Hosts Come Together to Produce Year End Regional Tournament
"We were very fortunate here in the NW region to already have the tournament in place. It has been expanding every year and has truly become something riders work towards, and look forward to. I feel giving the riders a year end Tournament allows them to showcase how far they have come and reward them for their dedication to the organization. This year we are excited to be giving away certificates for custom Saddles to the first place winner in all 3 difficulty brackets as well as buckles for the winners of our partnership nominees. The Finals ride is open to anyone, but only those who placed in the top 15 within their bracket are eligible for the Saddles. This allows you to ride with your friends and family even if they didn't qualify," Ian explains.
Each year rules for qualification and type of tournament has changed slightly as the region changes and grows. In previous years Hosts would buy-in to list their ride as a tournament ride and the money would be used to purchase prizes for the Finals ride. This year we chose to not exclude any ride held in the Northwest as a qualifying ride and instead extended the optional offer for Hosts to Sponsor one of nine buckles for the Year End Awards. This way riders could choose to ride at any ride in the region, and those scores would count towards their year end scores.
The Scoring system takes the top ten rides from each rider and horse pair to determine the Top 15 riders in each division (Novice, Intermediate and Advanced). Finals is open to all riders, just like any other ride in the region, however, only the Top 15 in each division can qualify for the big Finals Prizes (Saddles and accessories).
This format brought the entire region together as a whole, rather than separating rides out based on Qualifier vs. Non Qualifier rides. It created a more balanced number of riders at each Host's individual rides.
"I feel this brought a more balanced approach to Finals throughout the Region. We did implement a small fee to each Riders Exhibitor fee’s at every ride in the region that will be held and used to purchase the Finals Prizes of Saddles and Accessories, making Finals completely self sufficient and free from any one person covering the event financially as has happened in past years. A lot of thought had been put into the format we chose this year, and hopefully will be able to implemented in years to come.
each Riders Exhibitor fee’s at every ride in the region that
will be held and used to purchase the Finals Prizes of
Saddles and Accessories, making Finals completely self
sufficient and free from any one person covering the event
financially as has happened in past years. A lot of thought
had been put into the format we chose this year, and
hopefully will be able to implemented in years to come,"
Jaci explained.
ETS Ambassadors for the Pacific N.W. Region are Jaci Weishaar and Ian Jones
"I have most enjoyed watching the new hosts gain the confidence to conduct their event to the highest standards. Not all hosts are naturally comfortable standing front and center, but with a little nudge, lots of phone calls in the days leading up to the event, and the hands on coaching they not only put on one successful event, but are conducting multiple events after their launch. Our goal is for every host to have the knowledge, confidence and tools necessary to be successful for all future events after we leave," Ian concludes.
If you've been considering hosting any type of equine event yourself, Equine Trail Sports is a great place to start. You'll receive top notch support and a stellar leadership program that can help you reach your goals and great success!
For more information visit: www.equinetrailsports.com