Alcohol and Horse Shows?

[Moesha]

Hi Everyone,
I wanted to know what others thought of drinking at shows. I think it is fine and a great way to socialize and relax as long as it doesn’t get out of control. Many shows have exhibitor parties that serve drinks however many barns bring coolers of all sorts of things. My question is, and I did a poll among people, is it acceptable to drink whenever you want? Or does Alcohol use in the show world kept monitored for reputation? I mean with all the stories about drug and drinking, do people judge others at shows by the contents of their drinks?

I thought a wine cooler or beer in the afternoon at a show was fine? I’m not talking about hanging out in the sawdust pile bombed with a empty bottle of Black Velvet!!

[Moesha]

Hi Everyone,
I wanted to know what others thought of drinking at shows. I think it is fine and a great way to socialize and relax as long as it doesn’t get out of control. Many shows have exhibitor parties that serve drinks however many barns bring coolers of all sorts of things. My question is, and I did a poll among people, is it acceptable to drink whenever you want? Or does Alcohol use in the show world kept monitored for reputation? I mean with all the stories about drug and drinking, do people judge others at shows by the contents of their drinks?

I thought a wine cooler or beer in the afternoon at a show was fine? I’m not talking about hanging out in the sawdust pile bombed with a empty bottle of Black Velvet!!

[Colin]

BIG PROBLEM with Utah horse shows - they ALWAYS run PAST Happy Hour!

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been showing at 6-7pm - dying for a bud light!!!

I do like the social part of the horse shows w/ exhibitor parties, etc…after the shows.

“Don’t Drink and Ride” - trust me!!! - 2 broken ankles later!

[Merry]

Well, it’s getting a little like Jurassic Park around here, because I ditto everything Cactuskate said (former schoolteacher here, past Disneyland employee, daughter of ER nurse). HOWEVER, a glass of wine ringside ala on the grass berm with a sandwich after the stress of the day’s classes is fine. Or a cold beer (choose yer pizzin’).

I, too, recall instances where I realized that some riders need to be half schnockered to ride. I was a working student/groom for a former AHSA horseman of the year (not naming names here) and after dinner, the night before the grand prix, I had to drop off the tackroom keys at his hotel room. There were bottles of vodka and gin everywhere! I asked him what the heck??? His response: He needed to be half-baked to get on the horse in the a.m. to do those big fences. Vodka at sunup? Geez! Is it no wonder we have some showjumping riders with drug problems? I say, we don’t have to be tea-totalers, but let’s not encourage/promote the “benefits” of being half-looped and being around horses.

[Merry]

Wow, I guess I’m out of the loop. I go to horse shows to put miles on my young horse and to win prizes on my mare in the Am. classes. By the time the day is done, I just want to go back to the hotel and soak in the bath or the jacuzzi. The only other person I want to see is the Chinese take-out delivery person, knocking at my door with fried rice and egg rolls. I’m lucky if I can stay up late enough to watch David Letterman.

[Moesha]

Slugger,
That is hysterical!! I was trying to picture that in the judges box!!!

[Regalmeans]

I don’t think drinking is good at shows, except at the parties and in the tents and stuff. I mean a horse show is a competition, like an athletic event and you wouldn’t drink if you were playing a sports match would you? My trainer never drinks when she takes us to shows, nor do any of her adults. I’ve never seen alcohol at a show, admittedly I show locals and groom at only a few of the bigger shows so I admit I’ a little ignorant. I have no problem with drinking I just don’t think it’s appropriate at shows - especially if the trainer/people who are drinking are riding and showing at the time!

This is just my opinion though!

Sarah

[3eme]

When I started doing the GP stuff (and was more than a little nervous!) I asked my doctor if he could prescribe something to make me a little more ‘Zen’…

Well…no kidding, this was his advice : drink a shot of scotch before you go in the ring.

And he’s a sports medicine doctor! Um, hello?

AHHHH! I MISS THE U.S.!!!

[ErinB]

<BLOCKQUOTE class=“ip-ubbcode-quote”><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Kelsy:
And in reply to ErinB’s post, the exhibitor’s parties and all of the other parties at shows ARE a highlight of the show and a great deal of the trainers drink. Quite frankly, it IS kind of funny to see all the trainers drunk! I have the funniest stories about that…Marion knows it, lol! I don’t think it’s a bad thing for anyone to drink, but do it once you’re done riding!<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Yeah okay. Just pray that no one parties BEFORE the show. Like I really want my trainer wasted right before a show. Uh-huh, yeah that’ll help. Well, I have the perfect trainer so I’ll never have to worry about that. So hmph!

[Hardly_there]

My days of getting drunk are so long gone.

To each his own I still have a drink here and there but I have a limit.

As far as getting drunk in front of my students or clients at an exhibitors party
Never that is very much in poor taste.

JMHO.

[Spunky]

I like to have a drink at a horse show in the afternoon if I’m done or in the evening back at the barn. I don’t like to stay out late drinking because I need my personality sleep But obviously there are lots of other people who thrive on staying up all night!!

I think it’s important for every parent to emphasize to their child what MKFSVR said: trainers teach you how to ride. You are not paying them to be a role model. If you do find a trainer who is a good role model, then it’s icing on the cake. Trainers aren’t babysitters or substitute parents. It seems that so many people expect a trainer to do everything from counseling to babysitting to being your friend. That’s not what our equine professionals get into the business for!!

[Cactuskate]

I am a firm believer in a time and place for everything. I am getting less and less tolerant of public displays of drinking.

I think this also goes to setting examples for youth. And the kids at horse shows end up close enough to the “fast lane” by virtue of the sport, I don’t think drinking “with” them should be allowed.

Call me old fashioned, but I think we have seen the blatant “bragging” of those great parties and how wasted everyone was on this BB. I would not consider this a reputable claim to fame.

And don’t even get me started on people that drink WHILE riding. I don’t think a horse deserves that treatment.

But like I said I’m old fashioned, call me a dinosaur.

[Moesha]

Colin…I always thought that was a joke about your ankles??? You have such lovely equitation, has it affected your base at all??

3eme, what did you do??? and how exciting to do the GP’s!

[gwen]

I honestly never paid attention to it…I personall don’t really drink…I did in college but got sick of the bar scene…but NEVER where horses are involved!!

[ErinB]

<BLOCKQUOTE class=“ip-ubbcode-quote”><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Kelsy:
[B] Well of course the Pony Finals partys are different… they’re for the kids. They’re fun but in a very different way. My last pony finals, last year, at the party No Authority (a wannabe pop band) sang at one of the parties and they were SO BAD! Omg! And one of them had the WORST acne!

[/B]<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Haha yeah I heard about that. But still I’d rather be eating out or calling all of my friends or both at the same time. Some parties are ok, but the huge ones where everyone’s drunk and acting like morons just aren’t my thing.

[Policy_of_Truth]

Friends don’t let Friends Drink and Ride!

It is illegal (at least in NC) for an adult to buy or serve alcohol to anyone under the age of 21. Just food for thought.

I remember when I showed Arabs that when one of my barn’s horses recieved his Legion of Honor award, they put Dom Perion (sp?) in the silver cup trophy he was given, and he drank it…next morn this horse was LEANING on the stall wall and his eyes were half shut! Not cool, But SOOOOOOO Funny!

At another show I watched a fat man on a small arab mare fall off in a class b/c he got so drunk…that was REALLY funny! Everyone knows nearly everyone at Arab shows, so the announcer says “Billy, I believe you’ve had a bit much to drink! If you can make it back on, we’ll let you keep ridin’ and maybe you’ll get a brown ribbon (8th or 9th I believe in Championship classes)!” So the man tried until the class was over to get his feet in the stirrups…couldn’t, so his grooms/buddies came into the ring, threw him like a sack of potatoes over the mare’s back, and walked him out with all of us ROARING! Needless to say, he was a bit sick that night!

[Trooper]

I think if you’re of legal age, and not in a heap with an empty bottle beside you in the sawdust – a beer is not such a bad thing for a spectator. When I’m at a football or basketball game I happily down a few from the beer-guy in the stands. I don’t see a horse-show being much different from a spectator point of view.

When I was in college we got our drinks out of the flask in my date’s boot, now that I’m in the big city its out of a paper bag if I’m on the street, but happily contained by a can or a cup in the stands .

Kidding aside, whenever there are young people involved, trainers and older exhibitors ought to be aware that their behavior effects that of the juniors with whom they come into contact. Whether we like it or not, we are all role models for the youngsters in our sport.

I don’t think its appropriate to drink and ride (would that be a RWI??) but who knows, a few well placed belts might actually improve my performance!

Responsible drinking has a place at shows - irresponsible drinking should be left to various people at Mosby’s, Grammercy Tavern …

[This message has been edited by trooper (edited 12-07-2000).]

[AHC]

I’m with you trooper… spectating is one thing, riding another. And we are all role models for kids who are around whether we like it or not… A beer at the end of the day or at an exhibitor’s party is one thing, being sloppy drunk at a horse show quite another.

[Astraled]

I’m so uncool. I rarely drink alcohol, at horse shows or anywhere else. I guess I approve of moderate drinking (beer, etc) to unwind after your classes but no shots lined up on the tack trunks, please .

[E11]

I was reading through a prize list and it actully states “If achcol is brought on the property that indivulale will be kicked out of the horseshow” They never in force this, in fact my barn usally has Diet Coke, Water, and Corana in it for my trainer when she’s done riding and we’re doing up the barn, I’m not really against it so I don’t really care