Horse Spot Sweeps Seed the South, Wins $100K

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CHARLESTON, SC – May 26, 2026 Horse Spot, the all-in-one operating system for equestrian events, made history at the Seed the South Capital Summit, becoming the first company to sweep both judging panels at the $100,000 pitch competition, winning the founders' panel and investors' choice award in the same night. The competition was held on the 50-yard line of Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, N.C., presented by the Charlotte Fund. Founded by Michael Lenard, Christopher Lenard, and Lindsay Lenard, Horse Spot was built by industry insiders who deeply understand equestrian sports and business operations. Launched in 2023, the platform covers entries, schedules, payments, and results, serving competitors and event organizers across horse shows, rodeos, and fairs. Today, Horse Spot serves 1,800 events annually across 45 states and three countries, expanding across all disciplines. "The southeast startup ecosystem is very healthy and it is recognizing what we are doing," said Christopher Lenard, CEO and co-founder of Horse Spot. "We are honored to be the recipients of the $100,000 investment prize. This is a huge win for our team. We are just getting started." "All along the way, we've been telling our authentic story. This is what we live and breathe," said Lindsay Lenard, co-founder and CCO of Horse Spot. "I truly believe our team of founders is uniquely equipped to fix this problem. Horse Spot's secret sauce is us." The founding team spent their college years working as show secretaries and show staff, watching the same problems repeat themselves with outdated platforms. After building careers across technology, finance, and design, they reunited to solve the problem they had lived firsthand. Christopher was a software engineer at two unicorn startups, Michael is a CPA who began his career at Ernst & Young, and Lindsay is a two-time Webby Award-winning designer who led work for global ad agencies and supported startups from YC and Techstars. It is no surprise that the platform they built together has earned a Webby Award of its own, a rare distinction for any startup, let alone one reimagining an industry as traditional as equestrian sports. “What an exciting moment for Horse Spot, but also for the broader equestrian community as a whole. This is an investment in all of us and in the competitions that so many people are passionate about,” said Michael Lenard, co-founder, CFO and Head of Sales for Horse Spot. The $100,000 prize adds to a strong fundraising run for the company, which recently closed a $750K seed round led by Beemok Capital and Meeting Street Capital, with participation from SC Launch, Inc., Austin McCombs, and Michael Houck, bringing total capital raised to over $850,000. Funds will be deployed to grow the sales team, strengthen marketing, and fuel expansion into new disciplines. Most recently, Horse Spot has begun supporting youth rodeo with plans to deepen its presence across the broader Western and rodeo space. Horse Spot extends special thanks to Juan Garzón, Executive Director of Innovate Charlotte, and Mark McDowell of the Charlotte Fund, and both of their teams, for the meaningful work they do to strengthen the Southeast startup ecosystem. Together, Innovate Charlotte and the Charlotte Fund create real opportunities for founders to be seen, heard, and invested in. As announcer Wade Minter put it on the night, "there were more yays than neighs." Horse Spot is energized by the recognition and focused on expanding into new disciplines, growing the team, and bringing modern technology to every corner of the equine world. About Horse Spot Founded in 2023 by Michael Lenard, Christopher Lenard, and Lindsay Lenard, Horse Spot is a Charleston, South Carolina-based horse show management platform and all-in-one operating system for equine events. The platform handles entries, scheduling, payments, and results for horse shows, rodeos, and fairs of every size, supporting disciplines including Hunter Jumper, Dressage, Combined Driving, Western, and youth rodeo to name a few. From grassroots local competitions to Olympic-level FEI rated events, Horse Spot serves 1,800 events annually across 45 states and three countries, modernizing an industry that has long been underserved by technology.

Media Contact:

Lindsay Lenard

Email: lindsay@horsespot.net

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