Do you think you’re paying too much to show your horse? Read on to find out where your money really goes the day of the show

Betsy Burnett of Jeffersonton, VA, was born into a horse-oriented family some 60 years ago. Back then, she didn’t go to shows with specific goals.

Instead, she explains, “Pony clubbers, including myself, would show locally and, although competitive, shows were social gatherings.” Devon, Harrisburg, Madison Square Garden – even the big venues had a small-town feel.

Today, Burnett serves as the vice president of the Old People’s Riding Club (OPRC), a nationwide all-discipline group for adult riders. She is also president of the OPRC’s Piedmont chapter. Her love of horses and riding hasn’t changed, she says.

But horse shows have changed. Competitors have specialized horses. They have expectations. They have horse-showing budgets. And when things don’t go well, they have complaints.

Big Shows, Big Profits?

Complaints come with horse showing, Cindy Clinton says. Clinton, of Lewisburg, Ohio, manages several Class A Arabian and National Show Horse shows throughout the Midwest.

“I love what I do,” she says. But it’s easy for exhibitors to complain about a show without realizing what goes into it. One of the biggest complaints is about the expense. Why does everything cost so much?

Clinton laughs. It costs so much to show because it costs so much to put on the top-notch show exhibitors want, she says. “I wish I could do them more reasonably priced!”

Expenses take a big bite out of exhibitors’ entry money. Even the legendary Buckeye Arabian show in Columbus, Ohio, has been known to make only about $5,000 or less in profit, she says. That’s a fraction of what is needed to start planning the next year’s show.

The costs of any horse show can be divided into three areas: facilities, preparation and competition.

Facilities

The first thing an exhibitor is likely to notice at a big horse show are the stalls: their condition, size and flooring. An exhibitor who wants to save money sometimes asks why he needs to pay for stalls if his horses will tie to the trailer.

Often, Cindy Clinton says, “It’s the facility that doesn’t allow exhibitors to show out of the trailer.”

The bedding that goes in those stalls can be pricey, too. Cindy notes, “Show managers usually have no control over shavings for stalls as the bigger facilities usually have it contracted out,” so you have to go with what’s available or bring your own.

Show ring footing is another expense. Clinton says she tries to save some money by using the base footing left by the All-American Youth Horse Show, but “[youth show exhibitors] like really deep footing: eight to ten inches of deep sand. That will not work with our exhibitors. We remove it and put it in the outdoor ring then mix it with additional footing that we bring in for that ring also. We have to bring in footing for three rings at Buckeye. What the facility provides is not acceptable to our exhibitors.”

She tries to cut other costs by relying, when possible, on volunteers instead of paid staff. “They enjoy it,” she says. “It’s the love of the horse that makes them do it.”

Because the United States Equestrian Foundation (USEF) sanctions many of her shows, though, rules apply there, too. Something as simple as closing a show ring gate a few seconds early can wreak havoc with exhibitors.

Preparation

Once the horses are settled into a new facility, the next place an exhibitor visits is the show office. But while show secretaries were once volunteers, today’s show secretaries are paid professionals who do more than register exhibitors or hand out exhibitor numbers. They verify rules and continue working well after the show ends, ensuring all paperwork is submitted correctly to the sanctioning groups within strict post-show timelines. 

If an exhibitor’s horse throws a shoe, a farrier is probably on the grounds to reset it. If someone’s horse feels colicky after a long haul, a veterinarian is on call to treat it. And if an exhibitor gets sick or hurt, a paramedic is there to help. These professionals don’t donate their time; the show pays them to be on the grounds or available on short notice.

If the show has a vendors’ area, an exhibitor may wander the aisles looking for a souvenir. It’s easy to forget that when vendor hours end, a show manager provides paid security overnight until the shops open the next day.

Competition

After stabling the horses and visiting the show office, an exhibitor focuses on one thing: getting ready for competition.

He barely sees the person opening and closing the gates in and out of the show ring. He appreciates hearing live music during the class but probably doesn’t stop to consider that a musician needs to be paid to do it. And he may notice the ringmaster comparing the horses to the show secretary’s list of paid entries, but he may not realize that’s a ringmaster’s job for every class, all day long – on top of giving directions, delivering messages and sometimes catching a loose horse or helping a fallen rider. “The ringmaster does more running than anyone,” Cindy Clinton notes.

All this work comes down to the few minutes in the ring when the judge evaluates the horses. Contracting judges for a big show is tougher than it sounds, especially for specialty classes.

Take carriage driving, for example. “Even if I only have two or three entries per class, I have to pay a judge for the whole day,” Cindy Clinton explains. For a regional championship show, she hires up to 12 judges. In addition to their judging fees, the show covers their transportation and lodging costs.

Local Shows

The costs that Cindy Clinton lists are typical for large-scale shows, but what about smaller or lower-level shows?

One of the first decisions a show manager makes is where to hold the show and whether the show will be indoors or outdoors.

An outdoor facility without stabling is affordable – perhaps only $300 for one day – but weather is a huge factor. If it rains and the show has a “rain or shine” policy, few exhibitors will attend. If the show instead reschedules, it can be tough to find a new show date, even if the facility offers it free of charge and the judge is available.

Private stables sometimes offer schooling shows on their grounds. They can be good entry-level venues, but they are seldom prepared for a large number of outside trucks, trailers and horses.

Another difference between large and small shows? The role volunteers play at every level of responsibility. That’s something Diana Cullum of Woodbine, MD, knows all about.

Long-term Commitments

Diana Cullum has been a 4-H volunteer in Howard County for more than 35 years. A lifelong horseperson, she started volunteering at the 4-H club level along with one of her friends. Later she managed open shows; today she coordinates the state 4-H dressage show and combined test.

Because the state Extension program provides the show’s facilities and she volunteers her time, Cullum says, the biggest cost of the state show is the judge’s fee. It’s something she considers carefully. “The judges I get are very good at working with youth.”

One of the ways Cullum lowers expenses is by making sure show dates are not listed on her ribbons so she can save unused ribbons for next year’s show. Keeping expenses low allows more young riders to participate – even western riders who are welcome to try dressage at the show.

“We try to keep 4-H as a learning experience,” Cullum says. “Some people come with backyard horses. Others come with professionally trained horses. We have a wide range of types of people.”

Spoiled?

Big or small, horse shows are growing more complex. If you’re trying to lower showing expenses, start by following the rules so fewer people are paid to enforce them. Sponsor a class or volunteer for a couple hours (and be nice to the volunteers who work with or for you). Maybe lower your expectations a little, too. Did your horse really lose that class because the footing was less than perfect, or did he just have an off day?

Although it’s exciting to show at the top levels, it comes with a price. In some ways, Cindy Clinton says, “I think we’re a little spoiled.”

Your Horse Show Dollar

It adds up fast, but where does your horse show dollar go?

Money-wise, the biggest difference between a small show and a big show is the facility.

For a small show, your dollar may be divided equally between the facility, the judge’s fee and the cost of awards – about 33 cents each.

For a big show, the facility may account for up to 80 cents of your horse show dollar. The judge’s fee is about 10 cents. Awards, sanctioning organization fees and miscellaneous expenses like bedding, surface footing and incidental costs make up the remaining 10 cents.

Entries vs. Expenses

What seems like a “nickel and dime” scheme to exhibitors is often a show manager’s need to cover expenses.

A conservative one-day outdoor show, for example, may cost $1,000. If the show offers 30 classes, each class needs to bring in about $34 to break even. At an entry fee of $5, that means an average of seven exhibitors per class to break even.

It’s tougher for a big show with a budget that can exceed $100,000. If the show offers 200 classes, each class needs to bring in about $500 to break even. At an entry fee of $25, the show needs an average of 20 exhibitors per class to break even. This explains surcharges on things like stalls, bedding and golf carts.

Photo: Mystical Photography