The founders of ShowAssist have announced the launch of their mobile app designed for on-demand, short-term hiring of support staff at horse shows. The ShowAssist app connects professional equestrians, riders, owners or parents with experienced grooms, braiders, body clippers, bodyworkers and other support staff at rated US Equestrian and Equestrian Canada shows.
The ShowAssist app requires no subscription and is free to post jobs and free to apply for work. Posting jobs is quick and easy. After a job is accepted, automatic, contactless payments are scheduled to be released upon the completion of the job. The job descriptions are listed in both English and Spanish and a toll-free bilingual customer-service line is available for questions.
ShowAssist was founded by the mother and daughter team of Deidre McAuley-Hayes, an intellectual property attorney, and Malachi Hinton, an amateur jumper rider. McAuley-Hayes hails from Montgomery County, North Carolina, and is based out of Toano, Virginia.
Hinton is a 2020 graduate of George Mason University. In 2016, she represented Zone 3 in the USEF Prix de States Team Championship at the Pennsylvania National Horse Show. She has had top finishes in the jumper divisions at the Devon Fall Classic, Tryon, HITS Culpeper and Jump for the Children. Hinton plans to declare professional status and build a career in the hunter/jumper competition world.
“As a horse show mom, I enjoy helping Malachi when she is competing,” McAuley-Hayes said. “The idea for ShowAssist came about in the summer of 2019 when we realized that there was no way for riders and owners to instantly connect with experienced grooms, braiders and others who are looking for work.”
“Then, the COVID-19 pandemic hit,” Hinton said. “During these past few months, many familiar faces we are used to seeing at shows have gone without work.”
“The ShowAssist mobile app is show-driven, so people can easily find jobs at upcoming shows,” McAuley-Hayes added.
ShowAssist will list all USEF Premier AA, National A and select B-rated hunter/jumper shows and all Platinum, Gold, Silver and select Bronze-rated Equestrian Canada shows within the app. International competitions will be added in a future update. All jobs are searchable by show within the app.
For those whose livelihoods have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, ShowAssist will donate a portion of their proceeds to the Show Jumping Relief Fund and the Equestrian Aid Foundation.