[QUOTE=Saddlebag;8236880]
:DOP, I feel your pain! I lived, and attempted to operate a training barn not far from the location of your show. Like you, I made it my mission to try to nourish the sport of showing Hunters and Jumpers in that region. For ten years or so, I put on HJ schooling shows at my farm. I had very nice show quality jumps and changed the fill between Hunter and Jumper sessions so that the jumps were legal and appropriate for both disciplines, hired USEF Judges, and organized shows that were structured exactly like USEF shows. I “fudged” a bit on a few minor details in order to make the shows comfortable for my exhibitor base, but the shows pretty much mimicked the experience of “real” HJ horse shows and I added in some extras to make the exhibitors feel welcome, such as candy at the show secretary’s desk, big water coolers with paper cups at the back gate, and a PA system that broadcasted to the warm-up ring and to the parking area. Not to mention, year end Series awards and a banquet. We kept up with the “big things” too, like regular water and drags to groom the arena footing, and hiring a EMT to be there in case of injuries. Was it a success, financial and otherwise? Not so much. The biggest show we ever did, had 35 horses, and most had around or less than 20. The residents of this region were just not very keen on the sport of showing HJs, and didn’t support the shows in great numbers. Most of my participants were either HJ Trainers from outside the area, who came with their clients, and quite a few Eventers who loved the fact that we had REAL Jumper courses. One local trainer was wonderful, and supported all of my shows, but most were not so loyal, and a few came with big attitudes. Especially for those who had never jumped over 2’6", or competed ever in a USEF horse show.
My greatest hope was that others in the area would jump in and put on similar shows, but that never happened. Although a handful of my students went on to buy nice horses, and show with pretty good success at the USEF shows that we went to, I had great difficulty in developing clients for my training barn. When the distance to ANY other horse show venue is at least a three and a half hour drive, the cost of going to one’s first horse show became very pricey. If it is a show sanctioned by the nearest local HJ associations, it’s a lot to pay for a “first” show experience, and if it is a USEF rated show… OMG! I managed to wheedle the closest local association into sanctioning my shows, but while a small number of trainers went to a few shows from the association to our South, only a couple of people from that group ventured North to ride in “our sandbox”…for after all, that circuit already offered lots of quality unrated shows, and they didn’t need to haul 175 miles to show.
So, eventually, I got the message that I was tilting at windmills, so I moved out of the area…and out of California. I invested twenty years of my life, and hundreds of thousands of dollars into this venture, but the smart thing to do, was to pack up and move to where people actually wanted what I was offering, and were willing to pay more than $2500 for horses, $600 for saddles, $35 for lessons, and $10 for entry fees. The bottom line, is that currently, and historically, the culture of this part of California is so invested in the mentality of “breed” shows, and competition on the level of 4-H and county fairs, that very few people even care that there is pipeline to excellence in HJ-land. It takes more effort and money than most are willing or able to invest, and the answer (to them) is to eliminate anything that poses a challenge to a participant…such as oxers!
I don’t know if this culture will ever change. As I mentioned before, I tried to change things for twenty years, and failed. Maybe (and I hope so) you can do better. It is difficult not to get your knickers in a knot when verbally attacked behind your back from an unknown person who rants to everyone in earshot, except you, and you hear all about it the day after the show! Or shortly after the issue in question has passed.
About four years ago, I brought clients to a show at the venue of your horse shows, and with one exception, was treated very warmly by the show management. We did well, and one kid who was 12 at the time, and who was in her very first season of showing, rode one of my horses and absolutely kicked butt, winning almost everything she entered. But, the treatment she received from several of the other kids showing, (who said really rude things to her as she accepted a trophy), and from the gate person, who near the end of the day, called her to the ring while she was jumping her last warm-up jump. We complied at once, but as we walked to the gate, the starter closed her out of the coming class for “not being timely enough”). I was furious, but chose to let it go…mostly because the footing (which had been marginal in the beginning of the day), had degraded to the point where I was worried about the danger of a soft tissue injury to the horse, who was sound, but not a colt anymore, and didn’t need to be put at risk. So we called it a day, and never returned. It was mostly about the footing, but the starter’s attitude gave me an excuse to let the horse be done for that day.
Anyway, I applaud your efforts. Maybe someday, our sport will flourish in this region. I hope it does, as it is such a beautiful part of the state, and has much to offer. I tried to change and outlast the current equestrian culture, but in the end, I couldn’t, so I moved on.[/QUOTE]
Hi Saddlebag! I think I may know who you are. I totally agree with everything you said and my trainer in the area totally has the same view point as you (with regard to the HJ community and support, or lack thereof in the region). The footing has improved, but still has a long was to go to be comparable to a large venue. Appealing to the large crowd in the south is the only way the shows will grow. I am offering $200+ in prize money at my shows, I had hoped that would spark more entries. But alas, there are a lot of people in the southern region who have never even heard of this facility.
