My family and I have been coming to the Arabian Horse Show for years and have always met such amazing people at it. Our connections allowed us to secure a spot at this event, which we were thrilled about since we knew it would increase our business. A lot of people have asked for custom orders this week which is what we specialize in. I designed them and my parents made them with a laser machine at home.”

Celine Suciu, Brightly LED Signs

Since 1955, the Scottsdale Arabian Horse Show has been an important part of the international equine event calendar.

Held at Westworld of Scottsdale, the show brings together Arabian Horse aficionados, breeders and buyers, as well as businesses that cater to the Arabian Horse trade and small businesses in Scottsdale.

The show runs through Sunday, Feb. 26.

Scottsdale City Council approved $60,000 in funding for this year’s Scottsdale Arabian Horse Show. The council voted all in favor to approve the expenditure when it passed the consent agenda during its regular monthly scheduled meeting.

The financial support has helped to create a pop-up venue at the show for small businesses like Daisy Cowgirl Boutique.

Theresa Gillette, who runs the business with her sister, said the show is the perfect place to build a local small business.

“My sister and I own Daisy Cowgirl Boutique together and have been making great sales throughout the week,” Gillette said. “We moved to Arizona a little over a year ago and felt there was a huge need for saddlebags. Our products are all handmade and although we do not have a store, we hope to open one in the near future. The show has been an excellent opportunity for all these businesses to gain exposure.”

The saddlebags are Daisy Cowgirl Boutique’s best-selling product and sell for about $50 a piece.

Thanks to additional funding from Scottsdale City Council, the show is able to create an environment for many of Scottsdale’s small businesses to receive recognition and admiration that might otherwise go unnoticed.

With all the sponsors and small businesses setting up stands during the week-long event, these companies are able to show off their products and connect with customers one-on-one, a valuable occurrence in a post-pandemic and online shopping dominated world.

As you enter the show, a large array of business pop-up stands are immediately presented.

It’s not only new businesses like Daisy Cowgirl that set up at the Arabian Horse Show, but other established businesses like Brightly LED Signs, run by Celine Suciu, who said the show is always good for business.

“My family and I have been coming to the Arabian Horse Show for years and have always met such amazing people at it,” Suciu said. “Our connections allowed us to secure a spot at this event, which we were thrilled about since we knew it would increase our business. A lot of people have asked for custom orders this week which is what we specialize in. I designed them and my parents made them with a laser machine at home.”

While businesses like Suciu’s have been at the show for years, others like Daisy Cowgirl and Julie Rohlfing’s Quaintly Quite are relative newcomers. Rohlfing said in her two years at the pop-up, she has enjoyed meeting people from all over the country as well as showcasing her bespoke denim clothing and handmade stone jewelry.

“My belief is that you need to have a variety of items that are unique and made with love to fill a booth and sell your merchandise. I also believe in selling products at a fair market price. I have made a good amount of sales since Monday and have been having such a fun time meeting people from all over the country,” said Rohlfing.

Nathaniel Tasha, a customer visiting from Massachusetts, purchased a one-of-a-kind piece of jewelry for a close loved one.

“Choosing an item for my girlfriend was difficult, but with the owner’s help, I was able to find something that I’m sure she’ll love,” Tasha said in an interview.

Editor’s Note: Olivia Williams is a student reporter at Arizona State University’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication.