58th Annual Scottsdale Arabian Horse show brings in millions of dollars

SCOTTSDALE, AZ - The 58th Annual Scottsdale Arabian Horse show is open through February 24th. There are barn tours, shopping, competitive shows, and classes available for visitors. 

The event attracts hundreds of thousands of people every year.

According to the Scottsdale Convention & Visitors Bureau (CVB), the event attracted roughly 300,000 attendees last year. The economic impact is estimated to be between $52-$58 million (based on 2010 data).

The horse show attracts more people than the Tostito Fiesta Bowl and Barrett-Jackson Car Auction. The Scottsdale CVB reported that those events attracted 124,174 and 270,000 people, respectively, in 2012.

Robert Long, a horse trainer, has been attending for about 20 years. Long was getting "Eddie" ready to compete early Friday morning. He says Arizona has great weather and that's a big draw for horse lovers. 

Eddie, along with more than 2,000 other horses, will compete for prize money during the 10-day event.

The shows are just one part of the experience.  More than 300 vendors will be on the Westworld grounds offering food and shopping. Many people come just for the barn tours which are available on certain days. Visitors will be able to learn more about the Arabian horses and what goes into getting them ready for show.

General admission is $10. For ticket information to to the event website .