Chattahoochee Hills. Photo by Leslie Threlkeld.
It may be Rolex Week, but don’t forget about CHC International, the newly branded May event at at Chattahoochee Hills that organizers Michael Pollard and Hugh Lochore hope will change the way eventing is marketed to and perceived by the public. “We can all run an event with a good cross-country course that really works for the riders, but the sport has got to develop the same way it’s gone in Europe, which is much more appealing to the general public,” Hugh said. “The event becomes a day out for the whole family, and that’s the only way we’ll get major sponsors. We have to make a legitimate sport out of it and appeal to a much wider audience.”
Thus, the concept for CHC International — a true festival in the country — was born. Michael and Hugh, who is also the course designer, have been working tirelessly to prepare an action-packed entertainment lineup for the event, which will feature live bands, a beer garden sponsored by Sweetwater Brewing Company, rider meet and greets, gourmet food trucks, a Saturday night bonfire and a Kid Zone complete with bouncy castles. All of these events and activities will take place right next to the Grand Prix arena, which will host dressage and show jumping on Friday and contain a portion of the CIC cross-country course on Saturday.
“There’s not really a heart to the venue at a lot of events,” Hugh said. “Running cross country through the main arena is the aspect of the event I think will resonate the most with people purely because all the spectator activities are geared around that area. An event can be quite boring if you’re not a horse person, but when you have horses galloping by within reaching distance of a bouncy castle and a beer tent, that’s something that can really capture the public’s imagination.” Similar to the way Red Hills has successfully become a highly popular community event in Tallahassee, Hugh and Michael hope CHC International will attract the public in the south Atlanta area and create a new benchmark for major events going forward.
“Right now, we put on these events for the competitors, and it’s run from their entry fees,” Michael said. “We need to change the model so we can get spectators to pay for prize money instead of the entry fee being the sole source of revenue. We have to make events viable without needing competitors to pay for every piece. I know event organizers would certainly be happy with that model. Sometimes you just have to give it a shot and try something different, and that’s what we’re doing with this event.” Michael has high hopes for this year’s inaugural CHC International and expects it will take about three years to fulfill his entire vision for the event.
CIC show jumping will take place under the lights Friday night, adding yet one more exciting element to this groundbreaking event. “We decided on show jumping under the lights because we thought it would set the event apart,” Michael said. “This year, it’s going to be more for the novelty, but we hope in years to come it will in conjunction with a nice sit-down dinner in the VIP tent. Our main concern for this year is making sure the format is done well and that people have a good time and want to come back next year with their friends.” CHC International will run May 17-19 at Chattahoochee Hills in Fairburn, Ga. Be sure to visit the new CHC International website, “like” the event on Facebook and follow the event on Twitter.
