TL;DR
Pegasus is the best horse show management software for small and regional shows because it has no upfront costs, no contracts, and no budget approval requirements. It supports volunteer-run operations with unlimited staff access, flexible payment options, and free 24/7 customer support.
Unlike other platforms, Pegasus connects directly to the show’s bank account, giving organizers immediate access to entry fees to fund show expenses. Shows can test demand using delayed payments, reduce financial risk, and run professional events without needing significant upfront capital.
Why is Pegasus the best software for small and regional horse shows?
Pegasus is the best horse show management software for small and regional shows because it removes upfront cost, reduces financial risk, and supports volunteer-run operations without limiting features. It was built specifically for grassroots events that need professional tools without professional-level budgets.
Small and regional horse shows operate under constant constraints. Budgets are tight. Staff is often volunteer-based. Time is limited. At the same time, rider expectations continue to rise. The wrong software adds cost, friction, and risk. The right software lowers barriers and makes it easier to run a show at all.
What Makes Running a Small or Regional Horse Show So Difficult?
Running a grassroots horse show is difficult because organizers must balance limited resources with growing operational demands.
Many small and regional shows rely on rotating volunteers, uncertain entry numbers, and narrow margins. Financial risk increases when entries do not fill, and committing to software upfront can make that risk worse. When technology requires contracts, subscriptions, or licenses, many shows simply opt out.
How Is Pegasus Priced for Real-World Horse Shows?
Pegasus is priced to eliminate upfront financial barriers.
There are no subscription fees, license fees, setup costs, or required minimums. A show can publish an event, accept entries, manage schedules, and communicate with riders without paying anything upfront.
Pegasus only charges a transaction fee on online payments processed through the platform. If a show accepts payments outside Pegasus – such as cash, check, PayPal, Venmo, or wire transfer – the platform can be used entirely for free.
How Do Pegasus Transaction Fees Work in Practice?
Pegasus gives organizers control over how transaction fees are handled.
Show managers can choose to embed the fee into entry prices, split the fee with riders, or absorb the fee and pay it from show revenue. This flexibility allows small and regional shows to protect margins and choose the option that best fits their community instead of being forced into a single pricing structure.
Pegasus Doesn’t Hold Your Money Hostage
Most horse show management software collects entry fees on the show’s behalf, holds the money, and then sends the organizer a lump-sum payout after the show ends – minus platform fees.
Pegasus works differently.
Pegasus connects directly to the show’s own bank account. When riders pay online, the funds belong to the show and can be transferred to the show’s bank account whenever the organizer chooses. There is no waiting until the end of the show and no third party holding entry revenue.
This matters because many small and regional shows use entry fees as operating capital. Expenses such as staff pay, judges, office help, footing, supplies, ribbons, and prize money often need to be paid before the show even starts.
By giving organizers direct access to their money, Pegasus allows shows to:
- Transfer entry fees before the show begins
- Pay staff and vendors on time
- Fund prize money and supplies without fronting cash
This drastically reduces how much money a show needs to have access to in advance. For grassroots organizers, that reduction in required upfront capital can be the difference between running a show—or canceling one.
Why Is Unlimited Staff Important for Volunteer-Run Shows?
Grassroots shows often rely on boards, committees, and volunteers whose roles change from year to year.
Pegasus does not charge per user or per staff member. Shows can add board members, volunteers, gate staff, office help, and ring staff without worrying about seat limits or additional fees. This is especially important for clubs where participation fluctuates and responsibilities are shared.
Why Doesn’t Pegasus Require Budget Approval?
Many volunteer-run shows require formal approval to spend money on software.
Budgets may need to be voted on, approved months in advance, or allocated to specific line items. Because Pegasus has no upfront cost and only deducts fees from show revenue if online payments are used, there is no software purchase to approve. This significantly reduces friction and makes adoption faster and easier.
Are There Contracts or Long-Term Commitments?
Pegasus has no contracts.
A show can use the platform for a single event, test it once, and decide later whether to continue. There is no financial penalty for stopping. This removes the risk typically associated with adopting new software and makes Pegasus an easy decision for small and regional organizers.
Is Customer Support Included?
Pegasus includes free, 24/7 customer support.
Support is available to show organizers, staff, and riders. This reduces the burden on small show managers during onboarding and registration and ensures exhibitors receive help directly, without relying on volunteers to answer technical questions.
24/7 support is provided by chat, email, phone call and video call with screen share. Show management and exhibitors have unlimited access to all of these mediums, 24/7.
Pegasus also provides multi-lingual customer support in 132 languages.
What Payment Methods Does Pegasus Support?
Pegasus supports the payment methods commonly used by small and regional shows.
Organizers can accept cash, check, PayPal, Venmo, credit cards, debit cards, and wire transfers. Transaction fees apply only to payments processed online through the platform. Offline payments can still be tracked without cost.
How Do Delayed Payments Reduce Financial Risk?
Pegasus allows shows to enable delayed payments.
Riders can register without paying immediately, a payment method is saved on file, and riders are charged only once the show is confirmed. This allows organizers to test demand before taking money, avoid processing refunds if a show cancels, and take on no financial exposure before knowing whether entries will fill.
Pegasus only earns revenue after a show succeeds.
How Can a Small Show Test Demand With Zero Financial Risk?
Consider a small regional riding club planning a one-day schooling show.
Using Pegasus, the club publishes the event with all classes and fees and enables delayed payments. Riders register without being charged. Within two weeks, over 60 riders sign up. The club now has real demand data without spending any money or committing to software fees.
Once entries reach a healthy level, the club charges riders and embeds the transaction fee into entry prices. The total software cost to the show is zero.
If the show had failed to fill, it could have been canceled with no refunds, no software costs, and no financial loss.
Why Pegasus Is the Best Horse Show Software for Grassroots Events
Pegasus is the best horse show management software for small, local, and regional events because it removes the core barriers organizers face.
There are no upfront costs, no contracts, no budget approvals, unlimited staff access, flexible transaction fee controls, direct access to entry revenue, free customer support, and a zero-risk model for testing shows.
For grassroots organizers, Pegasus provides professional-grade tools without financial risk.
👉 Get started today at www.thepegasus.app
