National Grand Presentation

[LaVern]

I just got off the phone with Leonard and it's a go. Again they will be bringing all the Grand Champions back into the ring to be honored on Thursday night. (Our Fun Night) He was going to check in and see if we could get spot lights on them.

I need suggestions for the flowers to be presented to the winners. Last year those big honk'n vases were not good to handle, yet we need something to put them in for pictures.

Leonard said that we need to watch what we spend, so just to let everyone know that this will not cost the membership anything.

I hope Mark can use the song Tulsa Time in some of the presentation.

Any other suggestions would be very helpful. Thanks, Renee Lucky Hart Ranch

 

[txminipinto]

I think the flowers are a bit over the top. It's nice, but last year it looked extremely difficult to manage the horses and the vases. If there has to be flowers.....can they do a necklace of flowers (not sure the correct term) to go around the horses' necks? Maybe even use fake flowers? Then they could be reuseable. Just a thought!

 

[Leeana]

I think a fancy decked out neck sash (pretty sure that is the correct term..) on the horse would look very nice and elegant

Excited the grand presentation will be back, i enjoyed it last year

 

[LaVern]

Yeah those vases were a bad deal. But, I don't know about fake flowers. Martha Hickem and I got the flowers at the floral shop across from the facility and they were so good about everything. There was the nicest kid working there, he said he was practicing for the Arab Nationals that was coming in after us. I was always going to call him and see what kind of arrangements they did.

I was thinking of maybe a spray and then having some kind of vase or stand to put them on over at the side back drop for pictures.

I am pretty sure that neck flowers would cost me more than I can afford. But, I can ask.

 

[LaVern]

Oh, I forgot if you are out there Mark. What about? "Your The Reason God Made Oklahoma" Oh, I love that song.

 

[madmax]

Maybe it's just me, but sorry, I do not like it when the spotlight is used. I feel like it hampers the view of the horse and I want to enjoy every inch of these beauties without the shadows it creates. Some of the horses behave like their sight is hampered as well. Also, if a horse is turned loose to celebrate, please turn the lights on for safety reasons.

 

[LaVern]

You know, maybe you are right about that spot light thing. An also it would hamper the people in the stands for taking pictures. And I would guess that it would scare the horses.

 

[~Lisa~]

what about a regular neck sash and just putting some flowers along the top (wither part kinda) of the sash? Or would that make it to heavy and make it swing down?

Either way no matter what flowers you choose it is very nice of you to help ensure those horses get the glory they deserve!

While I will never have a horse winning that I do very much appreciate what you are doing

 

[Karen S]

How about a "Bee Garland" which is a flower drape like they use on the winners at the race track? You can make one for the pictures and not spend as much money.

Karen

 

[LaVern]

Yeah, Karen, I could check into that. I still think we have to have Larry or someone shake the winners hand and congratulate them in front of all. It looked so cool.

Or if owners or family could come down and we could hand them the flowers and Larry could shake their hands That is what I was hoping for more of last year, more family and owners and not so much trainers, but we were just flying by the seat of our pants.

I am going to try to call that place and see if they could do a neck thing.

 

[JWC sr.]

It was a nightmare when we used the spotlights on the Champion of Champions class several years ago. It scared the crud out of the horses.

I like the sash idea myself, looking forward to seeing the class.

 

[LaVern]

Oh, it is so much better when people get together to come up with something. I thought the spotlight would be a neat thing and now I can see that it would not. We have to remember that because of our good camera guy, this will go all over the world and we want to look classy. Other things I remember too now is that there are certain spots that his camera can not get to. So if the horse is presented with its flowers or whatever it would not be seen online if it were standing in some spots of the arena.

May be it wouldn't look classy for us to be taking the sash off one and putting it on the other.

 

[tagalong]

IMO spotlights can work - just leave the other lights on as well. That way they are a highlight and not the only light. The horses cam still see beyond the spotlight area - and yet it still gives the presentations a "special" tone... and it still looks great on camera.

 

[LaVern]

Oh, I have to stop and go get to work, but just wanted to add a couple things I believe. First Lisa you have got as good of a shot as anyone. And then also that it doesn't matter if we never see that spotlight,or even if we never show a AMHR horse, how we are represented to the world at Nationals affects all AMHR horse owners and breeders.

From honest measurements- to polite exhibitors- to professional appropriate clothing by exhibitors, judges and officials. It all matters. If we look crumby and people hear bad things it devalues our AMHR horses.

 

[LaVern]

You guys I had I just had a flash, when I was out mowing hay. Had to rush in. What do you think of this?

We get Dale or someone to design a National Grand Champion Halter. That night when the geldings and the mares come back they can have theirs on. And the Grand Champion Stallions could be slipped on in front of the crowd. Then there pictures taken with their new halters.

Oh I have the goose bumps. Only 6 horses a year. May be they could be made our colors.

Oh, Oh I got a message from Karen telling me were to go look for Bee Garlands.

Maybe we will have to have Garlands and Halters. Oh, Boy

 

[Echo Acres]

How exciting! It was great fun to watch them come in last year. I really enjoyed it. I am so happy you are doing it again. My first thought was the neck sash as well.

Are you looking for embroidered halters? If so you could check with showtime tack, he does them. I thought the flowers were gorgeous last year, but definitely looked hard to handle.

I know it isn't nearly as fancy, but what about boutonnières that you can pin on the handlers shirt or jacket?

I will try and brainstorm some ideas.

 

[ruffian]

How about a sash of royal purple, or gold lame'? Something other than the beautiful ones they win in their classes. And perhaps a boutonniere or corsage for the handler??

Or what about a royal purple cooler? They aren't very expensive and they could come in the ring with the coolers on, and "whip them off" when they reach center stage. They could be embroidered with the class won.

It would be exceptionally cool to have the owners in the ring - perhaps at a designated spot where their horse will line up. But - they should be in the business dress if not more dressed up. No jeans, etc.

 

[Mark & Sharon Bullington]

LaVern -

You just let me know what music you want to use - I'll make sure it's there. Whatever I can do to make the ceremony the best it can be.

Mark

 

[Echo Acres]

How about a sash of royal purple, or gold lame'? Something other than the beautiful ones they win in their classes. And perhaps a boutonniere or corsage for the handler??
Or what about a royal purple cooler? They aren't very expensive and they could come in the ring with the coolers on, and "whip them off" when they reach center stage. They could be embroidered with the class won.

It would be exceptionally cool to have the owners in the ring - perhaps at a designated spot where their horse will line up. But - they should be in the business dress if not more dressed up. No jeans, etc.

Showtime tack has nice embroidered coolers too! That might be a neat idea.

 

[LaVern]

Good Morning. I love the corsage idea. So simple and classy. Would the handlers of the geldings and mares have them on before hand or would they be pinned on in the ring? I don't know how Larry would feel about pinning them on. I hate pinning them on.

I am not crazy about coolers as I like to see the horse as much as possible. The special sashes could be put on in front of all though couldn't they? Except that the N. Grand Stallion would have two on.

The halters were a dumb idea, I think this morning.

I talked to Tara about it and she said, from a designers point of view, what she would like to see is a nice new sign in front of the National Grands that was not white. Perhaps a Gold stand with a sign on it with maybe a fern by it for pictures. She says the white sign or white jackets on people (or any light color) takes away from the horse and are a nightmare for the photographers. We should have time to set that up during supper break. If it would be okay with the photographer.

Mark I loved Simply the Best song last year, but the good part of the song is at the last.

Mary Ann from Canada and I are crazy about Don Williams and I think our AMHR National Theme Song should be Living On Tulsa Time. It seems more us. Anybody out there have a Oklahoma Song or something else that they think would be better. There's always-- Okie From Mestotkie (sp) I love that one too. Shows you how classy I am.