What would entice you to a show?

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horses16

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What do you look for in shows? What classes do you enter - are there any you would like to be put on? Is there something different you would like instead of the normal classes? Which show would you go to out of the following

(a) Low entry fee with only rosettes for each class
(b) Low entry fee with rosette for each class plus championship In hand and Ridden
(c) Low entry fee with qualifiers and rosettes only
(d) Slightly higher entry fee with prize money
(e) Slightly higher entry fee with prize money and championship for Ridden & In hand
(f) Higher entry fee with rosettes & trophy to winner
etc please state any idea of your own with suggested entry fee.

What do you like about your current venues?
What do you dislike about your current venues?

Showing and show jumping has hit a slump. Now is your chance to revive it how YOU would like it.

I would like to hear all your thoughts, the good the bad and the ugly.
 
I love going to shows, standing around all day, panicking as classes over lap, getting placed lower than the obese ponies, watching the national winners win every class they enter as they are glory seekers :rolleyes:

Nah, i do enjoy a show if it is well organised and they are strict with who enters. It can be a good day out.

I normally do Best Combination, Best Ridden, Ridden & Inhand M&M.

I HATE messy shows, where there is no warm-up, kids are running wild, people are cantering through people and lack of organisation with classes.

I only do unaffil shows though, and only do about....3 a year? Maybe 4 if our RC do one, as it is normally super and very well run
 
For me there are a few key things that will mean I will return to a show after trying it;

Good parking ( a big added stress if parking is pants )
Good sized warm up
Organised ( not perfect but polite well organised shows where they tell you they are running late, call you through etc)
Variety of jumps if SJ
Good grass surface (not pitted)

Prizes don't worry me at all, in kind, token prizes are more than fine, the rosette is what I like (because I don't get many)

Entry fee's must reflect all of the above.

I am sure peoples opinions will vary though and you can't please everyone! :D
 
Higher entry fee with trophy and rosettes to winner- (as long as its not too high) as it gives you something to aim for and if you do well you have something nice to show for it. If two shows I wanted to go to where on the same day I would go to the one that is the most organized and had the nicest rosettes :)

My faveourite thing about my most local show centre is that I know the secretary quite well and we will often have a chat and if its a quiet show and all the entries are in or if it's the lunch break she will come and sit with us by the trailer and we will have a chat.

The thing I dislike the most is the attitudes of some people in warm up arenas (some people don't know the meaning of a red ribbon and act supprised when horse kicks out as they have got too close- even though I have politely warned them numerous times. I also hate it when people wack warm up jumps far higher than the actual class. I once jumped a pony british novice and a parent was hogging one of the warm up jumps and wacked it up to about 1.20 for an 80cm class. If anyone came near and asked her if it would be ok to put it as a cross pole for a minute as their child had 5 until they had to go in she would yell at them!. I would absolutley love it if warm up arenas could have some sort of jump steward who made sure the warm up jumps didn't go more than 10cm higher than the class.
 
I would absolutley love it if warm up arenas could have some sort of jump steward who made sure the warm up jumps didn't go more than 10cm higher than the class.[/QUOTE]

That has not been mentioned before - what a good idea. It would solve many problems in the warm up.Thank you.
 
Working hunter classes where the judge asks if the horses actually hunt?!! Sorry a real bug bear of mine....

Personally I like shows that:

- Run on time
- Have a variety of classes with a championship
- Nice rosettes but not fussed about trophys at local level
- Separate warm up areas for each discipline
- Judges that give feedback
- Large parking area
- Good catering and toilets
- Central sec's tent (had a 10min walk today!)
- Rings well maintained and big/flat enough to do a gallop

I was saddened today as went to a popular local show that runs monthly to only find a few in each class. My lad was a star and won all his classes but felt it was a little pointless as so few entries, so would be nice to have more horses to compete against!! Sadly maybe a sign of the times, but have definitely noticed a decline in nunmbers over the last few years.
 
I love my local! It's really friendly (It's at my yard, so I know pretty much everyone!) and I personally think it's very well run. The warm-up ring used to get very crazy, but it's been moved to a bigger space and seemed to work well this year. As far as I can see, the showing classes are judged fairly and there doesn't seem to be any of this "only fatties win" rubbish. There's a food van, which is a tad over-priced, but I never eat there (too nervous!).
There's one or two people who spoil the fun (pushy parents, kids galloping up and down) but over all, it's great!!
Only thing I'd change is how we're called in. I really wish they'd put the number of the class on a board or something, as I found I didn't really know where I was! (First time showing in-hand for 10 years!)
 
- Big collecting & jumping ring.
- Prize money doesn't bother me, but like nice rosettes.
- a well made course (with not made up distances!!)
- getting competitors in the ring quickly & not taking forever to alter courses.
- novelty classes : puissance, accumulator, top score etc.
- a nice flat field, or an arena that isn't 4' deep
-judges that know the rules!! :D
 
Oh thought of another!!

As said above, a steward on collecting ring, but to also monitor the amount of riders in it!!
 
I, never having shown would love to have fun classes for the more mature.
Simple driving classes, nice rosettes, sufficient toilets.
I was saddened on Sunday, when a local show at Sunderland appeared to favour a late arrival to a ridden hunter class, unfair to the ones that did jump the course, when the late arrival went off with the red rosette on what seemed to be a lame horse.
This is just an observation as I am not local to the show, was just checking it out for next year
 
Tinap555 said:
-judges that know the rules!! :D
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Judges that have at least passing familiarity with what they're meant to be judging. I'm aware that in a ring where the judge is expected to deal with a variety of classes from M&Ms to SHP they can't be expert in everything and whilst they might specialise in Ladies' hacks, it would be nice if they didn't have to ask competitors what breed their (good example of relatively common native breed) pony is, or indeed what colour said pony is (are they blind?). I've ruled out most shows down here because of these questions :rolleyes:

Also agree with previous comments about ring preparation and suitability - rough, churned up ground if you're running dr or sj is just unacceptable. We have a number of excellent venues locally - good quality, diverse jumping questions, decent course builders, excellent surfaces and you get what you pay for really. I tend to find the biggest variation are at RC and RS-based shows, which I tend to avoid unless I have specific cause to go to one.

It also helps if the organisers are not total knobbers as well. Thinking of a recent experience at a breed enthusiast club-run show who started an "after lunch" session before 12pm and didn't use the show's announcement system to publicise this :confused:
 
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Showing - just a show where the LR pony aiming for hoys isnt paraded round each year with a small child plonked on to try clear up in each class :rolleyes:. Just dont get the pot hunting mentality. Where some thing booted up all round is told that they are incorrectly turned out and a warm up that doesnt have an uneven ground sign at the entrance :eek:. Also when the judge tells the person they pulled in first that their horse was lame on the corners, then tells you you would have won but you won your last class.... erm excuse me at least my horse is sound!

SJ a course built to the level, I dont expect a double with the first part a spread with a nasty filler and the second an unlevel up right as the first fences in a pre novice 2' sj course :mad: clues in the height and name that it should be confidence building. Then the 3' to have a x pole as the first fence :confused:.

Used to love the local RC but they have leveled down all their shows this year so didnt join, sj only goes up to 2'6 and jumping clinics are only about 2'3 which isnt great when your horse makes his own entertainment at that sort of height now.
 
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Have pm'd you but thought of more!!

Big rings for ridden - nothing worse than 12 large m&m's cobs or hunters in a tiny ring!
Good parking
A GOOD TANNOY SYSTEM!!!!

Decent loos, portaloos are fine as long as someone keeps and eye on keeping them clean!!

Good judges from out of the local area if possible!
 
Separate warm up/collecting rings for inhand and ridden classes are a must! I hate taking my youngster to a show to find out the warm up/collecting rings are shared between ridden and in hand. He's fairly inexperienced, has only been out a handful of times, and its not helpful when idiots thunder past practicing their gallop and shouting at us to get out of their way *rolls eyes*. Especially when the "steward" stands there like a wet weekend, can see that its only one div careering round upsetting all of the youngstock waiting for their class and does nothing about it, despite the ensuing chaos of rearing, spinning, bolting babies and several people asking if they would have a word with said numpty!
 
Depends on the level, you cant expect too much from local riding club, but

Times to be shown for classes and stick to them. They do it at the big shows it just means some organisation and the judges to stick to time. I hate waiting for hours and then finding two classes in the ring at the same time. Also hate still being there at 6pm because the judges were so slow.

Decent parking and access

Somewhere to warm up in addition to the collecting ring otherwise it gets silly and dangerous.

Water on site

A decent food van, not all of us want to eat burgers. And good coffee as well :D Ice cream on a hot day.

Keep the kids, prams and dogs out of the horse areas

Actually put on the schedule what the classes are for. i.e. show cob - must be shown hogged and timmed.

Decent size rings, level and good grass

Dont have the same collecting ring for showing and jumping, get dangerous

Boards outside each ring showing which class is in (wouldn't matter if they stuck to time though)

Good judges

And decent toilets



Have to say I love the local agricultural shows because of the WI tent and CHOCOLATE CAKE :D :D
 
Organisation is the biggie for me! The local shows around me are absolutely terrible for organisation, they change rings without announcing it, have incredibly vague class times, over run (by a lot!), never know where your class has disappeared to or what class is currently going on - it's awful! Very stressful as you find yourself hurtling around the showground trying to find the right ring and they very rarely call your name/number to see where you are.

I like judges that are encouraging, who can give you advice on how to improve in a positive way, but who judge fairly.
Prize-wise I'm over the moon if I get a rosette, but do think that the prize should be a little more if the entry fee is higher.

A fun light hearted atmosphere is fab, with friendly stewards - but there don't seem to be any of these around me unfortunately!
 
Fair, honest judges who give useful feedback please! I don't mind coming last if that's the correct place for me and my horse, but I am pretty annoyed when I've made a lot of effort and the judge doesn't even run an eye over my horse, but does spend ten minutes gossiping at the head of the line...
 
starryeyed said:
Organisation is the biggie for me! The local shows around me are absolutely terrible for organisation, they change rings without announcing it, have incredibly vague class times, over run (by a lot!), never know where your class has disappeared to or what class is currently going on - it's awful! Very stressful as you find yourself hurtling around the showground trying to find the right ring and they very rarely call your name/number to see where you are.

I like judges that are encouraging, who can give you advice on how to improve in a positive way, but who judge fairly.
Prize-wise I'm over the moon if I get a rosette, but do think that the prize should be a little more if the entry fee is higher.

A fun light hearted atmosphere is fab, with friendly stewards - but there don't seem to be any of these around me unfortunately!
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This^^ some are just chaotic...maybe a notice board on each ring with class name and approx time - maybe even a chalk board/white board - to allow for the changes.
 
Decent parking (for those of us who are terrified of reversing trailers!)
Decent warm up area - if enough stewards, someone to police kids that just seem to jump the practice jump all day, usually skidding to a stop and churning the take off up!
Reasonable prices - one show is £8 a class, another is £4 a class...
Nice rosette is fine.
I've stopped going to local RC SJ as they use plastic flimsy poles and don't do the best courses..
WH lots of fillers to make the course seem different to SJ.
Making sure novices actually have novices in it! I rejoined my RC this year and was amazed to see someone I used to compete against in opens (and who won) riding in the novice class.
 
Sidney said:
Working hunter classes where the judge asks if the horses actually hunt?!! Sorry a real bug bear of mine....

Personally I like shows that:

- Run on time
- Have a variety of classes with a championship
- Nice rosettes but not fussed about trophys at local level
- Separate warm up areas for each discipline
- Judges that give feedback
- Large parking area
- Good catering and toilets
- Central sec's tent (had a 10min walk today!)
- Rings well maintained and big/flat enough to do a gallop

I was saddened today as went to a popular local show that runs monthly to only find a few in each class. My lad was a star and won all his classes but felt it was a little pointless as so few entries, so would be nice to have more horses to compete against!! Sadly maybe a sign of the times, but have definitely noticed a decline in nunmbers over the last few years.
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Really is a sign of the times which is why I am asking what people want. Thank you for the above it is a very good check list.
 
Nah said:
I love my local! It's really friendly (It's at my yard, so I know pretty much everyone!) and I personally think it's very well run. The warm-up ring used to get very crazy, but it's been moved to a bigger space and seemed to work well this year. As far as I can see, the showing classes are judged fairly and there doesn't seem to be any of this "only fatties win" rubbish. There's a food van, which is a tad over-priced, but I never eat there (too nervous!).
There's one or two people who spoil the fun (pushy parents, kids galloping up and down) but over all, it's great!!
Only thing I'd change is how we're called in. I really wish they'd put the number of the class on a board or something, as I found I didn't really know where I was! (First time showing in-hand for 10 years!)
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From an entrant point of view the class number on a board is a great idea.When I used to show I was always asking what class was on. As an organiser it did not enter my head to address this. It will be now, thank you.
 
I was trying to answer everyone to show my appreciation of your time to answer and show I had read everyone's but I am falling asleep. Thankyou for all your replies which have been noted and will be implemented if not already. I am looking for a new venue after two years at the same one and so it will be good to have a check list when looking - especially for room. Ihad been lucky in that there was room for a warm up ring for each ring as I agree it is dangerous to have ridden and In hand in a warm up ring together.

One of my bug bears is judges. My won't have again is far longer than judges I will have again list.

I was spoilt with toilets and food so this will have to be looked at seriously. I have suddenly realised my hardest job is finding the venue that comes up to scratch!
 
horses16 said:
From an entrant point of view the class number on a board is a great idea.When I used to show I was always asking what class was on. As an organiser it did not enter my head to address this. It will be now, thank you.
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We seem to do it for the 'big' jumping ring, but not for any others. I was in such a flap by the time my class had come around, I would have loved a sign telling me which class it was! The judge had to come and tell me! I was the only one in the class and I was standing right by the ring, so it wasn't a huge deal, but if there had been 10 people in the class and I was no where in sight...it wouldn't have been very good!
 
I went to a local show last weekend and this was certainly not the case 30 people entered in beginners jumping!

I think one thing that makes a difference is not having age restrictions on the classes as with more adults now owning ponies this makes a real difference in entry numbers as more people can join in.

Clear round is always really popular and if this can be run throughout the day not just for one hour in the morning it is a real money spinner. Our RC had both normal and WH clear round going at various points in the day.

Lower entry fees with rossettes only plus entry on the day option - most people are not going to get to a championship and not sure they are actually good for the horses as if your class is a 9am and the championship is at the end of the day the horse is stuck there all day. Maybe also "special rosettes" for the beginners classes so everyone has something to take home and to be encouraged to come again.

Maybe also schedule the classes so perhaps the beginners and pony stuff is mainly in the morning and then the horse stuff in the afternoon so you don't have to be at the show all day to do the classes you want to do. For example don't have the in hand M&M at 9.00am and then the ridden M&M as the last class of the day as people may want to do both but not spend the whole day at the show.
horses16 said:
Showing and show jumping has hit a slump. Now is your chance to revive it how YOU would like it.
.
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I would love there to be senior and junior jumping, or 14.2 and under and over 14.2 because I am sick of going to shows where the jumping classes are divided by jump height only and the horses don't stand a chance of placing against the whizzy little ponies and kids with a win-at-all-costs mentality.
Other than that, my local shows are lovely! Very low key and encouraging for the less experienced. Sporting attitude (cheering everyone on) and our lovely collecting ring steward (organiser's dad :D) who gives out extra rosettes for a good try and lets you continue to have a go after elimination (not to a ridiculous degree, but you're not kicked straight out!)
 
I would also add if you can choose a venue which is within hacking distance of some yards that will help entice those without their own transport to attend and up your entry numbers.
 
I don't show anymore but showjumping wise -

- Large collecting ring
- Food :D
- Toilet
- I prefer lowish entry fees with a rosette although would be nice to get trophy's for higher fee
- quick change over between classes
- Get through people quickly
- Well built course!

Would also be nice to have a collecting ring steward as another poster mentioned above

Not like a show I went to recently that took half an hour to move onto next class!
 
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