In the sport of riding, riders and their horses compete and judge their progress in any chosen discipline by attending shows. These shows can be held at various levels designed to cater for the abilities of the various riders and horses. At entry level, one has training shows, where novice horses and riders can learn what competing is all about.

These shows are usually not held by any affiliated bodies and can be hosted by riding schools and clubs. In this article, SA Horseman looks at what the organisation of such an event entails.

The first and most important point is to establish your "market". It is unrealistic to expect top-graded riders to compete at some small local show. Are there enough suitable candidates in your area to attend such an event?

Are your premises suitable? Do you have space for horseboxes and spectators to park? Do you have enough arenas to host the events you wish to, as well as a suitable place for horses to warm up? Remember, all arenas need to be level, fenced in, hole-free and not slippery or hard.

Is there somewhere to offer catering? Do you have ablution facilities?

Decide in advance which events you wish to host. Remember that to have dressage, showing, showjumping and games all on one day, is not feasible. You will need too many arenas, judges, helpers and space. It also becomes a logistical nightmare, with riders wanting to compete in all classes and times clashing.

Therefore it is best to decide that one show will be showjumping only, the next one dressage, and so forth.

Start planning

Once you have decided on what show you will be having, the following must be addressed:

• Rosettes and prizes – approach possible sponsors well ahead of time
• Arrange for judges who know the rules well, and have one or two in reserve if one cancels at the last minute. At training and entry level it is not necessary to have qualified judges
• Get enough helpers
• Arrange for someone to do the catering
• Draw up entry forms
• Order equipment in advance and keep tabs on it, so that the day of the show does not dawn with no dressage letters, not enough jumping poles or no bending poles!
• Judges don't get paid as such, but it is usual to give them a "gift" in the form of some cash and even some small token gift
• Find out if it will be possible, especially in the case of a jumping show or wild-and-woolly games, to have an ambulance or paramedics on stand-by.

Every discipline has different needs:

Dressage: You will need a scribe for every judge and a judge for every test / arena, someone to add up the scores and a runner to collect the tests. You may also need a marshal to call riders into the arena, even though they should know their riding times.

Make sure of the time allowed for each test and work the riders' riding times out accurately, with some time to spare. Make sure that the tests chosen are not beyond the capabilities of the riders at whom the show is aimed.

Showjumping: Normally only one judge is needed, but one will need at least two timekeepers, an announcer/secretary, a gate marshal to call riders into the arena, and a minimum of two arena staff to pick up fallen poles and rebuild jumps.

Of course one needs a course-builder who must design the course and make sure that the heights and distances are correct, as well as that the difficulty level of the course is not beyond the riders' capabilities.

Showing: One judge per class is needed. If one person is happy to judge all the classes, this is also acceptable. A steward/secretary will be needed to assist the judge and a gate marshal is essential to call riders into the arena. If a working hunter class is presented, a course builder and arena staff will again be needed. In other classes such as working riding and utility where obstacles and props are needed, arena staff will again be necessary.

Games: Depending on what games are to be held, props will be needed (sack races, bending poles, barrel races, etc) with one judge per game. Again, one judge can judge every game.

Arena staff will be necessary to pick up fallen props and obstacles. It may be necessary to have additional helpers to determine who passes the line first, to check for cheating and timekeepers, if required.

Entry forms

• Choose a date that doesn't clash with similar events in the area
• Learn from and use entry forms for other shows, so that there can be no misunderstanding
• Put a disclaimer on the actual entry form that has to be signed by the entrants
• Set a closing date for entries (about five days before the date of the show). In the case of dressage, you need to work out the riding times and make them available before the show
• Make sure every entry is accompanied by payment. Demand proof of payment, either by fax or e-mail
• Decide beforehand how many entries you can cope with. State the limit on your entry form
• Make sure that a contact number is included for enquiries. If not yourself, it should be someone who can be reached at all times or clearly state "after hours only" or "office hours only"
• Include banking details where money can be deposited
• Check the entry form for mistakes – one wrong digit can have serious repercussions.

Distribute entry forms to all the riding schools and clubs in your area. Tack shops and co-ops are another valuable distribution point. Make sure that all the riders at your own facility are aware of the upcoming event. Some regional societies will, for a fee, distribute entries via e-mail to their members.

A valuable tool to use, is to keep the e-mail addresses of all the people who enter your show – thus creating your own database – and to distribute directly to them for the next event.

It’s showtime!

Check up on all the judges and helpers to make sure that everyone will be there on the day. Water the arenas the day before to keep the dust down (preferably not overnight, as it can become muddy and slippery). Build jumping courses the day before.

Post lists with entries on a notice board, so that people can check their riding order and/or times. Gazebos, banners and flags should be well tied-down. Be there early and check PA systems and other electronic equipment.

Breathe deeply and have fun!