Spinoff: Flat fee shows?

[ClickMini]

Since we don't seem to have flat fee shows around here, I have never been to one. How does it work? Is anyone in a club where the shows were previously charged by the class and switched to flat fee, and did it impact your #s? Not just horses, but monetarily?

Interesting thought. Please let me know your experiences.

 

[MinisOutWest]

I now have 6 horses, from 4 this year. I might be adding 2 more for 8 horses total. when I see a flat fee show, I go. but the fees have to be accordingly to the number of judges. and then you have to think, if I am bringing 8 horses, I am going to need 9-10 stalls too! but offering a flat fee for all classes per horse is great, you have me there, so why not let me help with giving more points. In one class, like Halter obstacle, hunter, color, etc, I can have all 8 in the class, so points can rack up when I am there! and that is what people want- POINTS !! at the end of the year, I will have attended 32 shows, plus the World Show. right now the truck shows 28,700 miles so far. So I have seen a ton of shows out there, but passed up a lot of them because there was no flat fee. I know a lot of people I talk to said they do not go to a lot of shows because there is no flat fee !! I can forward you the fees if you need for examples at certain shows. or what was charged to me for all the shows, then you can see how they differ around the country. and contact names of people who ran the shows.

 

[targetsmom]

Our New England Pinto shows have always had the option of a flat fee (well, since 1996 anyway). It is a bit complicated because each division has a different "All Day Fee" depending on how many classes are in it. As an example, our Open Mini division has 9 classes, and the entry fee per class (for a 3 judged show) is $21. The All Day Fee is $120. So if you only enter a couple of classes, it is cheaper to pay by the class, but if you enter 6 or more classes, then the All Day Fee is cheaper and that is what they charge. Now they also have policy where if you pay one All Day fee (say for Open) then you get a second whole division for $20!! So the Ammy classes are only another $20 (instead of the $105 all day fee for just those 5 classes for Am minis). I just figured out that they aren't a bargain if that is all you enter, but everyone does the Open ones and only pays the $20.

I got used to this when riding, where almost everyone used the all day fee. Then if you needed extra people in a class for more points, you just asked around. Someone was always willing to go in a class to help you get the points you needed when it didn't cost any more. People also tended to enter classes just for practice, such as trail. More entries=more points for everyone. And it also makes the Division High Points very competitive.

I also know that our NE Pinto shows are hugely popular because I do the points for them and the entries seem to be higher than EVER. I don't think they are hurting for money at all.

 

[muffntuf]

Flat fees are based on how many judges, how many stalls or the arena rental are. Around my are you might see flat fees (unlimited classes) for $45, but your stall fees might be $55-$65. OR you might see flat fees for $55 and stall fees for $55 or a bit lower.

I believe flat fees help a shows horse numbers, and entry numbers. You can see an increase in the number of horses an exhibitor may bring as well as how many different classes they enter one particular horse in.

The flat fee basically covers all members who may show that horse. So you can have 5 people in different divisions, showing one horse.

I believe you also need to offer a per class fee especially for weanlings and yearlings as they tend to only show in one halter class. It should be about $5 more than half the flat fee. (So $55 flat fee, $25 one class fee). Although I have seen lower per class fee as well.

Hope that helps!

 

[~Lisa~]

THe flat fee shows I have been to have been a horse/handler combo so that a youth pays one fee and a ammy pays another- there is good and bad about them.

If you get enough people they can pay off however the shows tend to run a lot longer as everyone goes into every class they can a horse who never did obstacle may end up going in all obstacle classes- every horse in the show entering liberty that type of thing so it does really depend on your expenses and show staff

 

[Katiean]

The shows I go to (I have to stay near home) are per class shows. Now they do have 4 judges per show and there are two shows in 5 days. However, the fees we have paid are $25 for youth classes (each)and $45 for adult classes plus $100 per stall for the 2 shows. I would love to go to some flat fee shows. However, we are hopeing to go to more shows next year.

 

[Minimor]

The local show here (AMHR/ASPC) offers a choice of per class fee or an unlimited class fee. We had 3 judges last year and 4 judges the year before. Both years the per class fee was $15 and the unlimited fee was $45. If the horse was entered only in the youth classes then it was $7 per class or $20 unlimited. Stall fees were, I think, $30 each, $20 for a tack stall.

I do believe a show should offer both--if you offer only the unlimited fee then people that show young halter horses probably won't bother bringing out their horses--I know that I wouldn't show at such a show unless I were showing mature horses that could be entered in both halter and harness.

I don't know if the unlimited fee increases the number of horses overall--at least not at our show here--people are using this show to qualify for Nationals so they'd come regardless. If they had to pay per class they would enter fewer classes--so while it doesn't increase number of horses, it does increase the number of entries per class, because people will enter more classes. That makes the show look better--it looks like a far better entry if there are 5 horses per class than if there are only 1 and 2 per class!

 

[Royal Crescent]

Some of our local shows here are flat fee. You can pay by the class, but usually if more then one, you pay just one fee and can enter as many classes as you want to. It is not really dependent on the number of judges.

barb

 

[maryann]

The East Coast Miniature Horse Club has a show each year in April in Williamston, NC. For the last two years we have done a flat fee . Ours is $125 per horse for all the classes you want to show him/her in and the handlers can be different. So your child, amature and professional can all handle the same horse for that flat fee. I just looked at the results list on AMHR for shows and the ECMHC Spring Fling still has the largest attendance with 155 horses this past April for this year. That is just for the R show on Thrusday and Friday. We have the AMHA show on Sat and Sunday and that show is another flat fee of $125 . I am not sure of the numbers on that one but I know we had a lot of horses in that one also. Even if you are showing your horse in both the A and the R show its still only $250 for all the classes you want. Its great for those horses that do halter and performance , and it encourages some people to show in classes they may not try if its going to cost them another 30 dollars or so. We are not trying to make money off of our exhibitors as it takes most of what we take in to put our show on. We use a fantastic facility, give great prizes and provide at no cost, two liberty parties with pizza , and dounuts or biscuits for breakfast twice for our exhibitors.Our show committee works very hard to break the classes down to where the youth are split 3 ways and the amatures have more classes than most shows I have been to. We also have ladies and gentlemen driving classes and split height driving classes . This gives you more classes to get your horse in for that same flat fee. Some shows we have seen have a flat fee but you have so few classes that your horse can show in its really not worth the trip .

We feel if the exhibitors know we appreciate them , and they get more for their money, they will come back next year. So far that has been true. So if you want to try out a really great show with a flat fee please come to our next

East Coast Miniature Horse Club Spring Fling in April of 2010 in Williamston , NC. We would love to have you.