How to Organize a Horse Show

Organizing a horse show is a great way to support the local horse community, increase your facility's profits, and/or support a local charity. However it takes a lot of planning.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Things You’ll Need:

• Arena
• Insurance
• Money

Preplanning

1. Determine what kind of event you want to have: a playday, pleasure horse show, dressage show, hunter/jumper show, reining show, etc.
2. Research possible dates for your event. Look at horse events within about 150 miles and look at community events within about 50 miles. Talk to horse clubs whose members may come to your show (4-H, local breed clubs, etc.) and check their calendars.
3. Check to see if your facility is suitable for a show. Is the arena large enough? Do you have someplace you can designate as a warm-up arena? Do you have enough parking for horse trailers? If not, you need to find a facility to rent for the show.
4. Put together your class list, rules, and entry forms. Print up copies to distribute.
5. Check with your insurance policy to see if the event is covered. If not, secure event insurance.
6. Determine how you want to provide concessions. You can hire a catering company to run a concession stand, run it yourself or find a charity willing to run it in exchange for the profits or a donation.
7. Hire a judge.
8. Find an announcer, show steward, ring master, officer workers, gate workers, and other workers. You can probably recruit people to volunteer for many positions, but you may have to pay your announcer, ring master and a few others.
9. Advertise in local horse magazines and newspapers and in the local newspaper. You'll want to advertise over a month ahead of your show so exhibitors can fit your show into their schedule.
10. Hang flyers for your show at tack stores, feed stores, veterinary offices and on community bulletin boards around your town.
11. Order ribbons and any other prizes you want to give out.
12. Order or create back numbers for the exhibitors.
13. Make sure you have all supplies you'll need. This includes tables and chairs for your show office, copies of the class list, rules and entry forms, pens, judging cards, back numbers, ribbons. It also includes jumps, cones, trail obstacles, barrels or whatever your specific classes call for.
14. Make sure the facility is ready. If you need to paint the arena or rent bleachers or port-a-potties, do that several weeks ahead of time.
15. If the facility doesn't have a sound system, rent one.

Day Before the Show

16. Do any last-minute facility clean-up and decorating.
17. Have port-a-potties (if needed) delivered.
18. Have bleachers (if needed) delivered.
19. Make sure you have all your necessary supplies at the arena.
20. Make sure your judge, announcer and other workers have directions to your facility.
21. Set up your show office, any jumps or equipment you'll need for your first class, and set up your parking area.
22. Set up and test the sound system.
23. Get plenty of sleep - you'll need it!

Day of Show

24. Get to the facility 2 to 3 hours before the show starts. Exhibitors will be arriving two hours before before the show starts to warm up their horses.
25. Make sure the arena is ready for the first event.
26. Open the show office so you can check in pre-registered exhibitors and register other exhibitors.
27. 30 minutes before the show, have the announcer welcome everyone to the show and remind them that the show will start in 30 minutes. Have him ask everyone to clear the main arena.
28. Check the main arena to make sure it is ready for the first class.
29. 15 minutes before the show starts, have the announcer remind everyone that the show will start in 15 minutes and that entries in the first class should be getting ready.
30. Show your judge and ring master to the arena. Make sure they have everything they need.
31. Start the show on time.
32. Keep classes running throughout the day, providing at least a 30 minute lunch-break so your judge and ring master can eat and get a drink.
33. Throughout the day, check on your volunteers to make sure they're doing their jobs and see if they need anything. Provide food and drinks to your workers as needed.
34. At the end of the show, have the announcer thank everyone for coming.
35. Clean the facility. If you rented a facility, you want to leave it as clean or cleaner than you found it so you'll be invited back.
36. Thank your judge and workers. Provide them with dinner or offer to take them to dinner.

Tips & Warnings

• If your event is sanctioned by a breed association, you will be required to abide by their rules and to hire judges licensed by them.
• Get parental permission forms signed if you are allowing minors to enter the show.
• Hire an Emergency Medical Technician to be at the show and ensure you have capabilities to call for an ambulance in case of an accident.