The Helsinki Horse Show turned into a general horse event – it’s good for horse riding

International winner of dressage classes, Swedish Mads Hendeliowitz summarized the international riders’ feedback on the change of the Helsinki International Horse Show from the Helsinki ice hall to Messukeskus.

“The field is easier for the horse because there is more space. It is also warm here, which is a good thing for the horse. The atmosphere at the ice rink was very intimate and unique. Now that the audience is further away, it obviously affects the atmosphere. But for the horse, this is a harder place.”

At the ice rink, the stables were outside, and the horses used outdoor routes from the stables to the fields. Because there was ice under the fields, the arenas were also colder than in Messukeskus.

At Messukeskus, the horses can move all the time in warm rooms, which was a relief not only for the horses, but also for the horse caretakers.

Some of the domestic riders were saddened that they could not ride in the Messukeskus in the international arena, unlike in the Ice Hall. The exhibition center has its own fields for domestic and international riders.

In the ice hall, however, the domestic riders had to be placed on weekday mornings, when the stands were empty. Now the classes were later, because the placement of the classes was easier than before because of the two fields.

Due to the new fair ticket and the new time, there were sometimes so many people in the domestic classes that not everyone could sit.

Managing director Valtteri Gundersby said that the popularity came as a positive surprise. He stated that for next year, the stand capacity of the domestic stadium will probably need to be increased.

At the ice rink, the Horse Show had about 6,000 spectator seats. There are 5,000 seats in the main arena at Messukeskus and 1,000 in the domestic stands.

When the event has previously had a strong profile of international show jumping, this year it wanted to become a general equestrian event. There were more exhibitors and the accompanying program than in previous years.

Helsinki Horse Show also wants to find new audiences for the sport. On Thursday and Friday, almost 3,000 schoolchildren from Helsinki visited the event with sponsored admission tickets.

Based on the children’s comments, many of them were at a horse event for the first time. The new pole horse arena also brought a steady stream of pole horse enthusiasts to the event every day of the event.

The year 2024 in the school survey horse riding was the primary hobby of primary school-age girls. However, not all children who wish to take up riding as a hobby end up participating in the sport.

The financial situation of families, the lack of suitable hobby places and the competition with other leisure activities affect the future of riding. The Finnish Equestrian Association estimates that the total number of horse riding enthusiasts has decreased by 10,000 from 2023 to 2024.

Horse riding as a sport benefits from all means that lower the threshold for children to get to know the sport and see horses up close.