# Horse Show Help Again



## Cruiser (Aug 28, 2011)

Okay I posted that I am help or pretty much running a horse show in early August. 

I am so nervous I am going to screw up, like the fact I changed from five divisions (leadline, youth, junior, senior, walk/trot) to three (leadline, walk/trot, and open). Keep in mind the show only has 20 stalls so it's not huge. Do you think anyone is going to mind? Last year everyone entered, senior, walk/trot and leadline. 

So due to people abusing the rules we've had to add a bunch, like a stall cleaning deposit of $20.00, the stall price is up to $20 a stall, the price of classes is $3.00 a class now (which isn't much). I have to enforce that no one can ride without a waiver and liability insurance. No horses on the property after Monday or before Thursday (people were staying for WEEKS in the stalls).

I also took out some classes that were had low entry, for more games and fun classes. Like bareback equitation, cup and water, speed barrels. I think no one will have problems with that.

And what do you do for prizes or money? Last year they only won a $1 or $2. I don't know how to go about this, because entry to classes is only $3.00 a class.

Any ideas or tips let me know.


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## Cruiser (Aug 28, 2011)

Okay have questions now to add.

Any affordable prize ideas for awards like most sportsmen like, best grooming, Spirit, best turnout, best team? Other ideas for awards feel free to add.

How does the reserve champion/champion thing work. If you win those your not able to win Overall Champion right? Or do I have that backwards? I have never shown before where they had that but apparently I'm suppose to here. 

What are good prizes for the champions? It has to be under $10.00 a item. It sounds low but this is a extra small show and I'm working hard to make the budget work. I have someone that would sew sashes for the cost of the ribbon and embroidery them, but I don't know any shows that use them any more? Would they be okay? 

Any ideas of suggestions are great, my helper isn't helping much and this is a lot of work for one person, and this isn't the tip of the ice berg of what I need to do.


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## Cruiser (Aug 28, 2011)

I know, no replies yet but I'm getting more confused by the championship thing. And more pressure to have those placings, but I can't remember for the life of me how it works. 

Is it each placing is award points and who ever has the highest amount get's champion and second would get reserve champ? The person out of all the divisions would get overall grand champion?

I think I lost my mind when I said I would help with this.


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## SaraM (Feb 14, 2014)

For most shows I've been to championships work either on points like you mentioned (like 6pts for first, 5pts for second, etc.), and break it up by type like 'overall English champion' or gaming, western, etc. Or some work like they take the first and second placed horses from each division and they have a championship class usually with patterns or something more difficult, that is judged and everyone has a fair chance to win overall. 

For shows with that cheap of a class fee, I've never won prize money. To appease people, you can give out just ribbons or whatever for the regular classes and have a 'futurity class' for winning money. So for that one class, you pay maybe $20 to enter, but win 50% of the entry fees for that class. You can have futurity English pleasure, western pleasure, and maybe some speed ones, but only one money winning class per 'type', that makes it more special. I think especially gymkhana money winning classes usually have a good turn out. If I went to a show, I could care less about winning $1, that's not really worth my time. Three bucks is really cheap, you could charge like five I bet, and no one would care.

For divisions, I think maybe like one lead line class; not worth dividing it for English, western, etc. Same for walk trot. Then do maybe a w/t/c division up to age 18, and a 18+ division divided up by type. That pretty much covers everyone.

For 'silly awards' like nest grooming and stuff, maybe give silly prizes like free lunch or something. I don't really think those are worth like money prizes.


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## Cruiser (Aug 28, 2011)

Thank you, so much. I thought when I took this job that there was information last year, but I guess they kind of planned it, didn't show and run it. So it fell apart and left no trace of what they planned. 

See the thing is, almost everyone that enters is 5-8 years old and leadline, 12-25 years and complete beginners, or 15-25 years and they are competing gymkhana or all around. Last year people changed division without anyone really knowing, just showed up, like the only two juniors competed against the seniors. There was three youth that did compete didn't even sign or pay to enter.

SaraM thanks again even common sense seems like too difficult for me, there is a 101 things I have to do and the easier parts are so difficult. Called around trying to find a judge today, ours bailed.


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## Cruiser (Aug 28, 2011)

Does ribbons for all classes no prizes, money sound okay? They would be competing to get the points for champion titles. 

Than have champions (reserve too) for:
Halter
Gymkhana
Leadline
Walk/trot
Open
High Point
Costume and Best stall
Sportsmanship award

That's 15 awards so it gives 20 competitor a good chance of getting something. For prizes I have a couple of saddle blankets, new grooming kits, bottles of showsheen, saddle cover, saddle bags, halters and lead ropes. It would cost under $200 for those prizes (I own the business) and ribbons. But over $400 if I give 1st $3.00, 2nd $2.00, 3rd $1.00 for over 50 classes, forget about champions.


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## ducky123 (May 27, 2014)

Never heard of a liability insurance rule. Missouri has laws that make it extremely difficult to successfully sue so maybe that's why I've never seen such requirement.


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## Cruiser (Aug 28, 2011)

ducky123 said:


> Never heard of a liability insurance rule. Missouri has laws that make it extremely difficult to successfully sue so maybe that's why I've never seen such requirement.


It's a rule in my province (Canada) for exhibitions, not just this one. It's gotten a lot stricter the past year, I guess the province hands out a booklet every year with update rules including for livestock. Not my rule just one I have to enforce. Plus it's not a big deal to pay $45 a year for a million in personal liability.


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## Saddlebag (Jan 17, 2011)

Considering that this is your first show, skip the championships. You will keep a secretary busy trying to calculate the points plus take last minute entries. Get thro this show and it will be a huge learning experience. Prize money for classes can be a set amount of $5, $3 and $2. You could also have jackpot classes with a higher entry, winner takes all - whichever game you chose. For games you'll need a good timing system. Can you borrow one? And someone to monitor it. If not then you'll need two timers with two stopwatches. Halter, showmanship and saddle classes require a judge which will set you back at min. of $400 as they are supposed come from outside the area - 250 mi or something like that. You could select a panel to judge best turnout to start off the show while everyone is spotless. BTW. if trying to raise money for prizes, try asking businesses to donate gift certificates rather than money. It's a win/win.


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## Cruiser (Aug 28, 2011)

Thanks Saddlebag, I was kind of thrown into the this and I haven't shown in five years. Trying to remember everything is difficult. 

I'll have to look into a sponsors, I've been putting off due have so much on my plate at the moment. Only one helper so far, we did have a judge so the classes are already planned based on having one. Entry forms have already gone out, so no luck on changing. Worst come to worst I might have to ask just any knowledgeable horse person I know. 

We have to timers for speed events, we're not that high tech yet. Lucky we have a sound system for announcing.


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## Zexious (Aug 2, 2013)

Because the entry is so cheap, I certainly would not expect cash prizes. I've paid as high as $25 per class without any sort of cash prize xD For the $1 or $2 you're giving out, I think it would be more fun to give out a small prize, like polo wraps or a saddle pad for champ and res positions.


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## upnover (Jan 17, 2008)

Zexious said:


> Because the entry is so cheap, I certainly would not expect cash prizes. I've paid as high as $25 per class without any sort of cash prize xD For the $1 or $2 you're giving out, I think it would be more fun to give out a small prize, like polo wraps or a saddle pad for champ and res positions.



This! I have shown in PLENTY of $25+ classes with no expectation of cash prizes (such is the life of a hunter). I would never expect much out of a small fun show. A show with such small numbers and so many divisions, like you said, there is a good chance for someone to win champion in something so I wouldn't worry about giving out money on top of that. If you want cheaper prizes also look into some non horsey promo companies. We've given out water bottles with our barn logo in the summer (very inexpensive and very popular), fleece blankets with the show association logo embroidered on it in the winter (these were pricier), mugs full of candy/carrots, t shirts, etc. There are some great inexpensive prize ideas there. And it's good advertising for your barn to have the logo out and about! 

I don't know how open shows figure out champion points but in the hunters you get a certain number of points for each ribbon in the division (ie: 1-10, 2-6, 3-4, 4-3, 5-2, 6-1). They're all added up at the end of the division and the one with most points is champion, second is reserve. 

Another tip to help the show run smoothly- get a competent person to run the gate. They're the ones who essentially keep things running quickly and smoothly, makings sure the right people are in the ring at the right times, etc. And at our shows the ones who add up champion and reserve. I've also seen some of them run the gate AND announce. So a good one is crucial. Do you have an opportunity to go hang out at a show before yours to just see how they do things and get some ideas?? that might really help.


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## Cruiser (Aug 28, 2011)

That was what I was thinking, when I did show I never got money if anyone did it was only the overall champion. Mind it was only draft halter at mid size shows. 

Some of the people were asking if I would raise or use prize money this year, or about the different awards and stuff. Apparently it didn't work well last year, too messy with too many divisions and people jumping back and forth between them (including juniors competing as seniors because the show forgot their class). 

It sounds funny but I bought out a tack shop's stock a month ago, it's all nice brand new stuff, that I got for cents on the dollar. It's not cheap stuff either, equal or better than the quality of tack shops around here. So I have show saddle blankets, saddle covers, saddle bags for trails, new halters, new lead ropes, new brushes, a couple of belt buckles and more. I could have good size prizes for under $200 for 10-12 people.

I could just use ribbons for the classes, figure out a easy point system and give bigger prizes to the people that get reserve and champ. In the end near half of them could win something, two of lead line, two for walk/trot, two for open, best stall, and costume class. Possibly something for the people that compete in speed events only.

I'll be at one of our other local exhibitions two weeks before, it work at my store at that one, but have time to check out the horse show. So I'll pay attention and ask questions when its okay. Sorry don't know if I said this, but its a local fair/exhibition that this show is running during.

Good news we already have five entries and more interested in picking up forms.


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## Cruiser (Aug 28, 2011)

Just a quick up date. I am no longer help run the show, the manager of the exhibition has choose that I give everything I've worked on to, to someone else and I only run the ring during the show.

In other words I made entry forms, back numbers, gate passes, patterns, the schedule, searched for helpers and got a judge. And someone else will have their name on it, than I'll have to run around the two days making sure the gate and set up people are doing there job well and the horses get in the ring when they are suppose to be. She will have to take in entry forms and money and make sure the rules are enforced. 

I've been accused of not helping, not coming to meetings, and generally refusing to help with the show. I was never told about meetings and the person that was suppose to help me only now got a hold of me two days ago, where were they when I needed help?

In other words I'm frustrated, mad and done with helping.


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