Games On Horseback???

Question

Ok so here is what I m doing and needing. Last week a friend of mine's son passed away in a freak accident. His mom is a very good riding buddy of mine and was starting to get he rkids into showing with us when he passed away. Another friend and I have decided to host a memorial fun show in this little boy's honor. All proceedes going to the family to cover expenses that they ahve incurred. We are looking for classes to add to this show bill that are both fun for kids and adults. Thus far we have

Hunt Seat

Western Pleasure

Halter Geldings

Halter mares

Costume Class

Egg and spoon

ribbon race

catalog race

barrels

poles

one barrel speed

fig 8 speed

keyhole

fig 8 flags and arena flags.

What other games can u think of and also since we are planning on all proceedes going to the family what should we do about prizes? Get ribbons? I'm working with some of my vendors I work with to donate some products for prizes/trophy type things. any suggestions on that also?

Answer 1

You got LOTS of ideas for the games and classes...

Just a comment about the fee...

Have you thought of just a 'donation fee?'  For example...when someone signs up for a 'race or game or whatever class'...

That for every class they enter...they need to make a donation.  Not a set amount.  We have found that donations will many times...exceed the required amount for a class.  Have a poster or flyers that explain where the 'donations' are going and why...if the parents of Fidge are allright with that.

Still make it clear that every class has it's own 'donation fee.'

Just a thought...

I'm just grieved at the thought of this story...still.  I pray the parents are making it through this horrible time.  Bless you for thinking of them and trying to do something to 'honor and remember' their son.

**EDIt...Being this is a memorial...have you thought of having some kind of grand entry?  Maybe having someone lead a riderless horse to represent the missing rider [Fidge] that would have been there to participate if God hadn't called him home.  And telling the participants and the audience again...that this is why ya'll are holding this 'event.'

****

EDIT... prizes...

What about letting the 'winner' choose from everything that had been donated?  Place all your vendor donations on display and let the winner choose what they want?  

Or...If you have enough for more than 1st prize...choose a couple of gifts for that particular race or game.  And then the winner would choose which one he wanted the most.

Another idea for gifts or prizes...if you can get someone to donate a ton of hay...that can be divided by bales into individual prizes.

Answer 2

You could have a costume class, and a hoof and woof class.

The hoof and woof class would be were you set up  jumper/hunter class (like normal) then you ride the course then you have to get off and grave your dog or your friends dog and go through the coarse. The fastest team with the least penalty points wins!

Hope i helped!

Answer 3

Pony Club Gymkhana Events:

1) TODDLER LEADLINE- Children will be led at a walk. Any who wish may show a trot as well, at the judges’ discretion.

2) BENDING RACE– Riders race down a line of bending poles, passing them on alternate sides, turning round the last pole and returning the same way to the start.

3) DOUGHNUT RACE – Riders race to far end, give horse to a steward and, without using hands, eat a doughnut from a hanging string before mounting and returning to finish.

4) MUG RACE– Rider with mug in hand gallops to any post in his lane and puts the mug inverted on the top. He then races to the table, gets another mug and puts it on another post. He continues until all mugs are on posts, then races to the finish. If rider knocks over table or mug, he must dismount and set them back up. If post falls to the ground or is broken, rider is eliminated.

5) LEAD AND RUN– Rider races to far cone, dismounts and leads pony around cone and back to finish, weaving through the poles. Reins need not be taken over pony’s head, but stirrups must be crossed over saddle. Penalty for passing the cone before dismounting or failing to cross stirrups is elimination.

6) EGG & SPOON– Rider races around far marker cone, returns to center line, dismounts, picks up egg and spoon, and, leading pony, dashes on foot to finish line. Rider must not touch egg with hand at any time. If egg falls off spoon, rider must use spoon to pick it up. First competitor across the finish line with egg still in spoon wins. Beginners may have steward lead ponies.

7) TENNIS TOURNAMENT -Riders race down a line of bending poles and back to the finish while carrying a ball on a racquet. Rider must not touch the ball with hand at any time.

8) WALK-TROT EQUITATION**– Open to all riders who cannot canter. New riders may be on a lead line. There will be a prize for Champion of the Walk-Trot Division (classes 8, 12, and 21).

9) OLD SOCK RACE – Rider races to bucket with a rolled up sock, drops it in and continues to far end where he dismounts and picks up another sock He then mounts, races back to the bucket and drops that sock in before riding to the finish line.

10) MUSICAL MATS- Riders follow one another around outside of cones marking a circle. When music stops, each rider must immediately dismount and run to a mat in the center of the circle. Anyone without a mat is eliminated. Riders continue until only one is left. Beginners may have a steward help them dismount and hold ponies while they run.

11)PAIRS RELAY- (Two riders, One horse) The mounted rider, carrying a baton, races to the far end, dismounts and, after handing his pony to a steward, runs to his partner and hands her the baton. This partner then runs to the pony, mounts and races to the finish.

12)  WALK-TROT PLEASURE **– See rules for class 8.

13) COSTUME CLASS- Let your imagination be your guide! Prizes will be given for Most Original, Funniest, Best Adult in Class and/or others at the judges’ discretion.                                                                

14) SACK RACE - Riders race to far end, dismount, get into a sack and hop to finish line in their sacks, leading their ponies. Beginners may have a steward lead their ponies.

15) APPLE BOBBING- Rider races to far end, dismounts, hands pony and helmet to steward, runs to bucket and removes apple from water using only his teeth. The apple must not be touched by the rider’s hands until safely clear of the water.  Rider remounts and races to the finish. (Helmets must be replaced, with chinstraps fastened, before mounting.

16) THREE SPEEDS RACE – Rider canters to far cone, turns and comes back at same speed. When he reaches the start cone, he rounds it and returns to far cone at trot. After rounding far cone, he returns to finish at walk. If pony breaks into faster gait, rider must halt and pivot a full circle before continuing.

17) RIBBON RACE- Riders go in pairs around the ring holding a strip of crepe paper between them. If the ”ribbon” tears, they are eliminated.  

18)  STICK HORSE CLASS- For Non Riders of all Ages (or riders without a Real horse). Bring your favorite Stick Horse (Please make your own!) and compete with all the other homemade wonders of the equine world for Champion Horse of the Show.  Prizes will be given for the Most Beautiful Horse, Fastest, Most Colorful and/or any others at the judges’ discretion.

19) COOKIE RACE- Riders race to the far end where they will find a plate of cookies on a table. Riders must eat a cookie, finish swallowing, and whistle before racing back to the finish.

20) ADULT  LEADLINE- Children will lead mounted adults at walk and  trot.

21) WALK-TROT OVER POLES**- See rules for classes 8 and 12.

22) BARREL ELIMINATION – Riders follow each other around the ring over a line of small drums, placed end to end to form a jump. When all have jumped, one drum is removed and all jump again. A drum is removed at end of each round until only one remains. Riders are eliminated if ponies refuse, run out or rap the drums. Last successful rider wins.

23) CHASE ME CHARLIE- Two jumps are set up at lowest height. Riders proceed in turn, jumping both jumps.  The jumps are raised after each round.  Any pony refusing, running out, rapping a pole or knocking a pole down is eliminated.  The last one left with no faults is the winner.

24) RIDE-A-BUCK – Each rider provides her own dollar bill to put under her thigh. Riders will compete at walk, trot and canter and any other tests the judges require until only one rider is left with her money. Winner Takes All the dollar bills.

25)   BAREBACK EQUITATION – Walk, trot and canter both directions.

Local 4-H Event

1.       Open Halter                                  

2.       Novice Showmanship

3.       Open Showmanship

4.       Hunter Hack Walk/Trot (18” X Rails & Rail Work)

5.       Hunter Hack (2’ Fences & Rail Work)

6.       Scurry Race - set up three 2' (or lower) fences two or three strides apart. Horse and Rider go over jumps and around a pole or barrel then back over the jumps. Whoever is fastest wins. Make sure to set the striding right. Last year they set it to a stride a half which made things hard/dangerous.

7.       Novice English Pleasure Walk/Trot

8.       Open English Pleasure Walk/Trot

9.       Novice English Equitation Walk/Trot

10.   Open English Equitation Walk/Trot

11.   Novice English Go As You Please

12.   Open English Go As You Please

13.   Novice English Pleasure

14.   Open English Pleasure

15.   Novice English Equitation

16.   Open English Equitation

17.   Gaited Horse Pleasure

18.   Jack Benny Pleasure  Eng/West - over 40 years old

19.   Generation Gap Go As You Please English or Western - get two riders with a 20 year age difference. One rides the first direction then gets off and the other riders goes the other way. Judged.

20.   Command Class  Eng/West - random commands are called out. If yo do it wrong you are out. (counter canter, canter to walk, back up, ect)

21.   Leadline (6 years & Under)

BREAK (30 Minutes)

22. Open Trail Walk/Trot

23. Open Trail

24. Gaited Horse Equitation

25. Jack Benny Equitation Eng/West    

26. Novice Western Pleasure Walk/Jog

27. Open Western Pleasure Walk/Jog

28. Novice Western Equitation Walk/Jog

29. Open Western Equitation Walk/Jog

30. Novice Western Go As You Please

31. Open Western Go As You Please

32. Gaited Horse Go As You Please

33. Novice Western Pleasure

34. Open Western Pleasure

35. Novice Western Equitation

36. Open Western Equitation

37. Egg and Spoon

38. Handy Horse - horse gallops around a marked off area then stop in a square and not step out of it. Whistel blown at 5 seconds where horse gallops across the finish line. Fastest horse wins. We competed against a a polo pony last year and it kicked our buts at this...

39. Potato Race

40. Flag Race

41. Texas Barrels

42. Go-Go Race

43. Stake Race

44. Single Pole Race

45. Ride A Buck (No Chaps allowed, Bring your   own dollar, Winner takes ALL)

Good Luck with the show and my condolances to the family

Answer 4

Talk to some local businesses and ask them to "buy" an advertising spot at the show.  Like sponsoring a class for $50 and they get their name announced before and after the class, and you can make a big poster with a list of all the businesses that donate.  Let them know what you're doing with the proceeds, and also post a show bill at their business location.  You can probably get a judge to do the show at a big discount, and get discounts on awards.  Also, get some people to donate baked goods, and have a concession stand.

We would do shows like this for a 4-H fundraiser every year, and come out with like $3500 profit after entry fees and concession stands, and after we took out the costs of ribbons and a judge.

If you can get the businesses to donate, it will make a huge difference.  Look at other show bills in your area for ideas on classes.  We'd have stuff like "bribe your horse" where you have to get the horse to follow you down around a barrel and back (my horse would follow me if I had a bag of bread!).  You can do "ride a buck bareback", egg toss, showmanship, some pattern classes like horsemanship or equitation.

Also, you can do a 50/50 raffle.  Get a cheap role of tickets at walmart, and sell them at the show.  50% of the total is given to the winner, the other 50% is donated.

Good luck!

Answer 5

I always find certificates are quite good and cheap if you can't buy rosettes/ribbons etc. and i know this might sound really stupid, but what i used to do when faced with no rosettes is to make them out of recycled materials. you can sew and pleat plastic bag material as easily as ribbon and also you can get loads of colours and even patterns! also paper works, just as long as you don't get it wet!! Oh, and for prizes, even if you can't get people to donate some (for big winners, a saddle bag is often a good one to try and get them to donate) then everyone likes chocolate! i am lucky enough to have a horse head choclate mould, but if you don't just pipe them or something and do them up with tissue or plastic!

Answer 6

Here are a few that I always like playing. Hope this helps! The one girl gave a long list! So maybe one of these were not on it..... :)

Ribbon race-- have a paper mache ribbon between 2 riders run down a barrel pattern

Bucket race-- have a bucket with 1/4 water in it, run down and around a barrel with leadropes to 2 partners.

Barrel Crawl--  have a barrel with both sides open, run horse down, dismount, go through barrel, remount. Horse can not pass finish line without you.

Boot race-- everyone takes a boot off throw in a pile, run down and put boot on and race back.

Catalog race-- race down, announcer calls out a number in a magazine, find page, rip it out and race back.

Flag race-- run down, get flag out of bucket filled with sand on top of barrel, run to other barrel with sand filled buck and place and run home

Reverse keyhole-- run around the keyhole on the outside, the come around, to a keyhole on the inside and run back around the outside.

Mailbox-- run along the outer edge of the arena, go to mailbox, get mail and run home.

Broom Race-- run down to other end of arena, dismount, someone holds your horse, place forehead on broom, turn 3 circles as fast as you can, then attempt to lead your horse back to the finish line.

I'm sorry about what happened!

Answer 7

you should do  jockey and groom

Answer 8

I would charge a couple dollars per class, maybe more if there is less people.  

Do some small jumps, larger ones if the riders have more experience.  Also, try doing an egg squash (put an egg at the end of an arena, and have riders ride up one by one and get their horse to either step on or kick the egg, either cracking or breaking it.  Fastest time wins), and Ride a Buck (done bareback, riders put a dollar under their leg and hold it there through different gaits and manuvers).

Answer 9

well

bubble gum race:: u unwrap a piece of EXTREMELY chewy gum [lol] and go to the other end of the arena, circle a cone, and race back to yer 'partner' who is on the ground and when ur the first to blow a bubble the size of a quarter or bigger they win.

red light, green light

trail course?? for fun

bareback class?

carrot race::

u have [number] barrels lined up at the opposite end of the arena

and theres lyk 3 carrots on each one of them

u race over

ur horse has to eat only ONE of the carrots! then race back, circle a cone, then go and eat ONE more carrot then whoever finishes first wins

baton race

barrel racing

[3 barrels and  the pattern. i assume u kno what barrel racing is tho lol]

and to the person below me

whyd u put a horse show schedule on here??