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pat ww
Platinum Member
United Kingdom
3459 Posts |
 Posted - 16 Feb 2009 : 11:19:23 AM
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I would like to gauge opinion for a different approach to stallions and their visibility to the public.
This is not a new idea, I tried it back in 1995 when I organised my first affilliated show. This was an early show, April before any of the "C" shows and county shows, and a good preparatory outing. I did rosettes to 6th place and took very few home as all classes were well filled -
except the in hand stallion class,
I did not have one. Stallions could do the ridden classes - and did - but instead of an in hand class I had a non competitive stallion parade which attracted 6 fairly local stallions, radius of about 50 miles. They had a page each in the catalogue listing any achievements the owners wanted to include, and the lunch break was filled very usefully. I held this show at a large riding school /livery yard / feed store / tack shop, so there was a much larger audience of non Arab people in attendance.
The ridden Arabs were after lunch, so some of the paraded stallions then competed under saddle, so further opportunity for the viewers to see them actually perform.
success? yes!
Advantage over a show class? Yes!
Bookings were taken to some of the stallions paraded on the day.
Charged the same entry fee, only £5, so made £30 to offset costs,
Stallions were not competing, so entries were up on average show classes within the local area.
Two of the stallions went on to become premium stallions, Shah Shadow and Arioso.
Good behaviour was in evidence, non of the antics that is getting Arabs a bad name with the non arab public.
One class open to Arabs, pure bred, part bred and anglo.
Another idea for the day, we had, due to the venue and sheer number of local horses, a class for mares of no known Arab blood likely to produce a good foal to an Arab stallion.
did this work, YES.
It produced a bit more revenue for the show, and the involvement of non Arab owners.
some booked their mares into Arab stallions, and we had a promotion where some stallion owners had offered a reduction in stud fee to the winners and placed horses in the non arab mare class.
Most important was that Arabs were presented in a good light.
RELEVANCE TODAY?
There is over breeding, fact!, but given that there will still be people who do want to breed, we have to compete against other breeds in a shrinking market.
Stallion owners are reluctant to be competitive on the small show circuit with their 'big' winners, but the best need to be out there and seen alongside arabs of different type and different disciplines.
We need to encourage into the parades the stallions who are less well know on the show circuit, for example those doing well in endurance whose condition is completely different to the show horse, but who is likely to be of interest to non Arab owners looking to breed for performance. We need to see the larger Anglos who can produce the larger sport horses. We need to see the smaller part bred ponies who produce stunning childrens ponies.
PREMIUM STALLIONS
if shows put on a time slot for a general stallion parade - lunch time is ideal - then it would be an excellent opportunity for the premium stallions in that area to be brought forward and the scheme literature be available. This should not be too onerus for the premium stallion owners, if they were only to go to shows within their local area.
You have the show ground organised, set a bit of time and space for some non Arab classes, preferably performance, so you attract newcomers and people can see Arabs compete against other breeds. It can help your show budget, keep costs down for competitiors, nice rosettes are only a fraction of the entry fee and won't get thrown away in disgust ike the cheaper ones!
COME ON SHOW ORGANISERS, A BIT OF LATERAL THINKING TO PROMOTE OUR LOVELY AND USEFUL BREED AND ITS CROSSES.
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AJJ
Bronze Member
83 Posts |
Posted - 16 Feb 2009 : 12:31:28 PM
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Pat,
was that the show at Arrowe Park?? I think it is a fantastic way forward and one we should be incorporating within existing shows. We have a 2 yr old colt who we are hoping to keep for endurance but will also be doing a whole host of sports classes with but as you correctly piont out he certainly will not look in show condition but I feel I would certainly like to promote his breeding as we will be getting him performance tested in the future.
I really good topic to raise Pat, would welcome other's views??
Amanda |
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pat ww
Platinum Member
United Kingdom
3459 Posts |
Posted - 16 Feb 2009 : 2:24:32 PM
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Hi Amanda, no it was at larton, the one at arrowe was a couple of years later.
I think the 'public' would be far keener to use an Arab with proven stamina / ability in endurance / racing / other than the very typey Arabs that win on the in hand circuit.
If you get a talented and pretty horse, WOW.
The 'public' quite often find the sea horse head offputting, mandys fan club bears witness to that, shes plain and everybody wants her! "i could see myself riding her" is what you hear over and over.
We need these new people who start with a part bred or a possibly plainer ridden horse - they get the bug and often breed in hand show champions!
We do need to widen our appeal.
Suggestions really are welcome |
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suneagle
Gold Member
England
727 Posts |
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garnet
Platinum Member
2382 Posts |
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nn
Gold Member
England
659 Posts |
Posted - 16 Feb 2009 : 5:23:08 PM
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I have entered my PBA stallion for the parade at arena UK next month.
He would have been at the Harpury one, but they had no stabling! A friend went with her stallion and didn't get home till four in the morning!
When his dad was alive we often took him to the stallion parade that was held at Osbaldeston.
We were asked if we would parade Ranger at last years AHS marathon, the day before!!!!!We didn't go!!!
The trakehnr/arab sports horse event held last year advertised a stallion parade but had only a few entries so didn't run! It will be held again this year so an opportunity to parade your stallions is there!
What about a parade of the premium stallions at Malvern?
We have done a stallion parade at the BSPA championships with our coloured stallion and that was well attended.
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Joto
Gold Member
855 Posts |
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suneagle
Gold Member
England
727 Posts |
Posted - 16 Feb 2009 : 7:21:05 PM
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| i did forget to say it does sound like a good idea (oops last post made it sound like i was against the idea!) |
clare xxxx |
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pat ww
Platinum Member
United Kingdom
3459 Posts |
Posted - 16 Feb 2009 : 9:50:52 PM
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there are lots of reasons why stallions dont get shown so often, including the upset it causes to other competitors who go down a place! these include, stallion is in covering mode and may not be in his regular show condition, he may have acquired some bumps and knocks off the ladies, showground a bit 'busy', taking time off to do something ridden, and sometimes fear of being beaten by a percieved lesser horse if the judge is less experienced, as can happen at the smaller shows where newer judges cut their teeth.
All these reasons disappear if they are just brought forward in a lunch break. The only difference is that one horse does not go away with a red rosette or new title. Small price to pay for good breed PR. |
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