FUN HORSE SHOWS!!

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Samantha008

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My yard owner has asked me to plan and organise a fun horse show for late september. Only an In-House thing for our insurance purposes...but i just wondered if people had any fun ideas for classes and things to do. Were going to finish the eve with chase me charlie and a BBQ :)

Anything can go...weve got lots of tiddly tots so something for them, weve got young competers, old happy hackers, mums etc We need at least one class for everyone :)

Also any hints/advice greatly accepted!!!
 
Prettiest mare
most handsome gelding
handy pony with the posting the letter thing etc
your typical riding clup horse
pony club pony
best combination
obviously gymkahna stuff
show jumping
fancy dress including adults too
coloured class
working hunter pony/horse
clear round jumping
lead rein classes
in and so that children and adults can show their horse/ponies off
thelwell lookalike
best turned out
 
Pony with the best mane and tail, horse and rider combo with the hairyest legs or best 6 legs, pony the judge would most like to take home, family pony, prettiest face, best conditioned, style and performance with a few jumps and a walk trot canter, most unusual coloured or best markings, hope these help
 
Another vote for horse and hound we had such fun with this at my old yard.
Handy pony is always fun too especially with adults on big ponies.
Good luck have fun and post lots of pics.
Teresa
 
Umm... here are a few:

Egg and spoon race with something else instead of the egg
Ball in the bucket
Walk trot canter
Musical statues


Gymkhana games are always fun and you can do things like tack and turnout.
Think most have been mentioned above!
 
oh god - no offence people but showing - is that really fun?!?! I think i missed hvae missed something every time i've done it lol.


Top score jumping (everyone likes this cos anyone can enter if you make the range of jumps decent - e.g. you can have very low but a bounce, higher but upright etc etc)

Jelly jumping (person who completes course wiht most jelly left on a plate (non-breakable)wins) - can be adapted to 'champagne' jumping and have poeple jumping wiht 'champagne' (apple juice) in a 'glass' - or whatever - at easter for the kids we do it with easter eggs in a cup.

the above wiht jelly/champagne can also be adapted to same but with a small dressage test - and we've done this with PC as young as 4 and 5 so it's not too tough.

pairs jumping

three-fence chase me charlie

teams is always good

everyone loves a good old hickstead type thing if you have a variety of jumps to hand...

Trec could be fun if you adapt it?

Handy pony

If gymkhana games let me know, i have hunreds of inventive ones....
 
when i do yard shows i always put people in teams for gymkhana. you can mix ability so they're all equal and it makes it much more fun that way, get some good old healthy rivalry going!! :-D
 
Appoint a good steward to help the judges make sure the same horse/s don't win loads of classes! Always nice to keep it spread out.

We use the "Pony judge would like to take home" as a consolation competition for anyone who hasn't won something. Usually the winner is the judge's choice, but thereafter we make sure others who haven't been placed get a rosette.

If you have some nervous novices, give them a class like nicest horse, rather than riding club horse, where they do a little show but perhaps tell the judge why their horse is special.

Make sure you get a few judges, just give them a few classes each, and preferably outsiders so no chance of favouritism.

Could add in a points trophy for best 3 results? Don't do overall points or some people will enter everything :)

You would need a lot of equipment for a gymkhana and it can cause carnage, so I would limit that to younger children. Ride and run (use stewards to hold ponies otherwise they will trip over and get trampled), sweet in bucket, sock in bucket, nice easy races, not walk trot and canter unless you can police it properly (they all jog in walk!), avoid bending race - it would require a huge number of poles or cones and takes ages to set up.

How about handy pony? A dressage arena for a walk and trot test?

I have run a few shows - and I am still learning!
 
Morgan123 said:
oh god - no offence people but showing - is that really fun?!?! I think i missed hvae missed something every time i've done it lol.


Top score jumping (everyone likes this cos anyone can enter if you make the range of jumps decent - e.g. you can have very low but a bounce, higher but upright etc etc)

Jelly jumping (person who completes course wiht most jelly left on a plate (non-breakable)wins) - can be adapted to 'champagne' jumping and have poeple jumping wiht 'champagne' (apple juice) in a 'glass' - or whatever - at easter for the kids we do it with easter eggs in a cup.

the above wiht jelly/champagne can also be adapted to same but with a small dressage test - and we've done this with PC as young as 4 and 5 so it's not too tough.

pairs jumping

three-fence chase me charlie

teams is always good

everyone loves a good old hickstead type thing if you have a variety of jumps to hand...

Trec could be fun if you adapt it?

Handy pony

If gymkhana games let me know, i have hunreds of inventive ones....
Click to expand...

I want to come to one of your shows :eek::eek::eek: awesome!
 
adapted trec is great fun ... :D :D

as can be adapted handy pone ie not fast / against the clock ...... I prefer to see style and patience rather than pones getting dragged around the arena ;) . The "obstacles" can appear easy and be easy to set up but its amazing how many people that gallop around the countryside and jump high cant...

.... take a coat off a fence and put it on
..... back pone up between poles
... walk over tarpaulin
..... move horses bum round

each obstacle stared out with 10 points if completed calmly with mimimal aids and nice contact / loose reins :) :) :) :)
points deducted for getting cross, kicking hard, pulling reins hard or hitting pone :o :o :o
even if rider could not complete the obstacle if they asked for help and were nice to pone they did not get zero :D :D :D


loads others.

first time I arranged this I though the young people would hate it :rolleyes: . but no they wanted to learn how to do this stuff or to improve thier score .... and asked for the same class at the next fun show:D

you could do it as placings .. or that all who get a certain range get certain colou rossie

eg 90- 100 % get red
80 - 90% get blue
70 - 80 % get yello

etc . that way eveyone gets a rossie ;)
 
It is absolutely essential that everyone gets a rosette, even the adults! so a careful tally of prizes to be handed out, "special prizes" can be added on at last minute
Wobblies classes for lead rein or nervous children, tiny "jumps", every rider gets a rosette.
 
We had a separate games day, teams of four [or three, but bigger ponies went twice] mixed ability, loads of helpers needed, we had bending and circles at a declared pace, balls in buckets, flags out of cones and into final cone, most were races, so three teams set off at once.
 
wow im excited now...and were so doing the jumping with jelly :)

I love the le trec idea too :) will sort that one out!

I was thinking of a relay race with a crop...we have a huge field thats pretty flat, for the older kids/adults. Do you think thats dangerous? Cos id love to do that sort of stuff (i cant as my mare isnt up to it yet but shes going in a prettiest tail and prettiest mare comp ;) ). I have plenty of "staff" lined up for the day and plenty of rosettes waiting to be ordered.

For an entry fee into each class, how much would you charge?

This will be so much fun!
 
Samantha008 said:
wow im excited now...and were so doing the jumping with jelly :)

I love the le trec idea too :) will sort that one out!

I was thinking of a relay race with a crop...we have a huge field thats pretty flat, for the older kids/adults. Do you think thats dangerous? Cos id love to do that sort of stuff (i cant as my mare isnt up to it yet but shes going in a prettiest tail and prettiest mare comp ;) ). I have plenty of "staff" lined up for the day and plenty of rosettes waiting to be ordered.

For an entry fee into each class, how much would you charge?

This will be so much fun!
Click to expand...
We had pairs jumping, which was a whizz, loads of support from the audience is essential, so best to use a small field or arena.
You could make it £2.50 per entry, in the hope that most people would enter four classes, I think most parents would be happy to spend a tenner, but you have to cater for those with several kids. Or buy three entries at £3.00 get fourth for a £1.00.
The profits should be put towards more facilities, this will help entries.
Remember to order a sash or a few medals for competitions running through the day, eg best turnout, most sporting rider, best under 10's, most helpful helper, the judge of show horses/turnout needs a spray of flowers.
You don't need to have a relay race as such, make it more like TREC, so Control of paces, with penalties for breaking pace, this means younger kiddies can do the walk, and older kids do the trot and so on.
Be aware that some kids will be v nervous, and need extra support.
 
Musical statues is good fun. U just need someone to play music from their car & start off with horses walking round then halting & standing still then increase it to trot! :D
 
For costing - work out how many rosettes you need per class roughly (the more the merrier) and then do the costs from that. I did an all-day show at our yard and eveyrone went home with hundreds of rosettes and we did £10 a rider - everyone was in a team and we had four fun jumpin classes (jelly jumping, ride and run (jump on your horse then run round the course) top score and something else - i forget what-) - obv the higher the placing you get the more points for your team, but you don't have to enter the jumping if you don't want! Then same team for relay gymkhana races in the afternoon (again more jelly!!!).

All proceeds went towards a bbq at the end of the day. Was an amazing day! So yes - don't go overboard on the costs, just lots of fun and work out what you charge from what you are paying out. have a look round at the rosette companies, you can get some really good deals.

good luck!
 
Samantha008 said:
wow im excited now...and were so doing the jumping with jelly :)

I love the le trec idea too :) will sort that one out!

I was thinking of a relay race with a crop...we have a huge field thats pretty flat, for the older kids/adults. Do you think thats dangerous? Cos id love to do that sort of stuff (i cant as my mare isnt up to it yet but shes going in a prettiest tail and prettiest mare comp ;) ). I have plenty of "staff" lined up for the day and plenty of rosettes waiting to be ordered.

!
Click to expand...

glad you like the jelly :-)!! Always a winner with everyone (and if you put the jumps small, it puts everyone on an even keel too!)

oh i forgot to say barebak jumping (or dressage!) too! In fancy dress!!!

For racing - judge it by the people at your yard. personally i'd always be up for this sort of thing but i know lots of the parents at our yard wouldn't let their kids.... boring..... :-)!!!
 
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