The Jennifer Show was just amazing for me. The competition was fierce, the company was spectacular, and the day after the show I got to go on a fabulous trail ride in the Rockies with some of my favorite people. I loved the performance challenge and seeing the creativity. The depth of the performance classes was just incredible. I loved that every entrant got two medallions -one to keep and one to give away to the thing at the show that they most loved, whatever it was.

And I had fun making an original sheep sculpture to compete in the other animal performance. The special performance challenge day was so good with wonderful fun prizes, and Jen Buxton did a wonderful job of collecting fun prizes and then distributing them appropriately in ways they would be enjoyed.

I also made a weird rider for my dinosaur that is still sitting right here on my desk.

I kind of had to move heaven and earth to make that show happen for me, and I’m so glad that I did. What a great time that was.

So far, I have not done any “destination shows” outside of BFL/NAN, unless you count regional championships (we have in the past had a number of folks from out of region attend, but the show format has also varied and in most recent editions, has been heavily weighted to champ classes for already qualified horses). I would consider this type of show to be defined by:

• Either a very large, all encompassing show offering lots of divisions (i.e. NAN, BFL, EQ) or one that is large because it offers a deep dive into a certain category (All breakables, All performance, etc. - Jennifer Show counts here)
• The show is held at an appropriately sized venue that either offers onsite stay or a very close by host hotel (bonus points if it’s close enough to an airport that folks flying in have an easy time navigating there)
• At least a few of the judges are recruited from out of region and are hand selected as experts in their topic
• Awards/stakes of the show feel higher caliber whether through how fancy they are or they may be of particular interest to entrants (such as Anise resin, partnerships with artists or brands, etc.)
• Whether through class list format or other show activities/structure, the event strives to be innovative enough to draw wide attention
• There may be a secondary event paired along with the show, such a swap meet or workshop which offers participants added value
• Show holder(s) make a targeted effort to market their event towards other regions and do so far enough in advance
• Ideally, for those traveling with family or taking a road trip to get there, I’d expect a decent amount of non-hobby amusement in the vicinity

I’m not really in a position to do a lot of travel outside of my region or the directly adjacent areas, at least not in terms of having the flexibility of planning for a big trip, for the time being. But I do enjoy the idea of destination shows and with only a few major hobby events during the year, adding a few more opportunities for folks with the means and time to travel and see friends is always great!