WIHS Barn Night - Where’s the Love? continued...
can stand next to the puissance wall on the concourse. T ere is nothing special or unique about that. Letting the barns come onto the arena fl oor after the show? Now that was special. Being able to enter the arena fl oor and walk the course that the great riders and horses had just ridden, to stand next to the jumps that they had just jumped, THAT was a unique and exclusive fan experience. T at enabled adults and children alike a moment of wonder and awe, the kind of moment that inspires a kid to want to grow up and ride at Washington some day. And if some do not end up riding, well then, maybe when they become CEO of that Fortune 500 Com- pany, and they remember that special mo- ment, they just might be willing to sign up to be that title sponsor. And the spectrum of support between the title sponsorship and the champion rider is endless, from being a dedicat- ed owner supporting trainers and riders to a de- voted fan who every year purchases a hospitality table for the week. So often this level of passion and dedication begins with one small moment, something as simple as walking in the wake of a great horse.
Is it a pain in the butt to organize getting all those people onto the arena fl oor? Yes, it is. But the experience, and the long-term ben-
Barn Night Winners Best Group Video
Rock Creek Horse Center (Washington, DC) Best Group Banner
Harmony Ridge (Deale, MD) Best Group Spirit
Serene Acres Riding Center (Round Hill, VA) Overall Largest Group
Meadowbrook Stables (Chevy Chase, MD)
Largest Maryland Group Wheaton Park Stables (Wheaton, MD)
efi ts? Priceless.
Your lips say “love,” but your stiff arm says “stay away.”
We applaud the addition of the videos to the contests. T e videos have been fun and creative, and it is a wonderful marketing bonus for par- ticipating stables to be able to have that “com- mercial air time” at Washington. But in the end, it seems as if the barns are being stiff -armed away from the action of the show as much as possible, and that stiff arm
keeps getting longer. T e barn banners are no longer allowed in the stands, instead they are “displayed” on the concourse. Well, whoopee doopie…if they are not going to appear in the background of the photos of the competitors riding, if they are not go- ing to appear in the background of the live video, what fun is it? T is year, barn winners were announced at
the very beginning of the show. How can the “secret judge” have possibly judged “best barn spirit” before the show has even started? Organizers claim to “love” Barn Night…
but we have to confess: we just aren’t fee- lin’ the love. And apparently, neither are the barns, as participation has declined from a high of 44 barns in 2006 (24 of which were Maryland stables) to only 31 this year
(17 from Maryland). WIHS says that the to- tal number of barn night seats is comparable to last year, but––compared to the years of packed stands - it certainly seemed a lot emp- tier. Perhaps the barns are buying the tickets but not sending anyone to the show (which is a lose-lose proposition for everyone, including sponsors and vendors). But maybe that is okay. Maybe it is okay to admit that the love aff air is over and that it is time to let it go, and move on.
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