Planning a horse show is easy!

         Well yes and no.

                Anyone who can plan can easily run a horse show.  I've been to some horse shows that were poorly run and still went off well.  But I'm an INTJ.  My personality type means that I'm anal retentive and when I do something I tend to plan things in advanced.  Ask my best friend; I have been planning our 30th birthday vacation (we're 3 days apart) starting last year.  We don't turn 30 until next year. 

                I first started managing horse shows for Quantico Riding Club back in 2005.  I took over the failing horse show series.  They tried doing a series like PWHA or Back to Basic, half western and half English.  The problem was at the core: whoever had it before just copied the old class list, but didn't know how to execute.

                With any business, you have to know what you're doing.  I had started getting into dressage then.  So I started volunteering at VADA/NOVA and eventually I changed the shows to two separate series: dressage and western gymkhana.   Both series were successful; I think the dressage slightly more. 

                My motto as a show manager: the only person who should be stressed is me. 

                And it's hard to stress me out.  The worst time I was ever stressed was when two volunteers didn't show. So I was managing, scribing, and coordinating our volunteers from the judge's booth.   Not ideal.  But the show must go on.   

                But I have to say I thoroughly enjoy managing horse shows.  Everyone has different goals.  Some folks just want to do it as a social event, getting with friends and having fun.  Others are using these shows to prep our young horses or to see where we stand before going to a licensed show.

                Regardless of what your goals are for you and your horse, I'm really excited to see everyone at our first show!  I've started my anti-rain dance for the show season. 

36 days!