The best and worst prizes at shows

[JenEM]

The other year I won year-end champion for an association which I knew gave coolers to division champions, because I see horses at shows in them. I was SO excited to have finally won a cooler.

And when I got my awards? Not coolers. Not even something useful like a beverage cooler (which as an adult I would actually love). It was a framed mirror with the association logo on the frame. Great if you’re dressing up a show tack room, I guess, but as an ammy who mostly shows out of the trailer? It ended up donated to the barn bathroom

I really like the nice work-sized tote bag I won several years back. I used it for work for quite a while. I won a rain sheet last year, which is actually quite useful, too, and not something you have 64783 of already (and they emailed to ask what size I wanted!).

[atr]

I have 2 ceramic bowls handpainted by a local artist that I won back in 2006 at one of my first dressage shows. They are quite attractive and dishwasher safe, and we use them as vegetable serving dishes all the time, still.

And over the years I’ve won a lot of glassware. I think the local GMO got a job lot printed… Frankly it’s pretty cheap stuff, but my husband jokes that those are the most expensive glasses we own…

[MHM]

Personally I get very nervous when shows hand out glassware as prizes, just because it has to get home in one piece before it can be put to any use.

Many years ago, I worked for somebody who won a really fancy and beautiful crystal punch bowl with matching cups, and I was sweating bullets until we got it all home from the show unscathed. Lol.

My mother won a lot of silver trophies back in the day, and we always used one of her silver pitchers for holiday meals for decades.

[vxf111]

Oh I would LOVE THAT

[Annie10]

I would have loved one of those.

[clanter]

but my husband jokes that those are the most expensive glasses we own…

first cooler our horses won cost about $50,000 in showing then was claimed by our dog as its bed

[Knubbsy]

@atr

And over the years I’ve won a lot of glassware. I think the local GMO got a job lot printed… Frankly it’s pretty cheap stuff, but my husband jokes that those are the most expensive glasses we own…

Some of our juniors have stated they want to “collect them all” since a couple of region 1 shows do them. Kind of funny having 14-year-old girls excited about stemless wineglasses but if they’re happy … tbf the only wineglasses I own are horse show glasses.

[Railbird]

I won a camoflauge trucker hat with the horse show logo on it in the kentucky summer shows last year, and my husband was baffled looking around at the patrons of the event, wondering who decided camo trucker hats were just the thing. Not terrible, just kind of surprising. Maybe I am not on trend.

I think a little gift certificate to one of the vendors is nice and you can pick out what you want. I would 100% prefer a really impressive ribbon over a 10 dollar prize, though, if we are allocating resources.

[Xanthoria]

Yes - really nice ribbons please!

I won a stainless steel water bottle at a recognized event and the colored covering with the year and event name started flaking off soon after. Very cheap. The other parts of the prize were a certificate for xc schooling at that location (4 hours away…) and a plastic hoof pick…

I’m of the opinion that prizes should have some value - first place perhaps equivalent to the entry fee as in the UK https://www.britisheventing.com/compete/prize-money

But as we know in US eventing that’s not happening, despite the cost of entry being so much higher!

[BroncoMo]

The best:
Buckles, trophies, any type of hardware is very sentimental to me. As well as jackets and vests.

One of my favorites was at the NSBA world show a few years ago my big red beast and I won a nice leather three ring binder cover that zips up. I can keep all my show paper work, registration papers, check book, etc in there. I was almost as happy winning that at 5th place as I was our reserve world championship (which resulted in hardware and a vest).

That same year my yearling placed third in her long line futurity class. No hardware, but a couple months later, after the drug test results came back, the reserve champion was disqualified, which moved my filly up to reserve. A couple weeks later she broke her pelvis in a freak stall accident. Obviously her show career ended there. The next year, I went and bought the vest that she should have won and had her name/class title embroidered. Granted I paid for that one out of pocket, it’s one of my favorites.

The worst:
I’m sure I’ve gathered some crappy prizes over the years or outright turned them down. But the absolute worst was winning a circuit championship and being given a foldable stool. Not one that actually gives you some height and helps you reach tall places. Oh no. This thing stands a smooth 6 inches tall. But collapses down flat for easy storage. In what world would that thing come in handy? I’m sort of appalled that someone would waste the money on manufacturing such a thing.

[jvanrens]

@Railbird

I won a camoflauge trucker hat with the horse show logo on it in the kentucky summer shows last year,

I really dislike camo, of any colour, though pink camo makes me laugh. I would be so disappointed to receive one.

One high point award that made me scratch my head was the schooling english pad donated by one of the the local tack shops with Champion on it and their Apple logo. The thing that made me scratch my head was it was for High Point Western Horse. At least I ride English too, so it did receive a lot of use.

[beowulf]

Y’all get prizes when you win things???

Coming from Eventing world… although once, I did win a pretty sweet halter! That was considered pretty top shelf back in the 2000s.

I’m enjoying reading these stories… I was thinking I’d be thrilled to win anything regardless of what it was, but reading about winning a camo trucker hat, gosh I can’t think of anything I could have less use for.

I’ve been in charge of organizing gift/prize baskets before, and I have to say there is no one prize that pleases all participants – but generally, I think horse-centric prizes like gift certificates for bodywork or major retailers are well received, while more specific/niche things are not… I remember one year at a dressage show a minor won a basket that had wine glasses and cork stoppers in it - you have to consider your audience.

[emeraldcity]

@beowulf

Coming from Eventing world… although once, I did win a pretty sweet halter! That was considered pretty top shelf back in the 2000s.

I have a fleece cooler I won at UNH one year! It is a bit big on my peanut horse, but it’s functional. I actually like it and use it often. However, I agree with above that I wouldn’t want to win a ton of coolers. Not that I’m in any danger of that

I won an embroidered saddle pad at Course Brook that same year- saddle pads are nice prizes too I think, and more useful than a million coolers.

I’ll add my name to liking glassware prizes! I have a bunch of pint glasses from local hunter shows growing up and they’re still around/in use. That was before stemless wineglasses were really popular, I’d love to win some of those.

[giddybiddy]

All of my best prizes have been from local shows. A local A show is run by 5/A Baker, and I won an embroidered wool Baker cooler for being champion in an unrated 2’6" division. That was definitely a welcome surprise! The ribbons were also some of the longest I’ve ever won.

Another show up in Vermont has some of the nicest ribbons ever (GMHA, for those wondering!). It’s a completely unrated show, but I’ve won nice, full beach towels, travel blankets, whiskey tumblers, slate coasters, and more. We all know it’s not about the ribbons and prizes, but it certainly makes the $$$ spent more satisfying when you go home with fun goodies!

Alternatively, I was so disappointed when I went to HITS Saugerties for the first time. It was the biggest show I’d done in roughly 15 years, and I somehow squeaked out two champions. I won…a knockoff “Pop Socket” and a cheapo embroidered dish rag. Still so proud of those ribbons, but the prizes were so lackluster.

[kmwines01]

As a kid my trainer had all these heavy wool coolers she had won. Being in Florida they only got used when we went as spectators to the January “A” show to watch the Grand Prix. It was always guaranteed to be the coldest night of the year it seemed.

It is so hard to pick year end type prizes! If you get the same things every year people get bored, if you change it up people were finally looking forward to winning their cooler, halter, chair, etc. I got a really nice bridle bag one year that I still have and still have some of the garment bags I’ve won.

[beowulf]

I remember Stoneleigh had a fleece cooler for the division winner that was to die for. One year I worked for a BNT and their show cooler was a Rolex winner cooler (that they had won on a previous horse -that’s some serious legacy swag there). I was in awe when I pulled it out of the storage bin it was in.

I think I have the worst timing - the few times I actually won a class, there weren’t any prizes except for that one show. Did you go to UNH this year? I tried so hard to make it happen but it just wasn’t in the cards.

I agree saddle pads are really nice prizes. I would appreciate anything horsey centric, I think. Even a hoof-pick, as those always magically seem to grow their own legs and r-u-n-n-o-f-t…

[emeraldcity]

I unfortunately haven’t evented in way too many years because of issues with my horse, we’re trying to do respectable low level dressage now. I miss it so much, next horse someday! I LOVE UNH though, I have always really liked riding there.

ETA I think it would have been 2014 probably when I won that cooler?

[phoenixrises]

I’ve had an end of year be a captain’s chair with the division etc. on it and that was super useful.

I would LOVE a cooler with wheels and filled with ice and drinks, but as a 10yo not so much.

Last year I got reserve champion at the Brass Ring at Devon for W/T and they rightfully assumed it would be won by a child (it had no age limit btw it was jut 48 children and 2 adults), so that made for a funny gift bag

When I was driving I got a lot of engraved glasses and I like them a lot, they get used daily and have a nice memory.

[Arzny]

@giddybiddy

Alternatively, I was so disappointed when I went to HITS Saugerties for the first time. It was the biggest show I’d done in roughly 15 years, and I somehow squeaked out two champions. I won…a knockoff “Pop Socket” and a cheapo embroidered dish rag. Still so proud of those ribbons, but the prizes were so lackluster.

I was champion at WEF and while they do the coolers, I also got a dinky little lead rope. It would have been more suitable for a dog leash lol.

[MHM]

@Arzny

I was champion at WEF and while they do the coolers, I also got a dinky little lead rope. It would have been more suitable for a dog leash

Maybe it was so people could walk their dog and their horse in matching accessories. Lol.