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 Regular
Posts: 65
Location: south GA | I lurk more than post, but this just rubbed me the wrong way....
Just some background before I begin....I am secretary for a local saddle club and we hold an open show monthly except for summer months. Classes at these shows range from halter, pony (walk trot, western pleasure, sms, speed), western pleasure, english, gaited, and speed. Walk trot, western pleasure and speed classes are our money making classes. (We only have ONE pony in pleasure and maybe 4 in speed, one or two gaited horses once in a blue moon, and either none or just a couple english exhibitors)
We recently got a few people together who wanted to sponsor buckles at one of our shows for a youth and adult western high point and a youth and adult speed high point, so 4 buckles total. Question is.... If you had a child who showed a pony or if you showed english or gaited would you feel left out to the point of pitching a fit about it on social media? The english person's spiff was that it's not a true high point if we didn't include english, well no but we are doing a WESTERN high point. The whole point of the show was to get some people who were not members in and hopefully get them to join next season, but I feel like this may do the opposite with the bickering on facebook. Personally, I feel like if I put up money for an award for a show and am able to pick where I want that award to go then that is my right as a sponsor.
Am I wrong?
I kind of just want to tell the complainers if you don't like it then don't haul to the show because you just can't please everyone. |
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 Dog Resuce Agent
Posts: 3459
  
Location: southeast Texas | Now days seems like the squeaky wheels are more and more.
Id tell them, in a dripping sugary sweet tone, "Oh honey, that is a marvelous idea. I'm so glad you volunteered to get a sponsor for that class. How wonderful. " |
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  Snake Charmer
Posts: 1632
Location: Texas | As a barrel racing secretary myself, you are not in the wrong. You can't please every one, and sure can't go to the expense of buying buckles for classes that don't fill. |
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 Fact Checker
Posts: 16575
Location: Displaced Iowegian | You know....IF I came to your shows and participated all of the time and, while there, I spent money on entries, eat shack, etc ....yes, I would be a little "miffed" that "my" classes were purposely left out of the high point..... JMO
edited to add.....if you don't want to "include" all of your participants, then do away with those classes....
Edited by NJJ 2015-01-27 12:48 PM
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 Expert
Posts: 1857
| NJJ - 2015-01-27 12:44 PM
You know....IF I came to your shows and participated all of the time and, while there, I spent money on entries, eat shack, etc ....yes, I would be a little "miffed" that "my" classes were purposely left out of the high point..... JMO
I agree! |
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 Twin Sister to Queen Boobie
Posts: 13315
Location: East Tennessee but who knows?! | I have run shows and now judge shows....you specified western so I don't see what the rub is. If it was a general high point and English or gaited was excluded then, yes.
Besides, the sponsors pay the money and they can decide what classes and divisions the money can go towards. Tell them they want high point, get sponsors.
If it were me, I would put a western saddle on my English or gaited pony and have at it! It's a schooling show!
For whatever reason, I have found time and time again that the gaited community will gripe and moan about nothing. I've gotten literally cussed in front of everyone by a speed racking contestant at a two bit small open show with 3 entries because I didn't place him first for horrendous ring etiquette . That's not the only time something like that has happened. For whatever reason, other disciplines have more class even if they're completely put out with a judge.
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 746
Location: Missouri | FlyingJT - 2015-01-27 12:45 PM
NJJ - 2015-01-27 12:44 PM
You know....IF I came to your shows and participated all of the time and, while there, I spent money on entries, eat shack, etc ....yes, I would be a little "miffed" that "my" classes were purposely left out of the high point..... JMO
I agree!
Although, you are not going to be able to please everyone. I have to agree with this. |
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Regular
Posts: 65
Location: south GA | Hind sight is 50/50 and if we do this next year we definitely will have a different showbill. But this go around we are also counting this show for the members year end awards points, if we do this next season it will not count towards points for anything other than the day's high point. But another thing is...it is hard to know what your members want when they never show up at club meetings to know what is going on and to voice their opinion. Feeling in the dark while trying to do something nice and different really stinks. |
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 To the Left
Posts: 1865
Location: Florida | A good way around this is to count all classes, but, if there are only 3 entries, first place gets only 3 points. One entry, 1 point etc. That way the english is included and it will increase participation in those small classes because some may enter just to get that 1 or 2 more points. You will make more money that way.
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The Advice Guru
Posts: 6419
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I would also explain to her on Facebook politically correct, that this is where the sponsors chose to have the buckles placed, and if she would like an English high point buckle, she can either donate said amount of dollars, or find a sponsor to do the same. I would go into detail on what the sponsor can expect regarding coverage if they choose to donate |
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Regular
Posts: 65
Location: south GA | We are using the sliding scale based on entries. I could see where some of the people were coming from, but not the western pony when this lady's daughter is the only one that has a pleasure pony and they may or may not show up on that day.
This is already helping my planning for next year if we do a show like this.... |
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The Advice Guru
Posts: 6419
| NJJ - 2015-01-27 12:44 PM
You know....IF I came to your shows and participated all of the time and, while there, I spent money on entries, eat shack, etc ....yes, I would be a little "miffed" that "my" classes were purposely left out of the high point..... JMO
edited to add.....if you don't want to "include" all of your participants, then do away with those classes....
So how would you tell a sponsor, that you will not accept his money/prizes for the said classes? |
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 Neat Freak
Posts: 11216
Location: Wonderful Wyoming | Tell them to sponser the buckle or trophy themselves...then advertise that these awards are offered to draw in more participation. I am on the Wyoming Quarter Horse Board and am trying like heck to get more than a couple barrel racers to show up. We can't put on a 4D/AQHA barrels so I am going to sponser a open and amatuer barrel racing buckle. The reiners do it at this same show, none of the halter or pleasure people grumbled. So that is that. It's just not cost effective for you to buy a buckle for the one person... |
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Veteran
Posts: 238
| I would just let them know that you are actively seeking sponsors for other high points and they may be added on if a sponsor can be found that wants to sponsor that particular award. If she has any contacts, as a club member, it would be great if she would help to get them on board! |
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 Veteran
Posts: 275
| Turnin3GA - 2015-01-27 1:02 PM
Hind sight is 50/50 and if we do this next year we definitely will have a different showbill. But this go around we are also counting this show for the members year end awards points, if we do this next season it will not count towards points for anything other than the day's high point. But another thing is...it is hard to know what your members want when they never show up at club meetings to know what is going on and to voice their opinion. Feeling in the dark while trying to do something nice and different really stinks.
I feel your pain about the club meetings. I have been secretary of our saddle club for the last 3 years. The people that complain the loudest are the ones who never show up to meetings. Their input would be greatly appreciated at meetings...the day of the show or event, not so much when it's just how we are doing it wrong.
I can understand the complaint about the exclusions. We dealt with that as well, but ended up dropping the classes that didn't always draw enough entries. |
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 Expert
Posts: 4121
Location: SE Louisiana | You can please some of the people all of the time, you can please all of the people some of the time, but you can’t please all of the people all of the time. |
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Fact Checker
Posts: 16575
Location: Displaced Iowegian | cheryl makofka - 2015-01-27 1:16 PM NJJ - 2015-01-27 12:44 PM You know....IF I came to your shows and participated all of the time and, while there, I spent money on entries, eat shack, etc ....yes, I would be a little "miffed" that "my" classes were purposely left out of the high point..... JMO
edited to add.....if you don't want to "include" all of your participants, then do away with those classes....
So how would you tell a sponsor, that you will not accept his money/prizes for the said classes?
This statement tells me that they PURPOSELY wanted to leave out people......
We recently got a few people together who wanted to sponsor buckles
Did they invite "those" people????? Instead of excluding, perhaps they should have worked harder to "include".....basically from reading her posts, they don't REALLY care if they get more entries in those classes and p*ffing them off gives them a good excuse to delete the classes......
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Neat Freak
Posts: 11216
Location: Wonderful Wyoming | NJJ - 2015-01-27 1:17 PM cheryl makofka - 2015-01-27 1:16 PM NJJ - 2015-01-27 12:44 PM You know....IF I came to your shows and participated all of the time and, while there, I spent money on entries, eat shack, etc ....yes, I would be a little "miffed" that "my" classes were purposely left out of the high point..... JMO
edited to add.....if you don't want to "include" all of your participants, then do away with those classes....
So how would you tell a sponsor, that you will not accept his money/prizes for the said classes? who wanted to sponsor buckles
Did they invite "those" people????? Instead of excluding, perhaps they should have worked harder to "include".....basically from reading her posts, they don't REALLY care if they get more entries in those classes and p*ffing them off gives them a good excuse to delete the classes......
From what I understand hardly anyone shows up to the meetings. As someone that goes to a lot of open shows when I have a horse that can do all around, I rarely go to meetings. They are usually too far for me to drive for 1 hr. However I am not the one *****ing and moaning when things aren't quite how I prefer. I find out entries and prizes before I ever leave my home. So if these same people complaining about the prizes are the same that are meeting no shows, they don't really have a foot to stand on. Show up to meetings to get your opinion heard. |
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The Advice Guru
Posts: 6419
| NJJ - 2015-01-27 2:17 PM
cheryl makofka - 2015-01-27 1:16 PM NJJ - 2015-01-27 12:44 PM You know....IF I came to your shows and participated all of the time and, while there, I spent money on entries, eat shack, etc ....yes, I would be a little "miffed" that "my" classes were purposely left out of the high point..... JMO
edited to add.....if you don't want to "include" all of your participants, then do away with those classes....
So how would you tell a sponsor, that you will not accept his money/prizes for the said classes? who wanted to sponsor buckles Did they invite "those" people????? Instead of excluding, perhaps they should have worked harder to "include".....basically from reading her posts, they don't REALLY care if they get more entries in those classes and p*ffing them off gives them a good excuse to delete the classes......
Have you ever tried I get sponsors?
I think it is great they went out pounded the pavement and got a few people together to sponsor.
Especially in this economy it is hard to get sponsors, we have already had a 22,000 added money jackpot cancel for 2015.
It is a lot of time and effort to get sponsors, and sadly the ones who get ****y are in general are the ones who have never sought out sponsorships and/or have never put on an event
If the sponsors are competitors, they may have specified where the buckle was going, as I said again if this is the case, are you going to dictate to the sponsor where his money is going and if he doesn't like it he can take his sponsorship elsewhere ?
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 Miss Laundry Misshap
Posts: 5271
| NJJ - 2015-01-27 12:44 PM You know....IF I came to your shows and participated all of the time and, while there, I spent money on entries, eat shack, etc ....yes, I would be a little "miffed" that "my" classes were purposely left out of the high point..... JMO
edited to add.....if you don't want to "include" all of your participants, then do away with those classes....
I agree with this.
ALSO....I would simply make it an overall high point, tack excluded in the rules. If someone wants to run barrels in an english saddle to try to get points, go for it. We have people do this some around here. No one seems to care. Then they aren't excluded. |
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The Advice Guru
Posts: 6419
| Nateracer - 2015-01-27 3:21 PM
NJJ - 2015-01-27 12:44 PM You know....IF I came to your shows and participated all of the time and, while there, I spent money on entries, eat shack, etc ....yes, I would be a little "miffed" that "my" classes were purposely left out of the high point..... JMO
edited to add.....if you don't want to "include" all of your participants, then do away with those classes....
I agree with this.
ALSO....I would simply make it an overall high point, tack excluded in the rules. If someone wants to run barrels in an english saddle to try to get points, go for it. We have people do this some around here. No one seems to care. Then they aren't excluded.
Barrel racing in an English saddle most show rules will not allow this. |
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Hate to vent....but horse show issue...long