GGT Footing Honored with Ring Naming Thanks to Commitment to Flintfields Horse Park

Traverse City, Mich. – June 16, 2020 – A prominent sponsor of Traverse City Horse Shows (TCHS) and one of the greatest contributors to the enhancement of Flintfields Horse Park in recent years, GGT Footing is being officially recognized for its efforts and support in Traverse City. Previously dubbed the Williamsburg Ring, the arena that holds hunter and equitation classes for riders of all levels will be called the GGT Footing Ring beginning in 2020, with the first official use of the ring for competition just days away. The renaming of the space is just one of the changes happening around the showgrounds, and exhibitors can expect to benefit from the multiple improvements that the TCHS team has implemented beginning with the Traverse City Spring Horse Show (TCS), which will take place for back-to-back weeks from June 17-21 and June 24-28, 2020.

“We are so grateful to GGT Footing and its entire staff for the hard work and dedication that they have put into the footing and arenas at Flintfields Horse Park. It is no easy task, but they rose to the occasion and went beyond our expectations. We are honored to be able to show them a sign of gratitude by adding the GGT Footing Ring to our showgrounds,” commented Matt Morrissey, Event Director at Traverse City Horse Shows. “As our circuit continues to expand – now up to 11 weeks of riding – we need a top-notch footing product that can withstand intense daily use, needs minimal maintenance and helps to prevent injuries for our human and equine competitors. That’s what we tasked GGT Footing with accomplishing, and they have done just that.”

Thanks to GGT Footing’s expertise and commitment to excellence, all but one of the six rings across Flintfields Horse Park have been redone within the last two years in order to provide horses and riders with the safest, most high-quality footing available on the market. GGT Footing took into account the average climate, the expected number of trips in each ring and the needs of the exhibitors when designing the appropriate footing and arena specifications for the spring, summer and fall series taking place in Traverse City this year. In addition, GGT Footing has also overseen the advancements in some of the schooling and lungeing areas, where participants will find refreshed footing.

“GGT Footing is a great partner for Flintfields Horse Park. Not only is their footing top notch, but we also use their GGT Footing Arena Groomers from Germany to keep the rings in optimal condition throughout the show day,” noted Kyle Gould, of Four G Surfaces, who installed the new rings and manages the footing throughout the shows.

Footing has been a point of pride for the TCHS team since they invested in the ring improvements, and the addition of the GGT Footing crew has served to consistently earn rave reviews from athletes, including international contenders such as Wilhelm Genn (GER), Ilan Bluman (COL), Abigail McArdle (USA), Kelli Cruciotti (USA) and Willie Tynan (IRL), among many others. The footing will soon perform as the optimal surface for horse-and-rider pairs once again in Traverse City, beginning with TCS in June, and followed by the Great Lakes Equestrian Festival from July 1 – Aug. 9. The Traverse City Fall Horse Show will take place Aug. 26-30, and the season will conclude with the American Gold Cup, which includes the Silver Oak Jumper Tournament for the first week, from Sept. 2-13, 2020.