It’s a question that has haunted many an indoor horse show manager: How do you get paying spectators into the seats? And once they’re there, how do you keep them entertained? The organizers of the Syracuse Invitational Sporthorse Tournament (p. 50) seem to have some innovative and effective answers to those questions.

The organizing committee–John Madden, Peter Howard, Eric Hasbrouck, Robert Ridland, and Kristin Barrett-Anderson–has worked hard to make the Syracuse show not only exhibitor-friendly, but also a little different. In its third year, it has a streamlined schedule of just jumpers and the ASPCA Maclay Finals.

And they only sell tickets to the best sessions. Only five sessions were “ticketed” and required paid admittance–three evenings, plus Saturday and Sunday afternoons. Performances with the featured international jumper classes and Maclay were “ticketed,” but all other sessions were open and free. Spectators could just walk into the arena on Friday afternoon, before the 7 p.m. session, and watch an amateur-owner jumper class. This system’s only downside was that, even with wristbands, the exhibitors had to buy tickets for the ticketed sessions, which wasn’t popular.

The sessions worked at least partly because the action in the ring wasn’t just your average horse show. A costumed gambler’s choice class, innovative relay classes pairing up amateurs and professionals, and a speed class–the TK99 Speed Derby–that was truly international caliber and kept even me on the edge of my seat, ensured that the schedule was never boring. And the crowds loved it. There wasn’t an empty seat in the house on Saturday night for the World Cup grand prix, and the other ticketed sessions had a healthy turnout.

Other than the Budweiser Clydesdales and some interesting musical groups that played during course changes, there was no “entertainment” in the ring at Syracuse. The horses and riders held center stage, and the organizers made sure that the crowds appreciated them, which worked like a charm. The success of the Syracuse Horse Show with the local community proves that you don’t need twirling ropes and dancers to keep a crowd’s interest. They’re paying to see the horses, so make them the show.

Throughout the week, grand prix rider Todd Minikus joined the announcers on the arena floor to narrate educational walks around the courses. While the jump crew worked in the background, Minikus explained why certain fences would be more challenging and what to watch for. He’d also single out riders walking the course for some impromptu comments. Minikus was at ease in the role, and he made what’s usually a dead time in the ring–course building–into something more.

A stroke of genius came during the four-bar class for the Animal Planet Sporthorse Cup. All the riders still in contention stayed in the ring, circling in one corner. Minikus kept talking with them, and when Lauren Hough admitted that she was really anxious about aiming at a 6’4″ fence on a younger horse, she suddenly became someone the crowd could empathize with–not just another rider dressed the same on a horse. Letting the riders show their personalities made the crowd cheer for them even louder.

For the past 10 years, the glory that was once the indoor show season has been fading, and empty seats have been increasingly the norm. But it seems as though the Syracuse organizers have found some effective ways to sell seats and keep the crowds coming back. The compact schedule, filled with different kinds of classes, and the lack of extraneous entertainment acts made the horses the show, which is how it should be. Sometimes, a little bit less can be a lot more.