Motivations of equestrian tourists: an analysis of the colonial cup races

While the motivations of visitors to mainstream professional sporting events have been well documented, comparatively little is known about equestrian tourists. The purpose of this study was to assess the fan motivations, sport identification and expenditures of tourists attending an annual steeplechase. The event chosen for this study was the 31st Annual Colonial Cup Races, held in South Carolina, USA. Wann and Branscombe’s (1990) team identification and Wann’s (1995) sport fan motivation scales were adapted for use in this study. Responses from 222 equestrian tourists were used to answer four research questions. Regardless of respondent sex, equestrian tourists were most likely to be motivated by entertainment and group affiliation needs and least likely to be motivated by escape and self-esteem needs. However, comparisons based on identification level (low, medium, high) resulted in significant differences in four of the seven motivations and on-site expenditures. Further, there was a significant positive relationship between identification level and six of the seven motives tested as well as on-site expenditures. Sport identification may prove to offer useful insight into motivations and expenditures within an equestrian context. Marketing efforts for equestrian events can be adapted to promote identification and reflect the motivations that are descriptive of this tourism niche.