from September 3-21.
Howe said that Flintfields also elevated its hospitality services for the upcoming season.
“[The park] will feature two new permanent barns, bringing the total to six; as well as expanded food options, including the new TCHS Food Truck and One Trick Pony coffee bar on The Hilltop,” he said.
Enhanced hospitality spaces include updates to the VIP Club and The Overlook. The new Hilltop Market will be open on Grand Prix Sundays, featuring boutique shopping and a weekly farmers market.
New permanent bathrooms are under construction and are expected to be completed by mid-summer.
“As we continue to grow, we’re focused on reinvesting in the overall experience for competitors, spectators, and the broader community,” Howe said. “We want to create a venue that’s as enjoyable as it is functional – where safety, comfort, and hospitality meet world-class sport.”
TKach and Howe both expressed hopes that more residents will head out to Flintfields this summer to experience the horse shows.
“We have a lot to offer out here,” Howe said. “It’s a great setting and a great way to spend a summer afternoon. You don’t have to be a full-on equestrian enthusiast to enjoy it. We want to celebrate that this is happening here in Northern Michigan.”
TKach agreed, calling the horse shows an opportunity to “step into a different world.”
“It’s very welcoming and a wonderful activity,” he said. “I’d love to see more locals take advantage of the opportunity. This is a very, very special event. The venue is spectacular and the [competitions] are world-class.
“It’s just another feather in the cap of the Traverse City region.”
For a full schedule of all TCHS events, visit https://traversecityhorseshows.com/.