The Inaugural Maryland 5 Star in Review, continued...
was stunning to look at on a larger screen, spec- tators want a program with maps and other es- sential information in hand while at the venue. As for logo wear and official Maryland 5 Star
merchandise… the only real complaint was that they ran out! If you missed out on purchasing merchandise while at the venue, you can still purchase items online.
Exhibitions, Horseland & More One of the popular aspects of the previous
“Fair Hill Festival in the Country” was the abundance of demonstrations, the kids zone, and the activities for those who may want more than just competition to watch. Te Maryland 5 Star did not offer much in terms of extra ac- tivities. Only 7.9% of our respondents said the extra activities needed improvement, however, with 24.8% responding that the amount of ex- tra activities was just right.
On the other hand, many (43.5%) respon- dents did not know there were any non-com- petition things to watch, although the majority of the comments said that spectators really did not have much time to watch demonstrations anyway. Many wrote in statements like “we came to watch the competition” or “we came for cross-country only.” One “extra” that a lot of spectators did enjoy was the VIP Pet Experience put on by MARS Equestrian. Comments included “Loved the VIP pet experience” and “VIP pet experience was fun for my puppy!” In general, dog owners were pleased with how dog friendly and inclu- sive the venue was with one person writing, “I brought my dog and loved the dog tent, doggie daycare, etc.” A suggestion that kept popping up in this sec-
tion of our survey was for more kid-friendly ac- tivities such as face painting, and for photo ops
A Competitor’s Perspective From a competitor’s perspective, the first Maryland 5 Star at Fair Hill received mixed reviews. Te overall impression of the event was split 50/50
between “needs improvement” and “exceeded expectations.” Competitors were also split 50/50 on the Vendor Village between “just right” and “not enough options.” Tey all agreed (100%) however, that
there needs to be more food options. Parking received a 50/50 split between “just right” and “needs improvement” and a comment in the general venue section of the survey was
“needs more trash cans.” Competitors also agreed that the hospitality of staff and volunteers they interacted with was either just right or exceeded expectations. No
competitors said this area of the five-star experience needed improvement. Te digital program got mixed reviews from competitors with 50% saying it was just right and the other 50% saying it needed improvement.
Competitors were not happy with the official logo wear and merchandise options with 100% saying it needed improvement. One competitor stated, “was disappointed in the logo wear as the logo wasn’t really visible on the nicer clothing/jackets.” Te shuttles for competitors also seemed to be an issue, with one competitor writing, “shuttle would run from stabling to the vendor area, but
no return shuttles were available” and “more accessibility to remote areas for grooms and owners.” Competitors were also frustrated with the camping situation in the stabling area as they reported that more hook-up stations were sold then
were actually available on the grounds. Tere was also a power and water problem when competitors first arrived, although those were quickly resolved. When asked if they plan to attend the five-start in 2022, all competitors who took our survey said yes. One parting comment from a competitor was, “We will be back in 22, but wish it was closer to home! Well done, Mary [Coldren]! Tanks for all you do!”
A MARYLAND HORSE COUNCIL PUBLICATION or autograph sessions with the five-star riders.
Parting Words When asked what their overall general im-
pression of the inaugural Maryland 5 Start at Fair Hill was, 50.9% said it needed improve- ment while 25.6% said the event exceeded their expectations. Te overall impression comments were varied with one common thread… this year’s five-star was a fabulous first time event that needs some tweaking here and there. Te Equiery hopes that the five-star organizing
committee is open to the suggestions from its spectators. Te Maryland 5 Star is an opportu- nity for the entire state to gain worldwide recog- nition, and we look forward to bigger and better events to come. After all, 81.7% of those who took our survey said they plan to return in 2022!
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