After three-year tenures apiece in Southern Pines, NC; Wayne, IL; and Fairburn, GA, this year’s AECs shifted southwestward to Tyler, Texas. On paper it was a fair decision, as Texas has strongly supported past AECs and the location put the event within (a long) arm’s reach of both east and west coast eventers. We thought it would be interesting to do a side-by-side comparison of the 2012 and 2013 events–how did the change in location affect participation?
Many thanks to the equestrian design expertise of Dapplebay.com for the great infographics.
What’s the takeaway? Moving the AECs further away from the east coast, with its relatively high density of eventers, meant significantly fewer entries in the 2013 event, with participation bolstered in a big way by the host state. On the flip side, when the AECs were held in Georgia, west coast participation nearly dropped off completely. One thing, however, seems clear: No matter where you put the AECs, eventers WILL show up–and from every corner of the country.
Where do you think the AECs should be held after Texas (2016-2018)?
