The World Show ( A chance to be heard)

[R Whiteman]

As an attempt to encourage more members to attend the World Show, AMHA made a temporary rule change that eases the qualifications for horses to attend the World show. The discussions of that topic had over 2700 views on this forum. People obviously are interested in the future of The World Show and AMHA.

Perhaps it is time to give AMHA a hand and provide an opportunity to discuss the reasons why people don’t or do attend the World Show. Frank and honest input could provide some valuable information to AMHA. It is my belief that the AMHA BOD has the best interest of the members at heart. Please no bashing, just the facts. Here is a chance to provide valuable input for their consideration.

What do you think? I am working on my posting so feel free to jump in with both feet while I finish mine.

Thanks,

Ron

 

[Riverrose28]

I would like to see them break down the AOTE into height divsions like they do Open and Ametuer. Sometimes the ametuer horses are in training with a pro, and the AOTE horses are not, it would give the ametuer trainer more incentive to show. It is always great to beat a professionally trained horse, but would be even better to win up against everyone else that is a true ametuer. Also I would like it if AMHA could alternate the sites of the Regional shows. I am in Eastern Region and one year it was held in N.C so I was able to drive there, but now it is back up North, and has been the last two years, it would be great if they could alternate locations like AMHR then we could attend more often. Also if they could lower the cost of everything!

 

[Raine Ranch Minis]

I only have two horses in AMHA, and they are both geldings. I don't want to drive to texas to show in three classes. That is why I don't come. Just saying.

But if I was to come, I would have to agree with Riverrose28 it is all TOO expensive!

 

[attwoode]

Texas is too far (and therefore too costly)for me to get to. Coming from Michigan it's 1300 miles - even further from Northeast or Northwest US. A more central location or rotating location would get me there regularly.

 

[Make A Wish Miniatures]

I think it is mostly the cost and I live in Texas. It costs me less to show at AMHR with multiple horses and I have to drive further. Having AMHA World and AMHR Nationals so close together also makes it hard to afford if you wanted to show both. I have thought of taking some to Nationals and others to World but then there is no one that will condition the ones waiting to go to World. But overall it boils down to the cost.

 

[hobbyhorse23]

Same reason I don't attend AMHR Nationals- it's too far away. Why can't these things rotate around the country?!

Leia

 

[targetsmom]

Short answer to why I don't attend AMHA World Show is that it is too far for me and the horses to travel (from New England). IF I were to be tempted to travel that far, I would prefer the AMHR show because of the Golden Age Classes. Not only would I qualify for them, it looks like those Golden Agers are having a blast!

I much prefer to show in the local Pinto shows where I can earn national PtHA points and compete for coveted lifetime awards. These include Pinto Champion, Pinto Legion of Merit, and Pinto Supreme Champion, which is the one we are working toward now. Princess (Aloha Acres Fashion By Magic) has already earned Pinto Legion Of Merit #415 (which means only 414 other pintos of ANY size have EVER won this award). PtHA also has annual zone (regional) amateur awards based on local show results and broken down by age group. I am in the "Elite" age group there! For 2011, PtHA has added their Pinto Pays program which operates like a futurity except you can get money for the points you win at your LOCAL shows. So why would I want the expense and potential risk of driving half way across the country for the AMHA World show when I can do this and have fun doing it, right in my own small state?

 

[ruffian]

Like many others, it's too far away. I attended when it was in Columbus OH. But TX is just too far.

 

[garyo]

I think it is mostly the cost and I live in Texas. It costs me less to show at AMHR with multiple horses and I have to drive further. Having AMHA World and AMHR Nationals so close together also makes it hard to afford if you wanted to show both. I have thought of taking some to Nationals and others to World but then there is no one that will condition the ones waiting to go to World. But overall it boils down to the cost.

Bronagh,

What specifically makes the World show too expensive?

Is it the entry fees, stalls or ???????

I think this is a great thread and could be very useful to the AMHA BOD.

Thank You all for your response.

Gary

 

[Raine Ranch Minis]

Bronagh,

What specifically makes the World show too expensive?

Is it the entry fees, stalls or ???????

I think this is a great thread and could be very useful to the AMHA BOD.

Thank You all for your response.

Gary

Everything.

I know you did not ask me, but JMAO.

 

[Raine Ranch Minis]

I think it is mostly the cost and I live in Texas. It costs me less to show at AMHR with multiple horses and I have to drive further. Having AMHA World and AMHR Nationals so close together also makes it hard to afford if you wanted to show both. I have thought of taking some to Nationals and others to World but then there is no one that will condition the ones waiting to go to World. But overall it boils down to the cost.

YES YES YES!!! I wold love to go to both, but I just can't swing it with them being that close together. So I have to pick and chose.

 

[Sandee]

I can't speak to the "too expensive" because I've never been. It's not that much further for me to Texas than to Okla. If in fact I was going I'd attend Okla then chill for a bit at my sister's house in Ks. and had back down to Tx.

The reason I haven't been....There are NO SHOWS in my area! Ticked me off for a long time as I purchased double registered stock and my filly was even futurity registerd in AMHA. But I wasn't going to travel to Tx for 1 futurity class.

Getting qualified "their way" is WAY too EXPENSIVE. I hear their entry fees, even at local shows, are higher than AMHR. I already drive 4, 5 & 6 hrs to attend AMHR shows and the AMHA shows would be much further. It would take several to qualify. Gas, time, and money ----just TOO MUCH!

 

[Field-of-Dreams]

The main reason for me is cost. Entry fees, stall fees, office fees- it all added up really fast. Worlds cost almost DOUBLE what Nationals cost.

The fact it was so hard to qualify horses if you couldn't go to a lot of shows or Regionals. And you could only show in the classes you qualified for. And there were some classes it was impossible to qualify for because the local shows didn't HAVE that class! My friend wanted to enter a class at Worlds and could not because she didn't qualify for it, yet there were no shows TO qualify for it, and they refused her hardship entry. Both of us are estatic over the new temp rule. Now maybe I CAN play in all my favorite classes (fundage permitting!)

I'd like to see the AOTE classes split height, too. First, we can show both our 32" and 33" guys at the same show and not have to choose who goes in this time, and who shows next time.

Distance isn't a factor- I'm 25 miles from Will Rogers....

Plus, do we really NEED to give EVERYONE a plaque? I would be far more happy with a lower entry fee and just the gorgeous ribbons they give out. Of course, I'm really trying for one of those stunning Champ trophies...

Please don't stop giving THEM out!!

 

[ruffian]

Adding to my earlier post - changing the qualifications should definitely help. It may entice folks to hold more AMHA shows. We used to have 3-4 up here on the North Coast, but couldn't make a go of it.

You have to have the "little guys" to make a show profitable. When big name trainers go to a show they will take a horse into typically the class they want to qualify for. So that usually means only one horse-one class. Occasionally an amateur owner will show up and take it in the ammy or color class, but again this isn't making the profit for the show. You MUST have the small farms/amateurs who bring 1 or 3 or 5 horses, and take them into multiple classes. When there were AMHA shows around here, if the big trainers came they usually took top prize, and that meant the little guy couldn't qualify. So they stopped coming. Then the trainers couldn't get enough horses in the ring to get points to qualify, So they stopped coming. Shows died.

If AMHA were to go along the lines of AMHR (can you put them both in one sentence?) then folks could come to the show with the intention of maybe 2 or 3 classes, but since they could potentially qualify for Worlds, you might get more people, entering more classes because it's fun again, not desperately striving to qualify for that ONE class.

Put another way, if someone needs to qualify for a class, they go to a show and show only in that class because if they don't get their points, they have to go to ANOTHER show. So they save their money and only pay for one class, one stall, per horse. This is not profitable for the show. But if qualifications changed to be like AMHR, they may only go to a couple of shows, but since they KNOW they can qualify, they can enter a few more classes - since they are already there - upping the profit for those shows. If this takes off, every show may have more class entries because people won't need to worry about travel dollars - they can spend more at the show.

I also agree about the plaques. They are nice to have, but a pretty ribbon displays nicely too

 

[roxy's_mom]

I really can't say a whole lot on showing in AMHA because there really isn't any shows close enough for me to attend. I live in south central PA and from the look of the current show schedule I would have to travel an ENTIRE DAY(8-12 hrs) just to make it ONE AMHA show and seeing how you have to qualify for Worlds by points it just doesn't work for me!

-I can attend more AMHR shows within 4 hrs of me than I can AMHA. From the couple little AMHR shows I've attended the people are lot more friend and willing to help if someone needs it.

-I can't afford to even travel to TX to attend Worlds, OK is far enough for Nationals (even then I can't really afford, having to plan several years ahead just to go once!)

-It's hard for an amature like me to want to go show "big time" b/c you're always having to compete against the professionals or professionally trained/fitted horses even in an amature class -how is that fair? - we work hard to get our horses ready and as soon as you get ready to head to the ring and you see a professional(trainer/horses) going into the same class you are you might as well turn around and walk away because you know you don't stand a chance.

-Lower show cost, get more shows closer to people who want to show, make it easier to qualify for Worlds for those that can afford it.

I hope that my opinion doesn't hurt any feelings but it's hard to want to go show knowing that you can't because there's nowhere to go or no amatures to compete against.

Thanks for taking the time to care about our members opinoins.

 

[Make A Wish Miniatures]

Gary, you asked what cost too much stalls or entries. It's both. The stalls at Nationals were I think $60 or maybe $65 and at World they are $90 The entries for an open class at Nationals are if I remember $35 and at World $60 The Golden Age classes at Nationals are huge and so much fun. I know that the awards are nicer at World but Nationals are just more afordable.

 

[R Whiteman]

My wife and I have never had much interest in attending The World. Our end goals for several years were the regional show for our area. We both worked and to attend the World would have been cost prohibitive because we both would have had to take the time off without pay in addition to the cost of the show and travel expenses. For us this is a three-week time frame to get to Worlds and return home. We have to be away from the farm for too long of time. It also is difficult to find someone to feed and care for the animals so this adds additional expense for hired help to manage the farm while we are gone.

We stopped going to the regional show when we diversified our program and began competing in combined driving activities, and other association's shows that were offered closer to home. Now we are blessed in our area to have some driving activities almost every weekend from April to the end of September. These local programs provide driving opportunities and help us market our horses.

Last year we had several horses that were successful at both the AMHA and AMHR shows. As I said before, we normally would not even consider either the National R Show or the Worlds because of cost and time away from the farm. We found ourselves in a position to attend one of the shows but not both. We choose the National AMHR show because it allowed us to showcase both our over and under horses and again for less money.

As I see it,

Ron

 

[Riverdance]

I think that AMHA is going in the right direction to allow people to go to two shows with 4 judges and be able to qualify for any class at the Worlds.

What they also need to do is cater to the AOTE classes more. I would suggest some more different levels, more than just level 1 and level 2. Right now there is level 1, for those who are just starting out, then level 2. In level 2 one always goes against the likes of KC Paapas (First Knight Miniatures) Joanne Ross (Scott Creek Miniatures), John Bennett of Indian Peaks. As well as others that have been showing for years. Get the picture? It is hard to do much of anything in the AOTE classes with ones that are always winning it. If there were more levels, perhaps more amateurs would come to the shows. I do not enter Open classes because it is impossible to get anywhere with so many trainers. So I do AOTE and Amateur classes only.

I also think they need to spread the classes out over a few days. It is a long trip to the Worlds for me to only show for one day. I end up taking less horses because I can not do it all in a day or two.

As for the awards, I like getting the nice ribbons and plaques as well as the World and Reserve World Champion trophies. I can not tell you how excited I was to win the World Show Jacket. My trophy room looks great at home too

So I would hate to see those things taken away.

Perhaps if we offer more AOTE, and amateur classes , and perhaps classes for amateur breeder owned and trained, we will get more entries to bring up the show earnings.

 

[ClickMini]

I would LOVE to attend the World Show. I attended Nationals just to watch one year, and another year I brought my horse and did very well. It is a LONG and EXPENSIVE journey for me. I would like to attend this year and I will if I can, but I have other complications in my life that make it difficult as I have a 4 year old child. Changing the qualifications will at least give me a shot at going. And if I only qualified for a few classes, I definitely would NOT go. I will only go if I have an all-around horse that can enter numerous classes. It is a dream for me, and I have my babies nominated for the Performance Futurity for 2012. I also nominated them for the AMHR futurities, including my gelding for Super G. So I may have to wait until next year to go. But I WILL go sometime! Hopefully sooner than later!

 

[TyeeRanch]

For me, its the distance that is the first setback. Like was said before, I would have to take three weeks off of work to go to the World Show, show and come home. I live in WA state. The other thing is the cost. We have to plan to attend less local shows if we plan to do Worlds in one particular year.

I agree with a couple of the people who have touched on AOTE and Amateur classes. 15 years ago when there were not as many professional handlers or "professional" amateurs there was no need for the various classes. But with the growing popularity of our breed, there is more demand for more levels. I agree that there should be more AOTE classes . Including AOTE halter obstacle and hunter/jumper. Also, I personally feel that the AOTE rules need to be slightly more defined. Its my opinion that its not an AOTE horse if it was in professional training one year and being shown in AOTE the next. That to me is am Amateur class. Make AOTE truthfully what it is.

Just my opinion.