Bringing the FUN Back to Horse Shows
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40 – January/February, 2022
By Kristen Spinning
What’s the meaning of fun? It seems like an easy question. Fun is enjoyable, amusing, or entertaining.
We can all say we have fun at horse shows because we enjoy the people, the horses, and striving to reach goals. We’re entertained by watching others compete in classes and swapping stories around the stalls. However, shows can also be full of frustration, stress, disappointment, and exhaustion, all while draining the bank account. As a result, pure, unadulterated, frivolous silliness can be in short supply at shows, as that level of fun seems counterintuitive to the notion of staying focused. Yet, it may be what’s needed for the health of the exhibitors and the future of the industry.
Sports medicine professionals claim that fun increases both your physical and psychological health. Fun increases endorphins, which in turn decreases stress. Laughter releases serotonin, which reduces stress, is excellent for memory, helps with sleep, and balances mood. Plus, we all want to enjoy something that consumes so much time. Astute show committees and managers across the country recognize the need to increase the fun factor of their shows to keep seasoned exhibitors coming back and entice new exhibitors to join the fun.
The Arizona Sun Circuit didn’t invent the idea of fun prizes and events at horse shows, but they did have the resources and manpower to take fun and unique to the next level. “I saw several fun show activities around the country and considered what unique and enjoyable activities could we add to our Arizona shows,” says Doug Huls, CEO of AzQHA and producer of Sun Circuit and the AZ Fall Championship. “We started several years ago by offering games in randomly selected classes, and we gave away Rod Patrick Boots to the winners. It took off like crazy, so we added more prizes each year and more people to manage it. We all have to remember that people spend their hard-earned dollars horse showing. We have to provide a worthwhile value for their investment.”
Click here to read the complete article
40 – January/February, 2022
