Clean, functional washrooms. That's all it takes to make competitors happy sometimes, said Alice Knox, an entrepreneur who is combining her passion for horse shows with her knowledge of customer service to reveal which U.S. horse shows are "exhibitor friendly."

Knox, of La Jolla, Calif., started her business, Exhibitor Friendly Show Services, in February 2003 after seeing people shell out piles of money at horse shows and leave frustrated by poor show management and lackluster facilities.