Need some help

[nenmrancher]

I am on our local fairboard and we had a person quit on us. This lady was incharge of the horse shows, and we have found lots of people who said they would help but no one wants to be in charge. So for now to keep things going I have been asked to step in and get things ready for our spring show on May 12th with the idea being that the board would find someone to take over hopefully before then and if not then at least by fair time in August. My problem is that I have no clue about how to set up a horse show. Anyone out there with any know how or experience I would be forever gratefull for any advice or knowledge that you would care to pass on.

Thanks in advance for any help.

 

[the_jersey_lilly_2000]

Hopefully your fairboard already has a rulebook for the fair already printed up and all the 4H members have one. That would be a big help.

We always have a mandatory horse meeting. Those that are plannin on competin in any horse event, are required to bring their coggins and registration papers ( if horse is reg) to this meeting. They fill out any and all entry forms, and pay their entry fees at this time. Our meetin is next tuesday. OUr fair is the beginnin of June. This gives them time to lay it all out with the contestants numbers and stuff before hand.

As far as actually settin up the events, depends on what events you have, and measurin the arena out and settin it up, timers set up etc. I'd try like all git out to find someone that has helped in the past.

 

[Anonymous]

Been a few years since I worked with the 4-H Fair show- but I think we set things up based on the AQHA rule book pretty much...
Check with your state organization and see if they have a set event list that has to be offered...Here they had the required events (western pleasure, halter, trail course, etc. etc.) all in one day- then had a fun day for the kids where they offered breakaway roping, a steeplechase, barrels, a ranch horse competition (like team penning, but not timed-judged on how easily and quietly a horse could go in and cut out prenumbered steers) and a whole bunch more (whatever the kids wanted)...

Also get with your Judge(s) right away and figure out what he/she wants and wants done....

 

[nenmrancher]

Well so far we have gotten the entry forms out, we are using our state 4H rules and have the AQHA rule books ordered as the 4H rules reference and use AQHA rules as well. Still have to find a judge, get letters out to sponsors, find someone to work the arena, order a few ribbons to replace what was used last year and who knows what else will pop up. I hope I have things under control for a while but I sure will be glad when they find someone to take over permantly.

 

[the_jersey_lilly_2000]

Alot of our prizes awarded the night of the Rodeo, are from local businesses. Mostly feed stores. Surrounding towns in our county all donate things. They give feed buckets with horse brushes...halters, lead ropes, stuff like that. Then at the Main Auction when the kids sell their animals, the Fair Association gives out awards too, buckles, halters with our fair assoc. name and year. Those items are donated as well. I've found when out beatin the bushes for donations, I get way more if I go in person than if I send letters out. Local business that don't have anything really related to agriculture will usually sponsor a buckle or some other prize. And of course it always helps for the kids that recieve those prizes to send those businesses a thank you card......almost guarantees that company will sponsor the next year.
Tractor Supply is really good about donatin stuff for Fair, FFA, anything that has to do with kids.
Some of our Judges are previous 4H and FFA, members. You might ask around, or go back in the Fair association history and find a few names of kids that done well in certain areas of the horse part, and ask if they'd like to come back and help out.

 

[nenmrancher]

I know what you mean about geting more in person than just by a letter Lilly. I am using the letter as a introduction and I have a couple of young ladies who volunteered to follow up the letter with a personal visit, and it is very hard for anyone to say no to this pair of young ladies when they get started. As for the judge the biggest problem I am finding is that all the people that are on our list so far are already booked or are just plain unavailable. But I think I have a couple of local folk that might be able to do it and could be talked into doing it.