Horse show goes on with no fans in the stands because of COVID-19

Click here for updates on this story

    FLETCHER, NC (WLOS ) — An equestrian show is attracting people from across the country to the WNC AG Center.

“He is quite the little star,”Karen Voerg said while petting her horse.

Voerg is visiting from Georgia to compete in this weekend’s Asheville Summer Fun horse show.

“It’s just a fun thing to do for horse people. You get to get out and socialize, see people you haven’t seen in a long time,” life-long competitor Lewis Eckard said.

CORONAVIRUS INFORMATION CENTER: TRACK THE LATEST DEVELOPMENTS, IMPACTS, AND HEADLINES ABOUT THE PANDEMIC HERE

Voerg and Eckard are from different states, but they cross paths at horse shows across the country where they showcase their hard work. But in recent months, that’s been put on hold because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We lost everything. A lot of people were struggling, like ourselves,” Eckard said.

Venues like the WNC AG Center have been hurting after having to cancel nearly 80 events.

“We are completely self-supported, so it’s very important for us to get some dollars coming in to our facility,” WNC AG Center manager Matt Buchanan said.

He said horse shows like the Asheville Summer Fun typically bring in thousands of spectators, but this weekend stands will be empty.

“The show manager has been working really hard to get all of the rules that your governor from North Carolina has set down,” Voerg said.

She said the show manager is only allowing a select few to be inside the venue at one time, like the rider, coaches and show staff.

Those staying on the fairgrounds are also asked to wear masks and social distance.

“You had to sign saying that you hadn’t been sick, nobody in your family is sick, you hadn’t been around anybody,” Voerg said.

Competitors said they have no problem following those restriction in order to compete and keep everyone safe.

“We want to do it right, because we want to be able to continue to show our horses, we want to be able to do this because it is a livelihood for people, and for me it’s what I love to do,” Voerg said.

Please note: This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.