"John does a good job. He's brilliant," Darragh said. That sums it up. The Tournament is John's baby. It's unique; he has made it a reflection of what he thinks show jumping should and could be. But there are some questions about its future.
The National Horse Show joined forces with Syracuse last year, and chatter has been abundant that it might move elsewhere. I asked Mason Phelps, the National's president and CEO to comment.
Listen: Mason PhelpsFor his part, John wishes the National well, whether it remains with Syracuse or goes out on its own.
"I want the National to be tremendously successful," said John, who said he wishes the same for the Palm Beach shows, the Hampton Classic and other fixtures.
"I want to raise the level of show jumping in the world, and I have no ego about it," he contended. "My ego is satisfied by success."
There has been concern in some quarters about the fate of the Syracuse show, since Budweiser--the grand prix sponsor--will no longer be a backer because Anheuser-Busch was bought by a foreign company.
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- Victoria Birdsall takes Jerremy for a victory gallop after winning the year-end award for the East Coast Cavalor Show Jumping Hall of Fame Jumper Classic Series.
- © 2009 by Nancy Jaffer
No worries, John told me after the competition ended and he had his first well-deserved Bourbon of the week as he relaxed for a few minutes.
The show will go on, John emphasized. He is, however, looking for more sponsorship to take it to the next level, and will "hit the ground running" tomorrow morning to try and find it.
He figures $800,000 to $900,000 should do the trick and lure even more of the world's best riders to upstate New York.
Sponsorship was down to $460,000 this year from $600,000 last year, the result of the recession. He has great support from his area, but needs backing from beyond that to continue the show's progress.
While he notes that the show nearly broke even in 2008, it was run at a loss this year. But you would never have known it from the way it was staged.
"What I liked most is that we had great sport," John said. "What I liked second most is that I did a lot less work (you couldn't prove that by me; he seemed to be in perpetual motion from my point of view; making sure everything was running properly, acting as master of ceremonies at the presentations, chatting with sponsors, etc.)"
"We have a great team in place now," he insisted, and I have to say I am impressed by the support the show receives from the area. Waiting to talk to John when I finished was the show's accountant, Paul Mahalick, a volunteer who puts in more than 300 hours a year, for free.
Why, I asked Paul.
"It's great for the community and the sport alike," he explained. "It puts Syracuse in a global arena."
The area isn't affluent; we're so used to Wellington, Fla., Aiken, S.C., Westchester, N.Y. and other well-to-do horsey areas that Syracuse is a gritty contrast. But the people are nice and they're enthusiastic. They have a will that always finds a way.
"You can't survive here if you're not a survivor," John pointed out, and I can guarantee you that he and the show are survivors.
This wraps up my competition postcards for the year. Be sure to check out my Syracuse photo gallery, and I'll be back with you in December to fill you in on the U.S. Hunter Jumper Association annual meeting.
Until then,
