I agree with what all of you have said, but my take: when we started showing years ago the clubs in our area, like a three or four hour drive, would host AMHA & AMHR, the entries were always less at the AMHA shows so they stopped hosting them. this is just my opinion, but the big time trainers have taken over AMHA, the ammy classes are really not ammy classes, as I've seen trainers hand the horse off to the ammy, so they are pro trained. AS for AOTE, the rule book states that in order to qualify the horse must be trained by the Owner and not have been at a trainers since Jan of the year being shown, so people will have their horse professionally trained then enter the classes. Now really nothing wrong with that if you have the money to hire a pro. I can't flame those that do, cause I've done the same myself. Most people that are new to mini's just don't have the money to pay a trainer thousands to show & travel, it's only a few that have that kind of money in this economy. Now that attendence is done, locally and the shows are further away there is added costs involved for the average Joe owner, only to spend all that money and lose to a pro. Believe me I've gone to shows where I havn't had any horses entered, just to watch and seen the horses with trainers place, when they shouldn't have, some act up in the ring and the judge gives the trainer extra time to set up, but will walk past the AVerage Joe that is having trouble, not always, but just sometimes.
It would help the organization to go back and encourage the clubs that hosted their shows in the past to do so again, also the regional shows need to rotate locations, as in my area it is always in the North and too far away. One year it was hosted just six hours away and that worked for us as I'd be willing to attend every other year. Yes they need to pomote more, and have an ammy class for AOTE exhibitors that actually trained their own horses from day one to encourage new people with little money to show up. Also I belong to both organizations, but havn't been able to show for a couple of years, but would like to get back to it.