Q & A with Doug Huls AzQHA CEO / Sun Circuit
Q - During COVID you steered Sun Circuit clear of the hazards and had two great years in 2020 and 2021. The event and related experiences for the exhibitor has steadily grown. What is driving the growth of Sun Circuit. A - The Sun Circuit has grown because it is a fun show. It is very, very competitive, but at the same time there is not the feeling of that tension that “I’ve gotta win” like at the World Show, or the NRHA Futurity has. Many people come just to enjoy horse-showing and there is not another really big event with that energy out there. Exhibitors want to have fun, and they can, and they can be super competitive if they want to at the same time, and at the same event. You can work hard to win at the Sun Circuit, but still have fun. Our show is one of the very few shows in the Country where you can have all of the top folks from; CowHorse, Reining , All-Around, Roping and Pleasure horse all on the Showgrounds at the same time. The camaraderie is what we offer, packaged in a snapshot event that features every aspect of the industry all showing at the same place and time. You get to see a lot of old friends that you would not see at other horse shows like at the AQHA World. Where they come in for the Reining and then leave, they are not there (for the most part) for the entire event. I remember when I was still showing, I would go all year without seeing Benny Guitron or Bob Avila (when he lived in California) until Sun Circuit. You may not see Corey Cushing, even if you live in the same state, until Sun Circuit. All of them are on the Showgrounds at the same time here at Westworld, so you get to see all the top riders and old friends. That is a big piece of why it is fun and what grows that camaraderie that we have. The Sun Circuit has a good energy. We have to pay attention to that energy, and then you also have to work hard to create that energy. 22
Q - You’ve built a strong team to produce the event yet suffered a big loss this year with the passing of Dorn Parkinson. How are you moving forward without him? A - Dorn had been preparing us for his departure a long time. He very much had been preparing me and had often said to me that, “I will not be doing this all the time”. We of course did not expect him to pass away, but he always had been planning an exit strategy, because he knew he was not going to be there forever. - So he built that into the program right from the start. Q - What were the key things Dorn brought to the table that were the most valuable for you?
qualifying from AQHA. The one thing that Dorn made sure that I knew, was that this will be successful if you run it like a business. Q - How important has WestWorld of Scottsdale become for your event? A - Westworld and Scottsdale are huge in that, other than the New Ocala location, there is no facility that is located in such a nice area. North Scottsdale is primo! Other than Ocala there is no place located in that quality of a geographical area. Then, with the expansion of Westworld, having the North Hall and the climate controlled arenas was a drastic change. Our numbers have been going up since 2011, but between changing the event dates to March and the addition of the North Hall area, the numbers have continued to grow. We have had unprecedented growth every year.
Q - The North Hall arenas addition and the moving the event dates to March, was a real leap of faith for you and AzQHA to pull the trigger on implementing.
A - Absolutely! In a group with a board, there is a lot of going back and forth. Westworld wanted to move the dates and I presented that to the board a few years earlier and it got shot down. After 2 or 3 years of poor Doug Huls and Brian Dygert WestWorld of Scottsdale GM weather, when I presented it the second time, A - Dorn was a numbers guy. He mena couple of trainers said “this is the time, tored me on understanding the budgets we think we need to do this”. I said to the and that to be successful you have to run board, “I think we can capitalize on this” it as a business. That was the ONE thing and they agreed. When we voted on it, it he ingrained into my head, and to have a sure was a scary time, but they supported budget. That in order for the business to be the recommendation and it has worked out successful you have increase stall counts, very well. Every year we have a Bond payyou have to increase entries, etc. You have ment to the City of Scottsdale whether we to increase your revenue sources and at have an event or not. It was a huge leap of the same time manage your expenses. faith to make that commitment financially, Those are all pieces that go together. Him but AzQHA wanted to grow alongside Westmaking me understand this, that if you run world and the City of Scottsdale. this like a business and your marketing is to increase the revenue streams you will be Q - You pioneered placing arenas in the successful, and then you can sustain and North Hall for the benefit of the exhibitor, at continue on. When you look at other Assignificant expense. sociations that do not run it as a business, A - The building has a great feel. I have they are looking at how they are going to always said that. When you ride in there, make it. Especially between COVID and no the ceiling, the design, I don’t know if it was NOVEMBER 2021
