They started off by contacting other horse people in the area and asking if any of them might be interested in participating in and/or hosting a low-cost Introduction to Working Equitation clinic if they were able to organize the event and bring in an instructor. The response was positive, so the first weekend in December, they hosted their first public introductory clinic in Illinois at a facility owned by long-time area horsewoman Judi Funk. The event brought in participants from Wisconsin as well as Illinois, and riders and auditors alike left with a lot more knowledge and even more enthusiasm for the sport.
The next event, a two-day clinic with Nuno Matos, the Head Instructor of the Pedro Torres Academy of Working Equitation, USA (www.PedroTorresAcademy.com), drew 50 auditors and just under a dozen riders to SL Andalusians, a beautiful facility owned by Janita and Bill Smith.
Karen and Mike Boso followed up on this early momentum by building their own high-end obstacles and beginning to host regular practice days and clinics at their facility. We’ve found that a key to the successful growth of the sport in a region is encouraging people to self-organize and host events in different places. Not only does this approach help expose more people to the sport, it also gives people the chance to showcase different facilities in an area, and helps build a feeling of community among those in attendance.
Schedule A Sufficient Number of Low-Cost Events
You increase the likelihood that people will commit to a new sport when they see that you have events planned for the future that they can prepare for. This preparing for the future, then, helps drive participation at clinics and practice sessions, and results in more people at Schooling Shows and other low-key events.
In the Great Lakes Region, Howard and Erica Peet worked with Karen and Mike Boso, Dee Janelle, and Polly Hall to schedule four Schooling Shows during the summer. From the start, they announced that points earned at each of the four shows would count toward the Regional High Point Program, which awarded nice trophies as well as really beautiful neck sashes to Champion and Reserve.
Celebrate Early and Often
At each of the WE United events hosted in the Great Lakes Region in 2016, organizers followed through on a commitment to celebrating all participants. They ensured that all riders came out with high-quality photographs, and shared these widely on social media. They took time to thank the behind-the-scenes workers like Mike Mokry and Karen and Mike Boso, who build amazing obstacles for area events and Richard Klein, who worked tirelessly to set up / tear down the courses and made sure there were plenty of food and beverages. They publicly thanked Katie Berger for helping behind the camera and wherever else she was needed, and Sharon Kinney, 2016 Great Lakes Region WE Volunteer of the Year, who donated her time to serve in the role of Technical Delegate not just once, but repeatedly throughout the season. And, of course, they took the time to thank their facility hosts, for without people willing to host events, nobody can play.
Taking the time to celebrate each person’s achievements, large or small, helps build a culture of support, an environment where people care more about each other and about building a positive relationship with their horses than about placing high in a class.
And, in the end, isn’t that what it’s all about? The more we can ensure that people leave our events smiling and looking forward to the next, the more we have helped bring joy into the riding experience. One of the things we hear most often at our events is how refreshing it is to be participating in a competition where people are having such a great time, and where people support those around them. Building solid, positive partnerships is of the philosophical underpinnings of our sport. We’ve found that the places that have been most successful at promoting the sport, such as the Great Lakes Region highlighted in this month’s article, apply that message not only to their horses but also to all those around them.
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