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 Extreme Veteran
Posts: 396
 
Location: Iowa | The local NBHA is having a hard time getting girls to attend the races. The races only have 30-50 girls run and we used to have 50-70 girls, our youth is also dwindling significantly. They pay out 80% each race and also have points that count towards year end awards. They are also BBR and Bonus Race approved.
I would love to gather some input to help them out! What drives you to attend a certain barrel race? What do you want out of a barrel race? Do you prefer weeknight or a weekend during the day?
Of course there is always good ground so that is not a concern! Thank you in advance! Cannot wait for everyone's input on how to improve the local NBHA runs!
Edited by Rausch_Jessica 2015-07-17 11:48 AM
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 Experienced Mouse Trapper
Posts: 3106
 
Location: North Dakota | In my area almost every race is considered "the one to go to" however, if there is a non grateful, bragging producer, that is a MAJOR turn off for me and I won't go back especially when a producer looks at my horses papers (to verify age) and says to me in a snotty voice "do you like him??" NOPE...my intent is to torture both the horse and me to prove how dumb he is....
sorry for the rant, just make sure you're gracious, on time and fair. People will come and then tell their friends......
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 Expert
Posts: 1857
| Have the draw posted in a timely manner and start on time!!! |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 432
| Tried to add something to list and messed it up big time - sorry about that! I meant money paid out for the day and not year end award or average money. |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 617
Location: London Ontario | I agree with what has been said but I also like when there are cool prizes. And some of them can be random as well. I have gotten about 500,000 embroidered halters, sheets, etc, but throw in some BOT, Gift cards, etc and count me in! |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 825
| Aside from good ground and well run shows (which should be a given), good added money with reasonable fees and progressive payout will bring folks to shows in my area. However, at an NBHA sanctioned event you have to pay the NBHA payout in those classes, so progressive is out of the question. Other than that I'm not sure what would draw a crowd in your area, we have a rather large district (100ish members) so our smallest shows have anywhere from 70-80 in the Open. Good luck! |
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 Reaching for the stars....
Posts: 12708
| Timely start. Limit the exhibitions to a reasonable number. CHARGE those who go over 60 seconds instead of mouthing the rule and nothing happens. Pay back fairly -- I attended a $50 added 36 entry show, won the 3D, got a check for $140; attended a $1000 added 130 entry show, won the 3D, got a check for $171. Something wrong in that math!! Get the ground good. Nothing worse than ground you know has hurt many horses.
Someone go talk IBRA and NBHA into cooperating to a 1 run Open, pay either or both entry fee. Same with Youth and Senior/Master. I dropped out of IBRA because I got tired of getting home after 1am consistently after leaving home at 5am for the show.
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  Keeper of the King Snake
Posts: 7622
Location: Dubach, LA | NBHA needs to update. The payout they use is less than most producers pay. The random draw at runs fewer than 100 is stupid. The "have to be entered before the first horse runs" rule doesn't work either. |
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Keeper of the King Snake
Posts: 7622
Location: Dubach, LA | In my area, NBHA can't compete with BBR. BBR finals are closer, better payout and prizes, so folks follow the BBR points instead of NBHA. Very few racers that qualified ever made the drive to NBHA finals anyway. |
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Veteran
Posts: 120
| Starting on time is a huge deal for me!! I hate showing up to a race on time and then waiting 30-45 mins after start time waiting for the race to even start! |
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 Take a Picture
Posts: 12841
| FlyingJT - 2015-07-17 11:44 AM
Have the draw posted in a timely manner and start on time!!!
That is important to me too. Have rules well established as to working etc. Keep points up to date and public so everyone can see. I do not go where the points are not publicly displayed. |
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Meanest Teacher!!!
Posts: 8555
Location: sunny california | around here you better have co-sanctions so racers can get qualifications for multiple associations on the same gas tank/run |
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The Resident Destroyer of Liberal Logic
Location: PNW | Added money, practical prizes (BOT wraps, buckets of SNM, etc.), START ON TIME, posted early draw, and then a late draw for those who entered late.
I have to drive two or more hours to any race worth running at (I live in southern Oregon) and so added money that will at least pay back my entry fees/fuel is the most drawing factor for me - all the others are just perks. |
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 A Lady with Fight
Posts: 2701
Location: NC | If it's going to be NBHA sanctioned, you have to offer the money. That's the only thing that will bring people into an NBHA event that normally don't care to run for points. Otherwise they won't really care much about it.
Weekends with big money and good ground. |
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The Advice Guru
Posts: 6419
| You have to consider the economy
A double header may be more beneficial as the racers can then get two runs in for the same fuel.
I would look at entry fee costs and compare to others in the area to make sure the prices is competative.
Perhaps with a double header you can reduce the fees by a few dollars
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 1131
| You about can't pay people to go to NBHA events here in Indiana. They have burnt us several times, so IBRA is huge here. The few events we do have that are NBHA are almost always also IBRA and GBRA. Rarely will NBHA have a show around here without a name on the showbill that hasn't made people mad. haha
Added money really helps too, plus good ground is a must. No one wants to go run and risk hurting their horse for a jackpot. |
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The Advice Guru
Posts: 6419
| Also if it is a possibility to co sanction with another event this may draw others
To have extra side pots will be able to draw in more such as a slot race, a futurity side pot (not sure if nbha already includes this) a 3d pole bending jackpot
Again it is more chances to win more bang for your drive
Edited by cheryl makofka 2015-07-17 10:19 PM
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Expert
Posts: 1611
| MONEY
Added money!
Don't cut exhibitions let em run until your advertised start time and even then push it a lil more and ADD THAT MONEY
Build up your district's account, work hard and get sponsors which is always hard because its usually the same ppl giving year after year, and find the venues with the best facilities that cost the least amount to you.
Get a good ground crew, gate, and sign up ppl. Please have all of these ppl ready and organized!
Also another thing you can do is Calcutta, or give out tickets as ppl pay their gate fee then half way through the show draw out the tickets and give like $50 bucks to whoever gets it...it actually entices random ppl to come watch who aren't running anymore.
If you do a 3 day please remember for these lil shows that ppl work and I'll save my vacation days for big shows unless they lil shows pay a decent amount so remember that when you do your start times.
Our local NBHA has been starting exhibitions at 10 and show at 2 in the middle of this heat. Its lost them ppl! Do it at night when its hot....who cares what time you'll get outta there or if you have to pay an extra $100 on the arena rental you will usually make it back in entries.
One big thing that hurts is NBHA just doesn't pay back local or big. The fees are crazy high and no pay back hardly. |
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Troll Buster
Posts: 6045
| Another thing, make sure the office staff is friendly. The last few races I have gone to around here have had nothing but rude and snarky office staff that make it tough for everyone...
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Miracle in the Making
Posts: 4013
| nicole.b - 2015-07-17 7:18 PM Starting on time is a huge deal for me!! I hate showing up to a race on time and then waiting 30-45 mins after start time waiting for the race to even start!
heck try 2 and 3 hrs here granted i can/t ride anymore but i don/t go anmore as the alweays start 2 and 3 hrs late
they say not before 2pm so maybe around 6 pm they start
hate that |
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 Twin Sister to Queen Boobie
Posts: 13315
Location: East Tennessee but who knows?! | Personally I don't think not starting on time or doing exhibitions early in the day has anything to do with it. We've had about half the entries we used to have for at least the last couple of years through two different directors, different start times, etc.
I know several folks that used to run back when our numbers were high and they're not running anywhere at all. Some of them got out of it completely so I don't think it's a matter of how well a race is run or not run that's keeping people from coming - I think it's a matter of people getting out of it or going on to other disciplines.
Just my thoughts from a business standpoint is that especially on a local level the key to surival is pulling in new blood and new riders. If you can create an environment where a complete novice would feel comfortable to try barrel racing, and then create an environment where they feel encouraged to get more experience regardless of what their experience level is, what kind of horse they're running or what tack they're running in, then I think it would have a good impact on numbers.
If you could offer a couple of extremely low cost clinics through the year that might help. Maybe offer a year end award for a novice rider & novice horse combo, a novice rider award, novice horse award. The truth of the matter is that a lot of people want to run barrels but they don't have the money to go out and buy a horse for barrels -- I think it would be good to encourage those people where they're at.
I will say in order to attract novice riders, the entry fees need to be affordable -- $10-20. The problem is that in order to get optimum ground you've got to pay more for a better facility. You can't charge a $20 entry fee if you're having to pay $1500 for an arena and cover your costs and payback. Used to, people would run on anything because there was nowhere to run. Now if it's not perfect, people will trash a show. It's like anything else -- you get what you pay for. You either pay more entry fee money if you want good ground, or you pay a lower fee and get more mediocre ground. You can't have it both ways.
As far as sanctioning with more than one association, I think that's a good idea and I think it's something that more of them need to be open to and doing. I would love to see our races co-sanctioning with AQHA.
As far as what draws me to a race, I like a big pen. My barrel horse is laid up at the moment but I won't run him in anything but a big pen because he's 16h and needs to learn to free up a little more. Everything else I'm working I don't have that problem with.
Hauling distance, access to good warm up pens, low entry fees are the three things that matter to me because I haul at least 3 extra horses that need work. If they were all running and competing and easy to warm up, then it would be hauling distance, entry fee, and then payback in that order.
As far as day of the week, one day during the weekend is best for me. We have a couple of Friday night races here and I never go because it's impossible to make it between getting off work at 5pm, getting through rush hour traffic, and then hauling an hour away. I only go to a two or three day show at most once a year, or a show that's more than 2 hours away. It's hard to find someone to feed and it's expensive -- usually at least $100 per day with all we have.
Thank you to all the people out there that run shows -- if it weren't for you we wouldn't have anywhere to run. Until you've actually run a show, you have no idea how much it costs, how much time and work it takes, or how little help you get! |
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Industrial Srength Barrel Racer
Posts: 7268
| vjls - 2015-07-18 7:40 PM
nicole.b - 2015-07-17 7:18 PM Starting on time is a huge deal for me!! I hate showing up to a race on time and then waiting 30-45 mins after start time waiting for the race to even start!
heck try 2 and 3 hrs here granted i can/t ride anymore but i don/t go anmore as the alweays start 2 and 3 hrs late
they say not before 2pm so maybe around 6 pm they start
hate that
They do the same thing here. |
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 Lived to tell about it and will never do it again
Posts: 5409
| NBHA fee's compared to payout is horrible. Way to much held out for this and that, by the time you figure what you are running for per division is scary. The main NBHA office is the only ones making any money!
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Boot Detective
Posts: 1900
| Good ground first and foremost.
Added money.
Start on time. People using Lasix need to calculate what time they will run.
Keep office fee's and any other fee's to a minimum.
Limit the # exh's per horse so more people have an opportunity to buy exhibitions. (I want to lose it at shows when people have kids exhibition 6 times or more and go walk or trot through). Time limit of 45 or 60 seconds and enforce it.
Friendly staff and competent announcer. Make people glad they came. Don't treat them like it was their privilege to get to come pay to run at your race.
Decent place to warm up.
I agree the books should NOT close when the first horse runs. If I am late entering I don't want to have to be there before the first horse to enter and then have to sit there for several hours waiting.
If being NBHA sanctioned isn't drawing people in, consider changing to BBR or another association.
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Meanest Teacher!!!
Posts: 8555
Location: sunny california | i like it when they have an early cut off and do an early draw, then a late draw. it allows you to know with plenty of time if you are number 1 out or 67. i hate having to stay saddled up and ready to go and finding out that i am out at 84. also makes it easier to space out multiple horses. Also good for those that have to work before or after the race. |
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 BHW Jr. Cougar of the Year
Posts: 14957
Location: Heart of Texas | Email or texting pre entries does it for me. There has be absolutely no where else to go before I will go to one where you enter there and sit and wait for hours. I'll even drive further to be pre entered. I don't even think NBHA runs down here anymore, so I guess I'm not much help. |
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 Expert
Posts: 2128
| Are you guys promoting your events enough? Are there things going on in conjunction to the shows such as rodeos or other races? Maybe get a local sponsor to add a little extra money...
Good luck! |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 432
| quickdraw - 2015-07-19 2:26 PM Good ground first and foremost. Added money. Start on time. People using Lasix need to calculate what time they will run. Keep office fee's and any other fee's to a minimum. Limit the # exh's per horse so more people have an opportunity to buy exhibitions. (I want to lose it at shows when people have kids exhibition 6 times or more and go walk or trot through). Time limit of 45 or 60 seconds and enforce it. Friendly staff and competent announcer. Make people glad they came. Don't treat them like it was their privilege to get to come pay to run at your race. Decent place to warm up. I agree the books should NOT close when the first horse runs. If I am late entering I don't want to have to be there before the first horse to enter and then have to sit there for several hours waiting. If being NBHA sanctioned isn't drawing people in, consider changing to BBR or another association.
I agree with all of this but especially the highlighted part. I have noticed this attitude from some producers lately and I don't race at their events as much |
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 Born not Made
Posts: 2937
Location: North Dakota | One thing that drives me bananas is when the draw is posted 3 minutes before the race starts ..... and I'm in the first drag. I don't want to get on my horse until I know what number we are and because I know how long he needs to be warmed up. But I can't do that when the drag isn't posted!!!
I've been both a contestant and an announcer and I know how vitally important the announcer's job it. With a good announcer, everyone will know what is going on, what time slot you are on, who should be in the arena, which time slot is coming up, how much longer you can register, when will the draw be posted, when exactly will the race start, order of go, etc etc. It makes the race run so much smoother when the announcer has their stuff together.
There's a race producer about an hour and a half from me but I LOVE going to her races because everything is always very well organized and announced. It runs so smoothly and I appreciate that.
Drives me crazy when producers bash other producers ... and then don't do any better at their own race.
Anywho, I like to go-go-go right now so I'll go to pretty much anything. But if I had to be more selective, I would go to the runs that
1) Well-organized -- getting entered is smooth and quick, things are run on time, the announcer keeps you in the loop
2) Added money -- I don't barrel race to make money, but if you happen to pull a check it is nice that it might actually cover your entry fees and gas.
3) Good ground
If I were you, I would also keep abreast of any other organizations that have events going on. Don't schedule your barrel races on the same days.
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 Extreme Veteran
Posts: 356
| euchee - 2015-07-19 11:16 AM
NBHA fee's compared to payout is horrible. Way to much held out for this and that, by the time you figure what you are running for per division is scary. The main NBHA office is the only ones making any money!
This......I rarely go to an NBHA even if it's cosanctioned due to the fees.
My favorite things to see at a run: double header, allows times to be rolled, minimal fees, good announcer that announces numbers along with riders' names. I have an older horse that is pretty solid, so I almost always roll my time from the first run to the second to save the wear and tear on him. I still love it when it's a double header though, because that gives me two chances at a check with one run!
I've started taking entries the day of via text and Facebook for our series in Oakes. I've gotten great feedback on it, and it makes things way easier on me to get everything in the computer and get the draw done.
Series end awards are popular around here as well.
Finally, I agree with whoever mentioned that making it inviting and not intimidating for new barrel racers is VERY important. |
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Industrial Srength Barrel Racer
Posts: 7268
| T-Zip - 2015-07-19 4:38 PM
Email or texting pre entries does it for me. There has be absolutely no where else to go before I will go to one where you enter there and sit and wait for hours. I'll even drive further to be pre entered. I don't even think NBHA runs down here anymore, so I guess I'm not much help.
This is why I have just about quit hauling. I am just too danged busy to SIT.ALL.DAY.LONG. at a race to make one run. |
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 Shelter Dog Lover
Posts: 10277
| T-Zip - 2015-07-19 4:38 PM Email or texting pre entries does it for me. There has be absolutely no where else to go before I will go to one where you enter there and sit and wait for hours. I'll even drive further to be pre entered. I don't even think NBHA runs down here anymore, so I guess I'm not much help.
Ditto, I am over getting there when the books open to get my 3 horses runs spread apart and then sitting for hours waiting for the race to start. |
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Expert
Posts: 2531
Location: WI | I voted for added money. Maybe you could reach out to some of the people that aren't coming anymore and ask them for feedback?? Weeknight races are hard for me to get to, and the weekends get booked pretty fast with the larger 3 day shows.
But, like last week - I needed to get a run in since I had wedding stuff all weekend. There was a Thurs night or Friday night about the same distance away, I chose the Friday night show for 2 reasons: I didn't have to worry about work the next day and they had $400 added. |
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 Expert
Posts: 3815
Location: The best kept secret in TX | I have never ran NBHA because the payouts just don't make it worth the drive for me. The fees and everything that is withheld for whatever reason MIGHT make me break even...
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Heck, I remember getting an iHop gift card with my check when I was little and I thought it was coolest thing as a prize. Took the whole family to dinner that night on it after me and my mare ran. LOL
Of course I got a halter and polos and crap that I never used, but by Golly those pancakes were so good at 2am!!  |
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 Expert
Posts: 1304
| I agree with that as well. I went to a show with my friend just to go over and stop by (10 min from us) because we heard the ground was bad...and it was BAD. No lie, looked like a pig pen/sloppy cow lot. It was so bad that the tractor got stuck and they had to pull the tractor out!! So one, good ground is important. The man running the show, granted was old and needs to retire, but said "hey you don't have to run here" when people told him the ground was too dangerous. The place this was at literally looked like a cow pasture as well, it wasn't mowed at all with grass up to your knees and it was just a mess. Luckily the IBRA state directors were notified and the IBRA classes were canceled. Regardless, that was a nightmare and I just don't know how some people could operate like that! |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 316
| Honestly NBHA numbers have been dwindling down everywhere besides in the south where they have major added money. The reason is because the national office tend to take a lot of the producers money causing them to charge high fees. (This is what I was told by a friend that puts on NBHA runs) Personally I like the independent runs that are co-sanctioned with WPRA, BBR bonus finals, etc. Added money and advertising on Facebook by more than one source will get the word out. Trying to find a weekend that doesn't have major events around your area will help out too. |
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How to get more attendees? Advice!