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My show entry is sitting on the counter, ready to mail but for the check. The amount due is sobering; entry fees for USEF/USDF recognized shows have gone up since the last time I entered one. And when I times that amount by four – to earn the eight scores needed for USDF All-Breeds awards – my stomach churns. That is a LOT of money – for me – to spend on non-essentials. I've already invested a good chunk in getting all my memberships up-to-date to be able to compete at this level, all for naught if I don't show. But is showing just throwing good money after bad?
Feeling extremely uneasy here, which sometimes indicates the answer I am seeking….
5 comments:
Michelle, Thanks for a heads up on the BTB post. I am so with her on this. Someday I'll tell you about the curly in the dressage barn and the awful experience. But not today. Take baby steps, showing is good for you and your horse. You don't need to enter all 8 now do you? Is there a time limit on getting the 8 scores? Sorry my show ignorance is showing!
Yes it is quite spendy! What they really screw you on is the stall that you HAVE to get. I have been sidelined from USDF rec. shows because of this so I have known the costs for some time and it wasnt a surprise for me and I have put all my tax returns into a show fund. Heart of the Valley is 2 shows in one weekend so you could get more scores there
Theresa, I've always thought of dressage shows as a means of instruction, since you get a score –and sometimes comments – on every movement. No, I don't need to enter all four shows (two tests at each show for a total of eight scores) at once, but I do have to earn them in one show season.
Yeah, I HATE paying for a required day stall. I've always had horses that would tie quietly to the outside of my trailer and showed that way whenever allowed, but most shows now require a stall. A two-day show does make sense, but I don't show on Saturdays so that won't work for me.
Being required to pay for a stall seems wrong when you have a trailer for him to rest in, and he doesn't seem to mind being tied outside to it. Am I cynical in thinking it's another way of shutting out people who aren't money from the dressage circuits?
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