Ride to the Point: 208,000 visitors at Equitana 2017

Shows

2017 Equitana

Equitana kept its promise. With 208,000 visitors in total – including 32,000 spectators at the seven night-time shows – Equitana 2017 once more underscored its role as the Equestrian Sports World Fair. “An absolute precision landing with which we replicated last year’s excellent result, almost down to the last decimal point”, says a visibly pleased Hans-Joachim Erbel, managing director of organiser Reed Exhibitions.

With 750 exhibitors from 30 nations, Equitana's 15 exhibition halls were completely sold out again.

Particularly striking was the readiness of many visitors to make investments and purchases. Countless exhibitors spoke of a “real boom” and were extremely pleased with the trade fair. “Equitana brings together everything the world of international equestrianism and horse care has to offer right now”, says show Director Christina Uetz, for 20 years the heart and mind behind the overall event. High-performance sports, too, made its strongest showing at Equitana in a long time.

HIGHLIGHTS OF HIPPOLOGY

She’s won almost every prize you can win in eventing. But when she comes Equitana, even Ingrid Klimke turns into a little girl again. “Even back when my father used to drive to Essen to attend Equitana, I always hoped I could accompany him. My highlight was the HOP TOP Show.” It still is to this day. Except that the Olympic, world and European champion now fills the large arena at Equitana with her own show. This year was the first time she was responsible for putting together the training night – which she turned into an outstanding success with “Ingrid Kimke live” presented by SAP! For two hours in front of a sell-out crowd, Ingrid Klimke and her team demonstrated that “riding right” really rocks.

Training seminar with Isabell Werth Also delivering inspiration and goose bumps was this year’s HOP TOP Show “Passepartout”. Four evenings filled with highlights featuring stars like Santi Serra, Alizée Froment and Lorenzo produced tears of emotion, more than a few laughs, amazement bordering on disbelief, and standing ovations..

No fewer than five Olympic gold medallists helped create the programme for this year’s Equitana: Ingrid Klimke was joined by her teammate Frank Ostholt, show jumper Ludger Beerbaum and, from the dressage community, Nicole Uphoff-Selke, German national coach Monica Theodorescu and Isabell Werth. The latter, the uncrowned queen of the dressage arena, gave a lesson in Hall 6 and, on Sunday night, rode her future hopeful Belantis from the Principal and State Stud Neustadt/Dosse at Pavo Hengste 2017. Equitana's large breeding gala this year exclusively featured stallions from state studs – a sign in today’s age. As Isabell Werth puts it, “The state studs are a piece of German culture. I think the government has a mandate to preserve it.”

EQUINE DIVERSITY

Uta Gräf at Equitana The Equitana Education Project celebrated a successful premiere in Hall 1A. On each of the nine trade fair days, trainers from the various segments of equestrianism shared their knowledge with audience members and participants, who had a chance to apply for the lessons ahead of the event. A diverse range of choices was offered, including Bernd Hackl and Sandra Schneider, the “horse pros” known from German TV. Next up were other famous greats such as Grand Prix rider Uta Gräf, “Tellington Touch” inventor Linda Tellington-Jones, dressage trainer Horst Becker, Western trainer Ute Holm, Working Equitation expert Stefan Baumgartner, liberty dressage specialist Kenzie Dysli and, finally, Peter Kreinberg, the inventor of the “Gentle Touch” and a recognised expert both for training in the saddle and from the ground.

HIGH DEMAND IN THE EXHIBITION HALLS

Four-time Olympic champion Ludger Beerbaum made his debut as an Equitana exhibitor this year. Having just launched his own feed line, he had a stand in Hall 1 for the first time. Business was excellent. Udo Steinbock von Höveler drives at the same point: “We’re highly satisfied and had a really great response and significantly more customers overall. There have never been so many trading partners as this year.”

That’s true not just for the “Fodder Hall”. Enormous demand was also seen in Hall 3: “I’ve never experienced such a successful and friendly Equitana. Visitors are in the mood to buy; the German market in particular is booming. But we also saw great demand from Western Europe”, reflects Klaus Reinken, managing director of Waldhausen GmbH & Co. KG. The representative visitor survey confirms this finding. One in two visitors came to Essen with concrete buying and investment plans. About ten per cent of the more than 35,000 trade visitors made investments of €50,000 or higher; six per cent of them invested in excess of €100,000. “People are ready to invest; customers are buying. Quality and high-end products are in demand”, says Klaus Böckmann, managing director of Böckmann Fahrzeugwerke GmbH, in summarising current market activity. The more than 140,000 riders and horse lovers who attended Equitana as private visitors where equally happy to open their wallets. A third of them spent more than €100; another 35 per cent bought goods valued above €250.

GOOD ECONOMIC PROSPECTS

Nicole Uphoff-Selke masterclass This trend is reflected as well in the survey on business trends conducted at Equitana every other year. It found that 46 per cent of respondents expect a further market upturn while one third forecast business to remain unchanged; only 18 per cent see a downward trend.

Some of the momentum is generated by international business. “We’re noticing more and more enquiries from abroad, and we had discussions with customers from Brazil, Oman, Israel, Sweden, Bulgaria and, of course, Western Europe. We’re really satisfied”, emphasised Rüdiger Deckert, managing director of Röwer & Rüb GmbH. The provider of equestrian systems from Thedinghausen generates approximately 65 per cent of its sales in exports. A quarter of Equitana's trade visitors travel from abroad, eight per cent of them from outside Europe.

WEB STAR ALERT AT Equitana

The Equitana Webstar Convention made its successful debut this year. Bringing together a total of 41 Internet stars of the horse and rider community and some 4,600 thrilled fans, the event was an all-round success. Participating onsite were YouTube, Instagram and Facebook celebrities such as Annica Hansen, Mias Pferdewelt (Mia’s World of Horses), Lia and Alfi, BinieBo, Anja Fabulosa and Damiana Konka aka DamDias. Lesser known bloggers and YouTubers like the Simply Fair Horsemanship Community, which in advocating for openness in equestrian sports and fair treatment of the horse as partner reflects the various equestrian disciplines, and the riding upstart HorseMeUp! also had a chance to present themselves here.

The next Equitana will take place at the Exhibition Centre Essen from 9 to 17 March 2019.

-- Equitana press release