This message is from: Sam & Sue Banks <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Carol Rivoire wrote:
> So, keeping all this in mind, I would appreciate some input from those
> responsible for organizing the NFHR Equitana. Perhaps Lindsay Sweeney
> could give us facts and figures. For instance; what is Equitana's
> attendance? Is it broken down between local people, and people from away?
> For how many people is Equitana a destination, rather than something for
> locals to do on a weekend? Is there any data on the effects on the horse
> industry from the show? If so, is that data broken down to reflect horse
> sales and product and equipment sales?
Equitana's business corporation has a web page and email address
noted in the brochure they send out, so you can contact them directly. I
did not look at it this year, but I believe they had attendance records,
sales totals on the web page last year. I am sure they are geared
towards promoting their own business, so they would certainly be able to
run that type of analysis and answer your specific questions, rather
than add another burden to the NFHR volunteers who may not have access
to the internet.
I have talked with several people from my area who attended
Equitana. So most of these people travelled 10-12 hours to attend the
event. They mainly went for the educational value - the seminars, the
demonstrations and the chance to see new breeds, new equitpment, etc..
Obviously for these people it was a planned trip, not a local event.
None of these people made the effort to visit Equitana for the sales
aspect primarily, but of course, they did shop, most for that rare and
unusual item that you don't find in the mail order or local tack shops,
or a big bargain.
Like others on the list, I saw my first Fjord years ago, and
decided when the time came to get another horse, I was going to look
into the breed. I don't think you will see an immediate sale from events
like Equitana, but the seed needs to be planted. But honestly, it was
the Fjord competing at an open show that captured my attention, not an
Equitana type event, and I think that open shows are really the best
breed promotion. I would have to say that the breeders and "end product
users" (like others and myself) who take their horses out to open shows
are doing the best form of breed promotion possible for every other
Fjord breeder. The cute pictures and ads can catch my eye, but seeing a
good honest work ethic and nice performance from a well-trained Fjord is
what sold me on the breed. But the NFHR can't support the individual
Fjords being shown in open shows.
So I personally feel that actually seeing the breed was the most
important aspect in my decision to buy a Fjord, so to appeal to people
like me, you do need to get the Fjord horse visible, and events like
Equitana and Equine Affair, etc, do get a lot of exposure for the breed.
As others have mentioned though, I agree that the NFHR could run small
ads for the Registry and available Breeders' Directory in more
magazines, for instance, in the Driving Digest or The Whip. Or use The
Chronicle Of The Horse's Annual Junior/Pony issue, and put a promotional
piece in there with a successful hunt seat performance like Niki May.
Those are the kind of places I looked for Fjord breeders, because
of my hunt seat and driving background. From the Chronicle, I did get a
Connemara's breeders directory for Virginia from their registry, as I
was looking at them at the same time. Nowadays, with the internet access
available to many people, the NFHR web pages are really valuable.
Perhaps checking all those equine related sites, like Hay.Net, carriage
driving sites (ADS, CAA, CD-L) or work horse sites have links for the
NFHR under breed associations, some provide links at no cost.
I don't keep back issues of the Fjord-list, but I thought I
remembered this spring or early summer, there were several breeders or
people who sell Fjords saying that they had openings to take on more
sale horses because they had sold what they had. And there were several
other people saying how hard it had been to find and buy a Fjord that
had some training, ready to ride or drive. From posts like those, it
sounds like there is a demand for trained Fjords. Whether or not the
promotional efforts of the NFHR helped this year would take statistics,
but as an outsider on a newly formed email-list, it certainly seems
good.
And the last point I want to make is that the effect of the Fjord
promotion has been felt in North Carolina, where my sister lives (and
Dr. Jacobsen gets lonely). She was telling another horse person about
her sister (me) who has two Fjords, and this person said, "Oh, I heard
about them, they are the up and coming breed!"
Sue Banks, Virginia (not too far from those in the outback of North
Carolina)
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
