Two competing equestrian festivals are proceeding down separate tracks in pursuit of the same finish: hosting an annual summer event in northern Michigan.

Horse Shows By The Bay (HSBB) – owned and operated here by Alex Rheinheimer since 2004 – is working to establish a new home after a dispute with Flintfields Horse Park owner Karin Flint led to the event’s departure from the Williamsburg site.

Rheinheimer has a purchase agreement for a 100-plus acre parcel on Supply Road in Whitewater Township, but must get approval from township zoning officials to hold HSBB there. Township Supervisor Ron Popp says the zoning process is in "the very early stages" but has already "drawn a great a deal of attention, both locally and regionally." Popp expects a site plan review to be conducted within "the next 60 days." The parcel is also set to be discussed by the township’s zoning board of appeals on February 26.

Rheinheimer must also clear a second hurdle: winning an appeal to the United States Equestrian Federation (USEF), which originally refused to renew her license this year due to a lack of a facility. If reinstated, Rheinheimer’s license could allow HSBB to return as soon as 2016. A USEF official tells The Ticker “no hearing has been held yet," but could not elaborate on when one might be scheduled. (Rheinheimer declined to comment for this article.)

Meanwhile, Flint has contracted with Stadium Jumping – a producer of national equestrian events – to manage a new Great Lakes Equestrian Festival (GLEF) at Flintfields this summer. Matt Morrissey, who oversees management and sponsorships for Stadium Jumping, says the group received USEF permission this week to operate for three weeks in 2015: July 8-12, 15-19 and 22-26. 

“The divisions and competition classes are going to be very similar (to what HSBB offered),” says Morrissey. “We like to get the community involved in our events, so we’re reaching out to the breweries and wineries right now, some farmers markets…we want to try and get some other events going on the weekends.”

Morrissey doesn't expect GLEF to match the scope and impact of HSBB – which contributes an estimated $12 million annually to the economy – right out of the gate. “It’s the first year, so it’s going to be down, and we have three weeks instead of four,” he says. “But in future years we hope to expand.”

That future – for both events – is contingent upon sponsors, competitors and exhibitors, a niche market that up until now HSBB had an exclusive hold on in this market. With two festivals now jockeying for position, tensions have increased. Earlier this month, representatives for Rheinheimer sent a cease-and-desist letter to Stadium Jumping and its public relations firm demanding the parties stop using “proprietary” HSBB contact databases to target previous sponsors of the festival. The letter alleged sponsor marketing was being written in such a way as to cause confusion between the two events and was "patently misleading."

Morrissey wouldn't comment on the legal notice, but says his company has “one of the largest exhibitor and sponsor databases in the country” and works with many of the same individuals and groups that have attended HSBB. “We’ve established those relationships through our own events,” he adds.

If GLEF holds a successful 2015 show and HSBB earns its license back for 2016, the next showdown would be set: USEF regulations ban sanctioned events from happening on the same dates within a certain distance of each other – usually 250 miles.

"It would be difficult (for two events to happen)," acknowledges Morrissey. “The exhibitors rave about Traverse City…so it’s possible the market could hold more than one. But we’d have to sit down and really look at that.”