From The Publisher: Why Do We Show Horses?
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By Tom Grabe
There are myriad reasons why people love horses, breed horses and show horses. An informal poll asking people on the street why so many people have an affinity for horses would probably generate nearly as many unique answers. The question I want to answer is why do some people who love horses choose to compete with them. Why do so many people choose to take that next step beyond just enjoying the company of an equine friend?
This question comes to mind because, in my opinion, the answer is fundamental to solving the problem of declining registrations, declining memberships, and declining participation in many of the breed registries over the past couple decades. If we know why people choose to show horses, we can then determine what aspects of the sport should be emhasized to encourage greater participation and new members. This, in turn, would result in greater demand for show horses which then increases membership, encourages more people to breed, etc.
Personally, I don’t think the majority of people entering the sport of horses choose to do so because of prize money, World or Congress championships, or the opportunity to make money buying and selling horses. I believe people are motivated by something much more altruistic – the fact that they truly love all things equine and want to immerse themselves in the horse culture and mini-society of horselovers. I truly believe the draw of showing horses is the opportunity to socialize with like-minded individuals and make long-lasting friendships while challenging themselves to constantly improve their horsemanship skills.
A small portion of those who fit this profile worry themselves with winning at the highest level. The fact is that only a few people win significant sums of money at the big shows. The same goes for those who win those coveted World Show buckles and trophies. The fact is a very small percentage of people ever reach the pinnacle of their chosen profession or hobby. Only a few win the big prize. Less than one-half of one percent of football, basketball or baseball players make the pros, yet the participation rate in those sports is high at every level. If this is true, then why are the associations losing membership? Why are registrations, memberships and entries declining instead of rising? Could it be that we are emphasizing the wrong aspects of our sport? Are we too concerned about the big shows, big trophies and big money and overlooking the aspects of the sport that drew us to our chosen breed? If so, is this emphasis on the big prizes taking the fun out of showing horses for those who can’t compete at that level?
