Here’s my two cents:
If the show goes
forward with the date changes, there will be even less exposure than there
already is at the fair and the show will lose more potential to bring new
people into the Saddlebred industry.
Let me start with the
show as is.
Freedom Hall just before the 2016 WCHS kicked off.
The only close up
interaction for fair goers is the barn tours. Since this is the biggest show of
the year for Saddlebreds, barns will go all out with decoration. While this is
fun sight for fair goers, they don’t get to be up close and personal with a
horse. The decorations aren’t what people join an industry for. It’s for the
love of a horse.
During work hours for
the horses, the gates to Freedom Hall are closed. I’ve often seen parents
holding their young kids up to get a small glimpse of these high stepping
horses during these times. Now what does a closed gate say? It says do not
enter. It says you’re not welcome here. I understand not letting spectators
into the ring for safety reasons, but why can’t they take a seat in the stands to
watch horses work if it catches their eye?
One nice thing is that
admission to upstairs is free for morning sessions. However, this doesn’t seem
to attract anyone. Fair goers most likely don’t schedule in the horse show when
they show up. They probably don’t know anything about free admission upstairs,
and even if they find out there’s no pamphlet or spokesperson to explain what
is going on. All the fair goers know is that they are watching horses go around
in circles, then get bored and leave.
The downstairs section
is ticketed in both the morning and night, but is never crowded in the morning
until late in the week. I sat down in a section completely empty, surrounded by
similar sections, one morning and was asked to move because I didn’t have a
ticket. There was no one around me who could possibly want the seat I was in.
If there was, I would happily move. Most of those people buy the tickets so
they have a close view in the evening, but they don’t come to many morning
sessions. Wouldn’t it make more sense to sell morning tickets separately and
make them cheaper, if not free earlier in the week? You might even get some
fans who normally sit upstairs to come down for a closer view.
One method to draw
people in for both morning and evening sessions would be spokespeople. There
could be people around the outside of Freedom Hall advertising the show and
more people in the stands to answer questions for those watching. They could
even point out the previous year’s champions and learn background information
on them.
Think of a regular fair
goer who probably doesn’t buy tickets in advance. It’s $10 per person at the
gate (except for children five and under and discount days for certain groups) and
$8 to park. More ticket info is available
here, but let’s consider an average family of four. The family
pays $40 to get in and $8 to park. The kids, who are 12 and under, want to go
on midway rides, so $12 each and $25 for the one parent who rides with them.
The other parent sits out. We’re already up to $97, not including food, drinks,
or other items bought.
For
WCHS tickets
purchased at the state fair, most of the evening sessions are $18 per ticket,
or $25 the last two nights of the show, which are the biggest nights. Groups of
four or more can buy tickets for $8, or $11 the last two nights. If you’re this
family, and you’re wrapping up a long day and see a poster advertising a horse
show you know nothing about but think the high stepping horses are pretty, will
you be willing to spend $8 or $11 per person more to go see an event you know
nothing about? Doubtful. And the price is higher for groups or families of two
or three. I think it’s fair to charge admission for evening sessions, but not a
price that quickly adds up after people already spent a lot of money. The upper
level seating is closer to empty than full anyway, so what does it hurt to
lower the price and bring more people in?
With the WCHS currently
during the fair, they have the potential to expose people to the Saddlebred
industry and try to get them involved. Granted, I don’t know what’s allowed and
what’s not allowed, and I know there’s limited time in between sessions to work
horses, but in order to grow the industry, people are going to have to give up
some of their personal comfort. Saddlebreds have the personality of a
celebrity, so why don’t people act like that’s what they are to outsiders? Instead,
these horses are treated like a fragile object people can’t get within five
yards of.
What if certain local
barns were given special permission to bring in lessons horses and do pony
rides in Freedom Hall or right outside in the warm up ring? There could be
instructors from local barns with pamphlets to explain what Saddle Seat riding
is, what makes the Saddlebred so unique, and contact information. Also, barn
tours could be expanded. People who are taken on the barn tours need a reason
to be interested besides pretty flowers for decorations. Some barns and owners
need to step up and offer to showcase their top horses. They don’t need to work
them or let a group of people come up to them, but if a horse could be
presented in halter to a crowd and someone explained the horse’s
accomplishments, their personality and funny traits, and said when they are
showing, that might get people interested in watching the WCHS.
Again, I don’t know all
the logistics and rules between the fair board and the WCHS, but I firmly
believe the WCHS should not move their dates ahead of the fair. I’ve grown up
in Kentucky and would not mind seeing the entire fair moved to earlier in
August, but that’s a more personal note for kids in school here. There’s
already very little horse access to fair goers. Yes, they can buy a ticket or
go for free in the mornings, but even that’s not advertised well. The WCHS
should stick with the fair and figure out a way to reach out to people besides
hoping they read a poster.
I want the Saddlebred
industry and the WCHS to succeed instead of continue to shrink, but the
industry has to decide if it’s willing to change and expand from its comfort
zone.
There’s my two cents.
What’s yours?
