HORSE SPOT: Transforming the Horse Show Experience
As an equestrian, showing is the pinnacle of training, hard work, and dedication. Not only do riders prepare themselves and their horses and expect a certain outcome, but they also have expectations on the overall horse show experience long before they hitch up the trailer. Transforming that experience with the help of technology is the mission of Horse Spot, a cloud-based platform for horse show management from co-founders Michael, Christopher, and Lindsay Lenard. The Tech Equestrian had a chance to catch up with this powerful trio to learn more about their background, current solution, and future roadmap.
Horse Spot co-founders Michael, Lindsay and Christopher Lenard (from left to right)
A Family Affair
Brothers Michael and Christopher grew up around horses because their mother was a stereotypical horse girl. Michael, the eldest, was hooked early on thanks to Pony Club and later became a competitor in the Hunter/Jumper arena. He began working at those same horse shows as a summer job during college and soon got his younger brother Christopher involved because the horse shows always sought more help.
Christopher began riding as a child as well, but didn’t catch the bug right away. “When I was young, Michael would drag me to all the events, and at first, I was resistant because I didn't want to be just like him, but one day, I realized I could continue to sit around on the sidelines, or I could learn how to ride,” Christopher recalled. “Following in my brother’s footsteps, I also got involved working as an office secretary and other roles, such as in-gate.” Christopher noticed early on that the technology solutions for shows were lacking. This influenced his decision to pursue a master’s degree in computer science from DePaul University. “I enjoyed the challenge of learning all I could about software development,” he shared.
Both Michael and Christoper also enjoyed successful years competing on the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association (IHSA) during their college years. Michael captained Northern Illinois University’s Equestrian Team, leading them to several team titles and collecting several individual placings at Nationals, including Alumni National Champion in 2010. Christopher helped lead the team at University of Illinois Urbana Champaign during his undergraduate days.
“Another big advantage to riding was that this is how I met Lindsay. Lindsay and I have continued to ride throughout our lives, and now we're coming back into it because we're making it our career path, too. As recently as April, I left my job to work full-time on Horse Spot,” said Christopher.
Lindsay, Christopher’s wife, is a co-founder and lead product designer at Horse Spot. No surprise, she is also a lifelong rider and worked as an assistant trainer during her college days. As a design expert with experience working on design systems for major companies like McDonald's and YC-backed startups, she manages the overall UX (user experience) of the platform. She is also a Webby Award nominee.
Choosing the Right Path
After graduating from college, Michael continued to stay active as a rider and involved in show management. “I balanced my full-time job with managing horse shows – taking many vacation days to cover time spent at shows,” said Michael and continued, “Over the years, it became painfully clear that I wouldn't be able to keep doing my full-time job and balance my horse show management aspirations. I knew that I needed to choose the path that gave me the greatest satisfaction, and it also helped pursuing that horse show management roles would dovetail nicely into building awareness of the Horse Spot platform.”
“I’m living my dream of being a horse show manager who gets to take things to the next level and give the exhibitors a great experience.”
Michael serves as a trailblazer by transitioning his hobby into a business, and his decision opened doors for opportunities to start working with other horse show management companies and groups. “Managing shows has taken me to Montana, Georgia, and recently to Texas to run several A-rated horse shows, and I wouldn’t have the opportunity if not for my decision to quit my full-time job.” Michael has also helped manage shows for Nona Garson, a former U.S. Showjumping Olympian, at The Ridge in Wellington, FL and Asbury, NJ.
For show managers: Horse Spot is designed to manage entry data all in one place.
Developed by Equestrians for Equestrians
The team launched Horse Spot in March of 2023 at a schooling show in Chicago. “We had the basic features built out at that point, and it taught us what show managers and exhibitors wanted to see in a show technology platform,” said Michael.
With Christopher’s extensive knowledge of technology from the corporate world, 100% of the Horse Spot platform has been developed in-house. “I was fortunate in my career to work on projects that shaped my perception of how software is supposed to be created with an emphasis on security and data privacy,” said Christopher. This strength is what the team at Horse Spot feels will be very influential in the data security side of the industry and in creating standards that are needed.
“We are talking to horse show managers, secretaries and staff directly, and in our case, we’ve got the skill set to design software to solve real problems.”
Lindsay comes to the table with a caliber of design and understanding that results in an elevated user experience from the flow and overall navigation. “Visually, our platform is so much more impressive than all the other ones out there,” said Michael.
The team is excited to provide new functionality that delivers ringside live scoring views.
How Does Horse Spot Work?
Horse Spot is a web-based and browser-based solution. “Many equestrians who are using Horse Spot can take care of things daily by saving your Horse Spot page to your home screen on your phone, and it functions like an app,” Michael explained.
Exhibitors
As an exhibitor, you can submit an online entry by going to a login page before you push through that entry. Your login page will give you access to all the details of your entries, including adds or scratches for the classes that you plan on riding in for the show. “We plan to expand the functionality for organizations and affiliates of all sizes to be able to manage their cumulative standings and their division points,” said Michael. “By expanding what we're doing and supporting those organizations, not just the competitions themselves, we're able to enhance the entire exhibitor experience,” he added.
Show Managers & Staff
A streamlined process is the goal of the Horse Spot solution for show management. The software is designed to manage entry data all in one place with payment functionality and show fee support, a ‘create a show’ option that duplicates past shows for easy updating, and dashboard visibility that provides Stripe integration and self-checkout plus quick search features for finding entries by number, horse or rider name. In addition, the solution can assign roles – in-gate, office staff, and teams with personalized permissions. Reports are easy to customize and automate to organize classes and keep track of financials.
Trainers
Trainers can enjoy managing a digital schedule that is customizable based on each customer from classes to billing. “If you're a trainer and you have ten classes entered, Horse Spot will have all the data for your day based on the classes that you've entered. Trainers will have one view to easily navigate and manage all their students.”
The Players
When asked about current competitors, the team cited the well-known horse show portals many of the larger venues use including Horse Shows Online and Horseshowing.com. “These portals have been around the longest, and they have figured out how to scale a server-based model,” Michael pointed out. “But that model no longer meets the needs of modern horse showing. The value they deliver has continually declined over time and they aren't leading the industry forward.” Other competitors include Show Management System, Showgrounds Live plus cloud-based player Equestrian Digital.
“We are different because not only are we a solution for show management teams of all sizes, but we recognize that our role also serves as the interface that all of the other stakeholders involved in every competition are going to be using from trainers, exhibitors, parents, to spectators,” shared Michael.
Horse Spot offers a solution for show management teams of all sizes.
What’s Next
“Enhancements are being rolled out constantly, and many times updates are going on ‘behind the scenes.’ For example, we just released several enhanced features for exhibitors so they can take more control of their horse shows,” shared Lindsay.
As the dashboard functionality continues to grow, users can expect mobile checkout options, the ability to order feed and supplies and to view their schedule for the day. “I’m excited that we're also putting together ringside live scoring views.” For horse shows that are utilizing Horse Spot in connection with some of the other setups, they'll have the ability to manage faults and times in the jumper ring and feature scoreboards and video boards. “That data can also be captured and pushed in real-time to anyone who's watching on Horsespot.net and will provide a holistic view of exactly what's going on in the ring,” Michael highlighted.
Another area of focus is the enhanced level of spectator viewership that hasn’t been available at other horse shows. “Our flexible solution is ideal for horse show managers who would like to offer this type of functionality to their exhibitors and spectators, even if they are not using Horse Spot as the full competition management tool. Part of our strategy is to collaborate and work with some of the other providers out there that are running the scoring and timing at large competitions.”
“Our team lives and breathes horse shows, just like all the stakeholders using the platform.”
The Future is Now
“In 2025, there's going to be the opportunity where you can click on the bio of a rider who is on course and see all their accolades. From ringside views and live scoring, the audience is hungry for more, and given how advanced the sports world is with technology, this type of experience is no longer a luxury – it’s an expectation,” Michael cited.
“Our journey is just beginning, and all roads have led to this, and especially the show managers feel confident that we are not in it just for a quick buck. We are in it for the long run, and we want to make it successful because we know the needs of our clients and users,” Michael said.
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Horse Spot is dedicated to the sport and wants to make it successful because they know the needs of their clients and users.