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.
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.
Article by Nancy Jaffer from EquiSearch
