Governor James B Hunt Jr Horse Complex

We attended the Quarter horse show here over the weekend. There were participants here from all over the country and a crowd of a few hundred viewing the show. The facility is very nice, with plenty of horse stalls. There was no formal seating around the show ring, but you could see everything just fine.

I’ve been attending shows at the Hunt Horse Complex for several years, both as a participant and as a coach for a local 4H program. There are ample stalls available for rent for those not wishing/​able to haul horses in on the day of the event. In the past, there were lots of nails and loose boards on the stall walls, but it seems that they have made an effort to rectify this. The stall floors are packed clay, necessitating the addition of ample shavings. Recently, they have begun paving the center aisles of the barns. Although this may seem convenient, I have safety concerns about the increased risks of horses slipping and getting injured or the increased damage that impact of human-​on-​concrete causes.
There are a variety of riding areas on the property. 2 outdoor rings, a covered arena, an indoor arena and 2 large schooling rings. The footing in the covered and indoor arenas is quite nice. The outside rings can get a bit sloppy when it rains. The grounds staff take care to frequently drag and water all rings to keep them safe and comfortable. Recently, they installed industrial ceiling fans in the indoor arena. I give them props for this idea, as it used to get quite stuffy indoors. Unfortunately, the fans were installed by a company called «Big A$$ Fans». For whatever reason, there is now a large sign hanging in the arena with this name on it. I believe this to be highly inappropriate for all of the youth that visit the horse complex. I was very disappointed in this decision.
The restroom facilities are perfectly adequate, including shower facilities for those staying over night. There is ample parking for trailers and campers. The food at the grill is reasonably priced and tasty. The staff at the grill have always been friendly. The facility holds a variety of shows over the course of the year. Many of them fun to watch.
Overall, pretty good. However, I strongly urge the removal of the inappropriate sign.

My fiancé is an equestrian, so I’ve been to the Hunt Complex as both an observer and a helper in the stables (although probably not a very good one). Based on what I’ve seen during my time here as compared to other places I’ve been to horse shows (some of which have been in pretty much a field with one ring and a few temporary stables set up) it’s a fairly large complex. There are two large, spacious outdoor rings, a very nice indoor arena (with plenty of seating) as well as a small, cramped covered arena. The barn area is a little bit rundown compared to other barns I’ve seen, and it’s a pretty long walk to the arena from the barn.
On the plus side, if you’re here as an observer, you’ll find there’s more than enough parking, an excellent coffee cart outside of the indoor arena (seriously), and another food stand/​cafeteria type thing on the inside that sells grilled cheese, hamburgers and sodas. I enjoy going to shows here, as I said I’ve been to some pretty hellacious horse complexes, and it’s nice to have an option to grab a decent cup of coffee and have plenty of seats instead of standing in the middle of a field.
If you like horses/​equestrian-​type activity and happen to be at the State Fair you can hop over here in the middle of the day for some very talented riders (last fair there were several from countries like France, England, etc) as well as some beautiful horses and interesting classes (the costume class is my personal favorite). It’s usually pretty empty, so it’s a nice way to take a breather for an hour or two before you go back to fighting the crowds and chomping on fried Snickers bars.