2025 Marks a Banner Year for ShowConnect

Written By Robert Winter

2025 marked another incredible year of growth for ShowConnect, the innovative event management system for equestrian events powered by the United States Eventing Association, Inc. (USEA). The USEA IT Department dedicated countless hours to not only hosting 36 events throughout the year, but also making cutting edge enhancements and updates to the user experience. Here are a few statistics showcasing the highlights of ShowConnect this season:

By The Numbers

The ShowConnect platform hosted 36 events during the 2025 season. Across these competitions, there were 6,474 total entries comprising 2,227 unique riders and 2,727 unique horses. Competitors represented 36 U.S. states and Canadian provinces.

Washington and California hosted nearly two-thirds of the season's event. All host states for 2025 are listed below:

  • Washington (WA) - 12 events

  • California (CA) - 10 events

  • Colorado (CO) - 4 events

  • Ohio (OH) - 3 events

  • Arizona (AZ) - 2 events

  • Oregon (OR) - 2 events

  • Utah (UT) - 2 events

  • Montana (MT) - 1 event

Rider Demographics

On average, about 148 riders participated in each event. The smallest competition had 17 riders and the largest had 557. In terms of age groups, Junior and Young Rider participants made up more than one-third of all competitors at ShowConnect events.

  • 16 riders under the age of 10 competed 26 times

  • 556 riders between 10 and 17 years of age competed 1,371 times

  • 212 riders between 18 and 21 years of age competed 585 times

  • 240 riders between 22 and 30 years of age competed 753 times

  • 372 riders between 31 and 40 years of age competed 1,319 times

  • 300 riders between 41 and 50 years of age competed 1,112 times

  • 197 riders between 51 and 60 years of age competed 607 times

  • 123 riders between 61 and 70 years of age competed 345 times

  • 25 riders over the age of 70 competed 57 times

Equine Demographics

The most common age group among horses entered in events this year was 6 to 12 years old.

  • 3 3-year-old horses were attributed to 3 entries

  • 162 4-5-year-old horses were attributed to 433 entries

  • 688 6-8-year-old horses were attributed to 1,943 entries

  • 705 9-12-year-old horses were attributed to 1,793 entries

  • 536 13-16-year-old horses were attributed to 1,199 entries

  • 227 17-20-year-old horses were attributed to 478 entries

  • 74 21-25-year-old-horses were attributed to 147 entries

  • 310 horses over 25 years of age were attributed to 450 entries

Thoroughbreds were the most common breed with about a quarter of the horses that used ShowConnect. The table below lists some of the top breeds.

  • 716 Thoroughbreds were attributed to 1,572 entries (26.3%)

  • 244 Irish Sport Horses were attributed to 690 entries (8.9%)

  • 173 Dutch Warmbloods were attributed to 589 entries (6.3%)

  • 101 Holsteiners were attributed to 302 entries (3.7%)

  • 97 Hanoverians were attributed to 308 entries (3.6%)

  • 92 Oldenbergs were attributed to 274 entries (3.4%)

  • 72 Quarter Horses were attributed to 140 entries (2.6%)

For gender, geldings made up more than 60% of the field of horses. Of the remaining group, 30% were mares, and only 10 horses were registered as stallions. The rest did not provide a gender designation with their entries.

Competition Information

This year, ShowConnect handled a wide range of levels from Starter through Advanced, plus Young Event Horse (YEH) divisions, Classic Series divisions, and FEI-recognized levels from the CCI1* to the CCI4*. Many events offered Beginner Novice and Novice levels, while only six events included Advanced divisions.

Of the competitions hosted on ShowConnect, 26 were USEA Recognized Horse Trials, six were unrecognized events, and two were unrecognized mini trials. 17 of those competitions offered combined test options, five hosted the YEH Program, and three had Classic Three-Day Event divisions.

This year, ShowConnect events included several special programs beyond standard divisions as well. These programs increase participation by offering team competitions and specialized formats.

  • Team Competitions (Intercollegiate, IEL, Adult Riders, Young Riders, etc.) - 13 events hosted with 175 teams and 602 horse and rider combinations participating

  • FEI Divisions - 122 divisions hosted with 1,227 horse and rider combinations participating

  • Young Event Horse (YEH) Divisions - 5 events hosted 12 YEH divisions with 78 horses and rider combinations participating

  • Classic Three-Day Divisions - 3 events hosted 12 Classic Series divisions with 152 horse and rider combinations participating

ShowConnect Updates in 2025

During 2025 the ShowConnect development team delivered several significant upgrades. These improvements not only enhanced the user experience but also provided new tools for managing complex equestrian events.

  • Smarter reporting tools (March 2025) – The spring release added a new “Scratched Fees” report and expanded filtering options for financial and entry reports. Reports were simplified by removing unnecessary columns and reorganizing layouts.

  • Waitlist and entry control – A comprehensive Waitlist Module was introduced, allowing organizers to set manual or automatic rules, draw and rank entries, bulk accept or waitlist competitors, and maintain auto‑updating ranks.

  • Public view enhancements – The public‑facing scoring pages were made easier to read, with sorted ride times and dates, division acronyms and owner names displayed for clarity, and scratched entries shown in grey. A link to CrossCountry App maps was added to help spectators follow courses.

  • Faster navigation and registration improvements – Platform tabs were reorganized, a loading indicator was added, and registration now supports searching by USEA, USEF, and FEI numbers. Additional breeds were added to the registration system.

  • May/June 2025 improvements – Early bird fees can now be imported from Xentry, and specialized divisions (Opportunity Event Horse) import more smoothly. Facility and stable maps can be displayed on the public calendar to help competitors navigate venues. Dangerous riding scores are fully integrated, ride orders and score sorting were improved, and non‑compete divisions are hidden from public scoring. Scheduling tools improved conflict checking and rider filtering, while course setup and obstacle management were streamlined. Billing navigation, age calculations in reports, and other under‑the‑hood optimizations make the system faster and more reliable.

  • New support number (May 26, 2025) – The team launched a unified support phone line, +1 (571) 601‑1620, for calls or text messages. The new number is available 24/7 and routes urgent issues to the appropriate staff. The change is part of a trial to improve response times, with email and online knowledgebase support still available.

These updates demonstrate ShowConnect’s commitment to delivering a modern, user‑friendly platform for equestrian event organizers.

Did you participate in an event hosted by ShowConnect this year? Tell us about your experience by completing the end of year survey linked here.

Robert Winter
Next

ShowConnect Gets High Marks from Eventer and Scorer Kim Goto Miner