Prices for so many things have gone up. No one gets rich holding a live show - at best, a show will pay its expenses and we’re really impressed if a show can raise a modest amount of money for a charity.

Halls are getting more expensive both in raw and total cost. Showholders take a risk that they will sink significant amounts of money in on top of the many hours of work.

When I am budgeting a show, I’m looking at total estimated cost, which includes travel, hotel, rental car, and transport which well dwarf the entry fees on even the most local show I attend. (Gas alone is more than my entry fee to the nearest show to me.) At times, I also consider if there’s a possibility for sales (or judging perks) to offset those costs.

Do you consider the total cost when you’re planning? Will you attend a more expensive show if for example a more expensive hall makes your other travel expenses more affordable?

  • elaineOPMAEnglish
    2·
    3 months ago

    I think it’s really interesting to have classlists that change, and it’s something a showholder can do to freshen up a show that might otherwise feel ‘routine’ for zero cost.

    When shows start to feel routine, I think some entrants take them for granted… it will be just like the last show, there will always be another.

    Not every show has to offer every class or every division, and giving people a reason to bring out horses they don’t usually bring can be a way to increase engagement. I love the idea of offering era divisions for OF Plastic or really any division; customs and resins benefit from them too. Most of us have pieces in our collections that are either not competitive or are too much trouble to bring, but a class just for them changes the calculation.

    And sharing the old pieces can be really fun! That oldest custom you have in your collection, or a horse that won everything back when it was new, and suddenly you can bring him out for everyone to see again. I loved bringing out my very first custom, a running mare repainted bay appaloosa in Testor’s enamels, to the Jennifer Show, with her story.

    I love seeing people have fun with performance classlists too! Candyland Live with its Everything Pink class, that’s just delightful. It’s fun to come up with an entry and so fun to see what other people will do.