If shows go as planned this summer, will you show under the new guidelines or take the remainder of the year off and reevaluate next season?
I’ve heard some really interesting discussion points from amateurs & pros alike, so I think I’d bring it here.
if I was an amateur, I think I’d be done for the season because I like showing for the social and fun aspect. However, as a pro, I’d be right back in. What about you?
My daughter will because she is in her last year as a junior and we will be selling or leasing her horse in the fall… so this is it for us unless she decides later in in life to get back into it. I am fine with the precautions and feel that the shows near me at least are very committed to make the environment as safe as possible. I will add most of the shows that I would do are drivable from my house and do not require an overnight stay.
Nope. Not worth it just for a hobby. I don’t want to end up on a ventilator. I am old enough to be a victim. Just not worth it. And also even if I do not die, I can infect others and kill others. I could never live with that. Call me old fashioned in today’s world. I am embarrassed at what our country has become.
I’m not sure. Not because I’m worried about getting sick. But like OP the social aspect is a huge part of horse shows for me. It’s way too expensive to merely come, show my horse, then leave. That’s not a lot of fun for me. I’ll just have to see how things go when they start back up.
I’m an amateur and I plan on it as soon as competitions open up. For what I’m doing, the socializing is secondary to the competition. Most of the time I’m working out of my trailer and leaving when I’m done anyway (whether jumper show, dressage, or HT). I will seriously reconsider multi-day competitions this year though. Not sure that I want to deal with travel, lodging, and stabling to do basically the same amount of riding and none of the fun stuff involved with multi day shows.
I will volunteer if any shows decide to move forward. My current horse(s) are too old and too young to do anything serious. I might bring the young one to look around later in the year, if she’s ready.
I’m honestly not sure. I can say that I probably won’t be signing up for any June shows, I will be paying attention to how the first shows are handled once things start opening up and trying to see how it went in terms of what protocols were put in place (I know USEF put out guidelines but everything has been changing so quickly so who knows what will be needed in a few weeks time), how compliance was etc. I would love to show this year but am certainly not going to insist on it if it can’t be done safely for myself or others.
My horse is retired, so no showing was in the plan anyway. I will not be volunteering at any shows in my area that do take place. Not worth the risk to my health.
My answer would be exactly this. And my barn will remain closed. I have sold off 100 acres of hay production that I didn’t need In order to fund my next two years, and I will not be taking on any boarders. I have actually been much happier with a quiet barn to myself, and might remain this way. I still plan on hosting clinics and shows, but not until next year.
Amateur here, and I don’t know. Leaning towards no. I don’t love showing anyway, and was considering bowing out of showing this year anyway for various personal and mount-related reasons. But most critically, I don’t know when I’ll be able to resume regular training, so I’m certainly not going to feel ready (or safe, virus-wise) by June or who knows when.
Show season over here is Winter and starts September/October and ends in April. I dont show myself but my horses sometimes do show with my friend or trainer. Im not sure what will happen come September, right now we can’t even go see our horses so im not looking that far into the future, luckily though summer is the time I give my horses off mainly and just walk ride 3 times a week from end of May to end of august, and horses dont show the first two months anyhow so I dont have to think about this until October.
Ammy here. I will show, but slowly. Definitely no overnight shows this summer. One day rated or local shows in June or July, I will do, if they have followed guidelines and have made it feasible to feel safe while competing - get the horse ready, get on ride, get horse away, and go home. I will try and support my show venues and staff as best as I can. I love the social aspect, but I love riding and showing for the moments in the ring to work on a good trip and partnership with my horse first and foremost. The social aspects can wait!
I think I won’t do any multi-day shows this year - just not comfortable with traveling. Fortunately in my zone, there are quite a few shows where it is feasible to only show one day.
I’m also on the fence, also an ammy. I am usually just with a friend (who shares space with me already, due to barn duties), so I very easily could show fairly safely with just her help, out of my trailer for a one day show.
On the other hand, I am not interested in being part of our problem in terms of spreading a virus for an unnecessary day of competition.
I am going to play it by ear, I guess, but certainly I am not rushing into showing again, even though I’ve been able to keep riding and my jumper is fairly legged up. The calculus being made by some people that sees sacrificing other lives as acceptable for economic or other self-interested reasons makes me even more cynical that I already was before this pandemic.
Nope. I just don’t think I would be able to fully enjoy myself at a show in this very new COVD-era. Once I see how shows are handling precautions, how competitors are following (or not following) said precautions, I will see how I feel. But I can’t imagine myself stepping into the show ring until 2021, at this point.
It’s funny; this was going to be my first “season” showing at rated shows, had them all picked out for the year. But I am very thankful and content being healthy and safe, and staying home.
I was hoping to try an unrated show this summer after not showing for almost 10 years. However, the county I live in is still under full stay-at-home orders. Barns in a neighboring state are saying they are starting shows later this month. I don’t think I will consider going anywhere while my home county (and the counties surrounding it) are still under lockdown. I don’t want to potentially take the virus to an area that is supposedly doing better.
If things around here continue to improve and my home area opens up I would consider a small show in June or July. I was aiming for something that would not require a hotel (too expensive) anyway and I think that sounds like an even better idea now.
Ammy here and on the fence about showing. Assuming restrictions are lifted in my state and it is permitted, I don’t see it happening until later in June or July. The barn was shut down for for a month. My trainer did her best to keep the ones that show fit during that time, but of course it is very difficult for one person to keep a large group of horses fit. We just started up again but are only flatting or doing pole work which, as an aside, I have to say has been great for showing the holes in my riding! Putting the COVID issues aside, I don’t feel comfortable with either my or my horse’s fitness at this point to go to a show immediately.
I am also an amateur and I will likely attend local Trillium shows only (I am in Canada). I have a 3-year old who needs some desensitizing and a semi/not so busy environment would be good to slowly integrate her into the show scene. I would like her to leave the property a few times this summer.
Yes, I will show as soon as they’re open. I wasn’t planning on going long distances or doing overnight shows anyway due to finances and stress related to traveling/hotel/overnight stabling. The virus has not affected my decisions/plans regarding showing other than there are no shows to go to currently.
AA here. If I were not pregnant, yes I would. I don’t attend shows that require overnight stabling, so I work exclusively out of my trailer and am entirely self-sufficient. I’d miss having my husband/occasional friend or parent there to spectate and cheer me on/video my ride, but I’ve often attended shows without any of those things in the past so it’s not a final factor.
My biggest concern would be washroom facilities, but hand washing should be a major element of that anyway! I would probably wear a mask for times I was not in the saddle and possibly even go as far as to rig up some kind of screen so I could use the trailer shavings for any personal bladder relief 
I’m not sure yet. I’m an ammy and there’s one show that’s been a huge goal for me. If it happens (at the end of July) I will probably go as I’m moving away (2000 miles away) this fall and won’t get another opportunity. It’s an over night show but close enough that I could come home instead of getting a hotel if things are looking iffy on safety
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