Spinoff of the thread about horse shows being prohibitively expensive - want to make a list of your favorite recommended local shows with decent quality judging/competition/etc?
HHSA–Harford County (MD) and CCHSA-- Chester County (PA) are both decent. I think HHSA goes up 3’3 and CCHSA goes up to 3’. We also have the TASS (TB only) series which are nice but have limited classes/ heights.
NJ is lucky to have several quality facilities that host schooling shows (most do so in addition to rated shows so the jumps are the same and the judges often are, too). Duncraven, Black River, Hunter Farms, Spotted Toad, Palermo, The Ridge… I wouldn’t say the schooling shows around here are a huge savings but you can avoid the USEF fees and still get a quality experience.
Up here in the Mid-Atlantic there are a lot of good local/smaller shows for hunter and equitation, although getting up to even 3’ can be a challenge. If they offer those, the classes often don’t fill. But if you want to do 2’6" you can show pretty much every weekend during the spring-fall. Harford and Baltimore Counties each have their own associations in the Baltimore region, and they are quite competitive. They remind me of the B circuit that used to exist when I was a kid, so I guess they filled that niche.
Not so much for jumpers- Swan Lake is a shining exception. Other shows either don’t offer any jumpers- but 9725 of the exact same hunter and eq. classes- or the fences are never set above 2’6", which is useless to me, or the courses and footing are terrible. Even some of the local A shows around here offer nothing but hunters and eq. So, it looks like I’ll be doing a lot of the Swan Lake stuff this year, both rated and not.
I think things get better a bit further south, into Virginia, and further north, in NJ and up. Luckily I have a trailer, but it would be nice to be able to stick closer to home!
I second all the shows that Westie55 referred to. You can easily show at those venues and have a great time without breaking the bank. Across the border in PA, there is Bucks County Horse Park that runs a wide variety of schooling shows as well as recognized (dressage, eventing). They offer great value. They also often offer special packages where you can do your regular divisions and then also go cross-country schooling afterwards.
Full disclosure: I run back gate at these shows so I might be a bit biased! :winkgrin:
Here in Oregon, Mike Gallaway (who runs the Hunter Creek shows) is putting on a couple non-rated (but OHJA-approved) shows in Boring a year. He’s done the Thanksgiving show for years now and is now adding one in April. I think they’re well-run, with great judges and fantastic courses (Mike is a USEF R course designer and he does all the courses at the schooling shows). Prices are on the low side (I think I paid about $400 for 2 divisions, stall for 3 days, hauling ~150 miles, and trainer splits, so anyone local to the area can get a great deal) and the prizes are pretty darn good. It was great competition too - Thanksgiving this year was HUGE, and the level of riding in most classes was on par with the A shows I go to. They offer some fun medal classes including the Blue Ribbon Medal Finals. Friday is jumpers and Sat/Sun are hunters and eq.
The one thing that was less-than-awesome is the warm-up arena. Mt. Hood Equestrian Center has the tiniest little piddle of a warm-up, but it’s still doable - I’m just a wimp about little warm-ups! :lol:
Personally, I love having a weekend show like that - being multi-day, it really felt special and many riders were in hunt coats and ratcatchers. The jumps were the same as the A shows Mike runs, the courses were the same, and though I’ve forgotten who the judge was, she was USEF R. I’m really looking forward to the April one!
CCHSA horse shows, especially those are the nicer venues like Radnor.
I really enjoy the Glen Eayre shows, I think it’s a nice venue and they do a particularly good job of making a low key show fun and well run
The Woodedge unrated series at the Dream Park and Horse Park.
The unrated one-day show held at Devon.
Our Farm had an unrated series for a little while too.
As someone who now will have her own trailer for the first time ever, I’ve been trying to find more local schooling shows in the area because I don’t have tons to blow on showing, so keep the recommendations coming! I had no idea about CCHSA!
The Quentin Riding Club in PA does host a variety of shows throughout the year. Some are breed-specific shows but there’s a good amount that are open classes.
A HUGE shoutout to TBird on this. They do a winter non-rated series that is fantastic. Mostly indoors, but they open additional outdoor rings if the weather behaves.
There used to be four, but the last one in April got too big and had to be turned into a “Bronze” (aka C) show.
There’s no way I could swing the rated shows at TBird, but this way everyone can come out to play at the facility. There’s a big mix of levels, from kids on school horses to bigger names on their babies and/or prepping for Thermal and/or stayed home this year.
In Michigan if you have a beginner rider or a green horse or weekend warior adult , then LEHS , they have 1’9 warmups, then maiden, novice , limit , Adult and JR ammy divisions up to 2’9 and low , special and open hunters 2’3, 2’6, 2’9 and a pre green hunter division , I believe it’s 8 or 9 shows for the season with a medals final and award banquet too. Inexpensive for a weekend with classes at $15.00, stalls at $55.00 ( With first bedding ) nice food, REAL bathrooms at each facility … Friendly management , Just all around nice little series.
Down here in the southeast we have Progressive Show Jumping and Blue Ridge circuits that offer everything the A shows do except the high cost. Very grateful to have them!
In North Florida, there’s First Coast H/J, North Florida H/J, Horse Shows in the Park (does Gainesville and Jax). I don’t know much about Horse Shows in the Park but FCHJA and NFHJA both run up to 3’3"-3’6" and run 4 rings.
Nebraska Hunter Jumper Schooling Show Circuit:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Nebraska-Hunter-Jumper-Schooling-Show-Circuit/201913807745
Full disclosure, I am a Board member and currently hold the Secretary’s office.
One show a month January - October with an invitational final in October. Annual banquet in December with good prizes. Classes are a maximum of $12 each, stalls a maximum of $30 a night including initial bedding. There is a $5 NHJSSC Fee per horse/rider combination, and managers may charge a $5 Office Fee per horse/rider combination. That’s it.
There is a Benefit Hack class with a $5 entry fee to contribute towards a scholarship to be awarded to a participating senior in high school. In 2013 we awarded one large scholarship and three smaller scholarships.
There is a core set of mandatory classes, and there are optional classes that go up to 3’6" for Hunters and 3’9" for jumpers, and individual shows can add their own classes that don’t have NHJSSC points (for example, a mini hunter derby with prize money, or a ground poles class).
The barns that host these shows can make a nice amount of money on them, while riders can get out of the door for under $120 for two divisions and a stall.
Starting this year, NHJSSC is sponsoring “Local Day” at The International Omaha horse show - riders who sell tickets have an opportunity to ride in a class for FREE at the indoor CenturyLink center as well as have the opportunity to ride in a two-day clinic sponsored by NHJSSC and The International Omaha at reduced cost.
If your area doesn’t have good local options, get involved - be the change you want to see! NHJSSC was started 10 years ago by a group of gals who had the same thoughts many on this forum do - they wanted a better alternative than what was available, and they made it happen.
In central Virginia there is the CHSA circuit also the VHSA associate shows are in VA. In North Carolina there is the NCHJA which offers wonderful “C” rated shows.
VHSA associate shows vary vastly by venue and management from awesome and highly competitive to run down and poorly judged.
Within VHSA associate, CHSA is great for hunters, CVSJA is the jumper counterpart and there’s also SWVHJA which does both. I believe there’s also a decent circuit in the Hampton Roads area but I’m not as familiar with that part of the state.
The SNHSA shows were always fun. You got to compete with ‘A’ show kids when they were around, and the trainers usually brought in great judges. Not to mention showing at Julie Winkles place was always a blast.
I mentioned this on the other thread, but will say again here, that you have to have a trainer that wants to go to these shows. The BNTs like BN shows because they can show nice horses, and have short days. At the local shows, the trainers have very long days and the riding is more about the owners. So support trainers that are willing to do these shows!
Options in Southern California include OCHSA and GSDHJA that both have some shows that run at places like Oaks-Blenheim and Showpark (Del Mar Horsepark?) that are also used by AAA shows. Not necessarily the same jumps though. Both have really nice year-end shows with excellent prizes. Some run concurrently with A shows at those facilities, but not all do. LAHJA also has a mix of shows that run concurrently with A shows and those that don’t. A number of the shows are at LAEC. No year-end show, but a couple of very nice medal finals.
Many of the above are two-day shows, but it’s relatively easy to haul in for the day.
nice local shows in Atlanta include Elite and Cheryl’s shows - both use the same jumps/ring crew as they use in rated shows and they are very well run with nice courses, good management.
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At the local shows, the trainers have very long days…[/QUOTE]
We have a decent local show series at a nice venue with good footing and pretty jumps, but the days are ENDLESS particularly if you have to wait around for the 3’ (which is as high as the hunters go).
