AQHA January / February Magazine AQHA JAN-FEB 2020 PRINT | Page 29

PG.27
FROM WHOA
TO
Go!
ARTICLE BY: LYN HOFFMANN © 2019 / PHOTOS BY: EV LAGOON PHOTOGRAPHY
The buzz of showing is back!
You’re excited . . . but are you organised?
O
f course you’re excited! You’re back on the
show circuit, in touch and competing with all
your show buddies, and of course, meeting
new AQHA members and competitors. It’s
a time to look forward to, maybe a fresh
start with a new horse, discussing and seeing new foals
and upcoming youngsters, or maybe to show off your own!
You’re thinking about what events you’re going to focus on
and finding it hard to curb your enthusiasm. If this sounds
like you, then read on, plan ahead and make certain you’re
ready for the best show season ever!
Funds
As exciting as it is, before you can decide on which shows
you’ll be attending, you’ll need to be realistic and make
certain you’re going to have the funds to cover the whole
process. Showing horses is either part of your horse
business or stud, or it’s a lifestyle hobby. Either way, money
comes into it.
The word ‘budget’, as horrible as it sounds, is something we all
need to adopt in these times. Before planning to go showing,
know the budget you’ll be working with. Know where the
money’s going to come from and how much there’ll need to
be, week to week. If you run a horse business, you’ll have
already done your sums and from here on in, will just need to
keep records of all your expenses and income. On the other
hand, if showing is your hobby, sit down and work out how
much you’re going to need to feed your frenzy. It may help
to open a separate bank account and use it specifically for
your expenses and any income (prizemoney, etc.) from your
horse showing. It’s an easy way to keep track of the financial
side of things. Just a snippet of information; agricultural
show prizemoney is always good, and it’s an excellent way to
promote Quarter horses to the public! Plan on making some
extra income each week and deposit this extra cash into
your ‘Show Account’. The difference it’ll make to your bank
balance and show season will be amazing.
Shows
Mark all your show dates down on your planner or in your
diary. Write in the contact phone number for each show.
Contact them early for show programs, entry conditions
and pre-entry deadlines.
If you intend on competing at the State or National shows,
etc., get your entries in as early as possible. Set goals for the
classes you intend on being really competitive in at these
shows, and then plan your showing strategy from the start
to mentally and physically prepare yourself and your horse.
Put some time into planning for these shows. They are major
events on the calendar, meaning you could be away from
home for more than a day or two. With this in mind, don’t
leave things until the last minute! Organise yourself early to
have your property and any ‘left at home’ animals cared for
while you’re away.
JANUARY/FEBRUARY ISSUE 2020