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Horse show ideas

I organize a multi-day, unrecognized breed-type show. We offer many disciplines including western classes and dressage, but H/J is the largest and we will have separate hunter and jumper arenas. Just wanted to get ideas of things you’ve seen lately that worked well (or didn’t!) or ideas you’d like to see implemented. Great prize ideas? Fun classes?

Aside from the obvious like cost and staying on schedule!

Derbies always draw a huge crowd. One of my local shows does an 18 inch, 2ft, and 2’6 derby. They sell out.

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Locally is it a 2 round format or just 1? Do they have “special” jumps in the arena just for the Derby (ie. straw bales or coop)?

Another general question. We have a USEF hunter judge (technically, retired now with inactive USEF license just does an occasional schooling show but had a long and distinguished career and excellent reputation), and USEF course designer. For the jumper ring, how much do you care about the judge?

A lot of places will put in some special jumps for the derby, but it’s not a requirement. You can do it as two rounds, or the other thing that has become popular lately is the hunt and go, which is basically one longer round. The first part is the classic course, and the second part is the handier section. That way everybody in the class gets to do the handy part, not just the top 10 or 12 scores from the first round.

You can find more information about the format here, even if you don’t want to do it exactly the same way.

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Not one iota.

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They use a one round format. They do have some special jumps, but it’s dependent on the height; the 18 inch course is pretty simple, the 2’6 more involved.

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For the jumper ring I care a lot more about the course designer than the judge. They don’t need to be USEF licensed necessarily but the venue needs a reputation of building safe and reasonable courses. A lot of people at the schooling show level don’t understand jumper course design and you end up with awkward or impossible turns.

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It actually can make a difference as licensed judges help with safe course design and often unknown and/or ignored rules. Whether navigating the course, like crossing your line, or covering unique situations over the jumps like if a rail drops after its been jumped does it count? Not to mention the intricacies of manually timing a jumper round? There are rules in jumping and if you want to teach noobs how to compete and stay SAFE in that ring? You need experienced help.

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This! There’s one venue near me that brings in Olaf Petersen and the likes (albeit they are A/AA shows) and riding those courses is truly a fun and educational experience.

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Note that 3 of us, who do not always agree, posted within minutes in support of knowledgeable help with schooling show Jumpers.

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Re awards, how often have I come across a prize cooler or halter on consignment, because it’s not needed/wrong size? I’ll never understand why these size-specific items are given when often they’re used once, for a photo. How about a gift certificate for horse photography or a cash donation in the horse’s honor to a local animal shelter or horse rescue?

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I have to say I would not be too happy with that as a prize. I have different items from different shows over the years that put a smile on my face whenever I look at them due to the memories attached to them.

That won’t happen with a cash donation, even to a very worthy cause.

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Same. Halters and coolers are always useful in my barn. Even a wrong-sized cooler can be turned into a pillow or a coolerette.

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Yep I wouldn’t want a gift card or donation. I use the award stuff, or make it a pretty display thing.

Also, there’s a few big name animal charities that I’ve donated to once, a small amount, and they’ve spent WAY more than that donation on harassing me for more money. No thanks.

Quarter sheets are a nice option over coolers, since they fit more than one size animal.

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Like the idea of the gift card to photographer or videographer.
WEC does gift cards now to the venue, which, I realize just means I’m essentially paying them again since I’m paying retail in their restaurants and stores, but I’d much prefer that to some of the other options.
People can be pretty specific with their charities, so that seems a little presumptive and they have paid good money to be there, so that might be more of an opt-in than a “prize”. However, that being said, it could be an option to “waive” your prize to donate to a local children’s shelter or hospital. I bet a lot of people would love that option to be able to donate their ribbons and prizes to a kids hospital. Could just leave a box by the horse show office and people can drop whatever ribbons or prizes that they wish to not take home. You could even say that for every prize donation, the horse show will donate a $1 from show fees towards a cash donation.

Otherwise, there seems to be a ton of glassware and hydro flasks/wine cups being given lately. Although it’s a fun gift, I’d also love beach towels, blankets (the picnic blanket from WEC that folds up is clutch), sun hats (can get horse show logo on ribbon or embroidered on it), baseball caps, fleece or quilted vests, etc. Halters are always useful and pretty to display. Coolers and scrims are also great.

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With a USEF course designer, I would assume a safe course. I haven’t ridden in a schooling show since middle school, so it hadn’t occurred to me about the rules. Good point.

I think it’s a nice idea for a horse show to have some sort of charitable option, if someone wants to donate their prize money or ribbons or what have you in addition to just winning things.

I don’t think that option is a replacement for giving out prizes that the winner can hold up next to their horse when they take a picture.

Plus any horse equipment that has the name of the show on it doubles as additional free advertising for that horse show when other people see it out and about in use on the winning horses.

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WRT jumper judges. I care that the judge KNOWS THE JUMPER RULES and protocols, especially the ones that are not commonly used, such as how to score it when a refusal also knocks down the fence, how to score it when a rider gets “lost”, but does not actually go off course, how to core it if the rail gets dislodged, but doesn’t hit the ground, when to blow the whistle, etc. I have found that very good hunter judge do not know the actual jumper rules.

I have seen problems when Hunter judges try to judge Jumpers, or very experienced jumper riders who are not actual judges.

And make sure they have a copy of the jumper rules with them.

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WRT prizes- I am involved with running a (Connemara) breed show. We have a vendor selling riding stuff, some Connemara branded, some not. One popular prize is to allow the winner to “pick what they want” (within some constraints) from the vendor. That solves the “wrong size” problem.

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