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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 825
  
| How are these done in your area? Cost? What do you like/dislike the most about them?
We can't seem to find the best system for exhibitions at our shows. We usually do $5 each and sign up at a number and go down the list. We do not take call-ins ahead of time. But that doesn't stop people from signing other folks up. Usually take 150 then 50 on a wish list and then pay at the gate as time allows.
Our folks here HATE pay at the gate because they hate waiting in line forever. So I'm just curious as to any other systems out there? Strictly call-ins for expos? Limiting expos per person? Scratching no shows and still requiring payment? Would like to hear what works for everyone else. |
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 Thick and Wavy
Posts: 6102
 
Location: Nebraska | Around here they only allow exhibitions if youre entered for so many months a year. Then you have to pre enter and if those spots don't sell then you can buy on site. If you pre enter and don't show, you still have to pay. You're also limited to either 5 or 8 exhibitions. I personally think it is stupid to not be allowed to exhibition unless you're entered. I get the time constraint thing but it was bad enough when it was pre enter only and they'd sell out like 4 days in advance. That's just for local races. |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 889
Location: on the fine line between insanity and geniusness | A lot of places here pre-sell them. My favorites are run in time slots, you buy so many between say 9-9:30. They only sell so many per slot and you just check in as you go in and they mark you off the list for that time slot... once it is passed- if you didn’t get your number in tough luck!! I like them because usually it’s easy to get them in the early slots, everyone wants those few right before the barrel race starts. Also, for people that have multiple horses and colts to exhibition- it gives you the opportunity to space them out to where you aren’t killing yourself to ride more than one horse. |
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Married to a Louie Lover
Posts: 3303
| Couple different methods around here
1. Open sessions - 25 minutes sessions, 10 horses per session $10/horse. As many times through as you want/can get while being polite to the other 9 horses in the ring. Usually pop up barrels and always off the stakes. Drag in between sets. I’ve not seen these sold ahead of time unless it’s at the office Friday night for Saturday morning sessions and the bigger events limit how many 1 person can buy. Great for producers because they don’t need to staff people at the gate.
2. Selling tickets. Only x# of tickets sold, 60 second time limit. Metal barrels, on the stakes, timer runs. Drag every so often. Cost is usually $5/ticket at the office, if you don’t use your ticket too bad so sad. Again, I haven’t seen them sold in advance. Still have to get on the list at the gate, but I’ve never seen a terribly long line.
3. Collecting money at the gate. The smaller jackpots around here still do this, usually the office is busy with entries but I’ve seen them also sell tickets too so you can just pay for everything up front - but you still have to give your ticket to the gate person and get on the list, which tends to be long. No limit to how many they sell just a cutoff time to buy - tends to make events start late but is also pure profit for smaller producers and saddle clubs that put on the jackpot.
The big races around here do both #1 and #2. |
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 Shelter Dog Lover
Posts: 10277
| Our local organization use to pre sell tickets if you are a member, no time slots, use whenever you want. We switched to no pre sell, cash at the gate, $5 each, seems to be working good. 60 second time limit/exhibition. Most in this area are doing cash at the gate. Big races will pre sell and have time slots-10:00 page, 10:30 page etc
Edited by rodeomom3 2017-10-03 8:43 AM
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 883
Location: Southern Indiana | Most places just have a sheet. You pick your spots and pay at the entry office. It keeps things moving and you know where your at and can give yourself time to swap horses. Big shows usually have the sheets but in time slots.
I agree the pay at the gate is a disaster. Too many people in the way and not knowing when to go. It just drags things out. I don't understand why people go so nuts over trainers but some sure do make a big deal over them. Personally if you want them then you should have to get there and get them. If not that's your own problem lol not saying I haven't bought some for friends before but I don't think people should get bent out of shape when they don't get them because they weren't there in time. |
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 It Goes On
Posts: 2262
Location: Muskogee, OK | The method I've found that seems to work the best is when they have sign up sheets, and each sheet they give a time range. Example: Sheet 1 is from 6:00-6:30. In my opinion these always work the smoothest. First come first serve, no pre-entries on the expos.
I'm not a fan of the ticket systems- seems like everyone just piles around the gate and there is no real organization to it. |
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Curve Ball
Posts: 2258
Location: Pelham, TN | The best system I have seen work is sign up in a time slot 10-11 and call out the names. There is always so much confusion when you use ticket or pay at the gate on who is going to run. Some folks have a gate problem horse or colts just do not do well in the cluster of everyone gathering around the ticket taker!!! |
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 The Bling Princess
Posts: 3411
Location: North Dakota | Most of our races around here are time slots. 15 minutes with 10 riders for $10. Some of the bigger races I've been to have exhibitions, a limited # for sale, for $5. Some some of them have a period of time to use it....like exhibitions are from 5-7 and they've got to get through 120. Other ones I've been to was set up in 10 minute increments and so many people had that increment to come in and complete your pre-purchased exhibition. |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 534
Location: Ohio girl moved to PA | At our local shows theres always a sheet out with numbers, say 1-100 and once that fills they normally cut it off depending how long its taking or how much extra money the show producers wants to try and make. normally $4 per exhib, as many as you want as long as you pay. No more than 60 seconds in the arena. Keeps it moving pretty well. I like this way as its easier to judge when to be ready and be up at the gate instead of everyone waiting around for their name to be called. I know at the bigger shows i go to they sell in time slots and it makes it pretty easy so you know when to be ready but then if you move ahead of schedule you miss out if youre not there. |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 602
| Ive seen a few different options. I like to pay at the gate with a limited number of time onlys. I understand trainers need to leg up colts but its obnoxious when they have 4 sitting at the gate and do 6 a piece. The newer rule around here is only 2 time onlys when entering a gate. If you have multiple horses, you have to sit back in line with the 2nd or 3rd horse. Also another rule I like is 60 secs in the arena. Another option i think flows well is that sign up sheet with specific times on it. |
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 Expert
Posts: 1521
Location: Illinois | We always just have pay at the gate, $5 each or 3 for $12 usually. 60 second time limit. The person at the gate takes your money and gives you a card with a number so you know what order you're in. Or they give you a raffle ticket type thing and write your name on a sheet and call you when it's your turn. If you're not there to go then you're SOL. We usually have about 2 hours to do expos and there's always half hour between the time they stop selling tickets to when the show starts. The only one's who ever have to really sit and wait are the ones who show up late. If you're there at the start and pay for it, you usually can go pretty quickly. I've been to a couple with the sign up sheet for time slots and that seemed to work as well. I think no matter which way its done, there's always going to be unhappy people. You need to find the system that works best for the people you have helping you do the event in my opinion. |
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 Born not Made
Posts: 2937
Location: North Dakota | Around here, we either usually have time slots (like 10 riders in the arena for 15 min) or else pay at the gate.
Personally, I like time slots better because I know exactly what time I need to be ready. Sure, I've got to share the arena with others but that usually is not a problem.
I hate paying at the gate because then you end up standing in line forever and then your horse isn't warmed up anymore.....
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 682
Location: Northwest | Ashley Lynn - 2017-10-02 4:11 PM
A lot of places here pre-sell them. My favorites are run in time slots, you buy so many between say 9-9:30. They only sell so many per slot and you just check in as you go in and they mark you off the list for that time slot... once it is passed- if you didn’t get your number in tough luck!! I like them because usually it’s easy to get them in the early slots, everyone wants those few right before the barrel race starts. Also, for people that have multiple horses and colts to exhibition- it gives you the opportunity to space them out to where you aren’t killing yourself to ride more than one horse.
It is this way where I am at and I like it. |
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| My favorite is the time slot. You sign up on a sheet with 50 lines, scheduled from lets say 9:00-10:00. If your name is on the first line, you better be there at 9:00 sharp or they will skip over you and not come back to you. If you sign up towards the bottom, then you know you are going to be more around 10:00.
Local races around here you usually buy tickets at the office, and hand them to someone at the gate and they will put your name on the list. I try to show up early - no lines ever when exhibitions first start ;) |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 629
| 99% of places here in NC do a numbered sheet. You sign up for #50, they start at 11:00, you'll be riding around 12:30.
Typically they sell about 100-125, then a wish list, and it usually is the first 3 hours before the show starts. This still can be slow depending on if everyone is there waiting for their turn. usually theres those that never are, that holds up the whole line. A lot of times, they will skip around on the list to whoever is ready if they can see someone saddling up back at their trailer.
I went to a show where they did the pay at the gate, and it was A CATASTROPHE, you hear me. Stood in line for over 3 hours. Get out of line, and you have to get back. Get in the holding pens inside supposedly that meant you were soon, only to sit another hour. PURE. BS. I will pack my crap and leave if I don't know ahead of time that this is how a show runs them. |
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 Off the Wall Wacky
Posts: 2981
Location: Louisiana | The 2 best systems I've experienced...
1. Buy tickets. You buy your tix and give them to a kid standing at the gate when you're ready. They do limit the number sold so everyone has time, BUT you have to be strict about the cutoff time. If you let them drag around, they'll show up later every show LOL.
2. Sell prepaid 60 second time slots. DO NOT attempt this if you aren't the type to enforce rules. A local show started doing this and it worked amazing. Spots open at 8am morning of show, and all spots must be paid to her through PayPal by 1pm. After that, your spot is back up for grabs at the show. She blocks out about 5 minutes every so often for the tractor to freshen up the dirt. You have a gate person with a watch and a sign up sheet helping keep riders organized. If you miss your time, you're not guaranteed a go. It really makes people show up on time, get their crap together, and the show starts on time every time.
Our NBHA just has a sign up sheet and it's horrible. People show up later and later, dragging it out. I might get there, sign myself up on the 3rd page(to have time) and not even have time to warm up before they're calling my name bc nobody else signed up so they skip through the pages. Then if the pages aren't full, they'll put them back out to allow more sign ups. NOoooooo, it makes the show run so far behind. |
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 I hate cooking and cleaning
Posts: 3314
Location: Jersey Girl | I like the sign up sheet method. I am not a fan of signing up then you are given a ticket and then you have to go to the gate and get in line. What a cluster f*** that is!! |
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 You get what you give
Posts: 13030
Location: Texas | threecanman - 2017-10-02 5:30 PM
How are these done in your area? Cost? What do you like/dislike the most about them?
We can't seem to find the best system for exhibitions at our shows. We usually do $5 each and sign up at a number and go down the list. We do not take call-ins ahead of time. But that doesn't stop people from signing other folks up. Usually take 150 then 50 on a wish list and then pay at the gate as time allows.
Our folks here HATE pay at the gate because they hate waiting in line forever. So I'm just curious as to any other systems out there? Strictly call-ins for expos? Limiting expos per person? Scratching no shows and still requiring payment? Would like to hear what works for everyone else.
We used to sell tickets and you lined up to exhibition, first come first served. There was always such a huge line for exhibition tickets that it caused issues, so we changed our format for the entire race.. Now we have early exhibitions in the AM, pay at the gate. Since its early in the day the line isn't that bad. Then after poles we have about another 1.5 hours of down time so we set the barrels back up and do "lunch time" exhibitions, again pay at the gate.
Other races we go to do 30 min time slots and those tend to work well. |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 560
Location: Where the buffalo roam | Around here it is usually sign-up sheet that day with 1 minutes time slots at a specific time. It works really well, no lines and everyone knows when they need to be there so no crowds around the gate either. I will usually buy 4 and just do 2 or 3, but it gives me the option to do another if I need it. I have always hated the multiple horses in the arena at the same time - I can go to the warm-up pen for that! I do exhibitions so that my colt gets used to going in to the arena alone and if I want to make a run I don't have to worry about running into someone. |
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