Because it’s Sunday, and I need precisely five minutes away from the never-ending dumpster fire that is my HOY prep, I’ve decided to take a quick nap. But first, a little brain dump—since absolutely no one reads these anyway.
I have no idea what I ranted about last time regarding show sponsorship, but here we are at the end of yet another season, so let’s call this a “reflection.” (Or, more accurately, the annual ritual of questioning why I do this to myself.)
This season, I dabbled in the dark arts of financial sponsorship— instead of just the usual pile of prizes. Some shows even let businesses set up a trade stand in return for sponsorship, which turned out to be a great idea. I actually enjoyed most of the events I went to and traded at.
Once again, sponsoring events has been an exercise in shouting into the void—except this time, the void also sends invoices. Riders win prizes, sometimes even entire classes, and the level of acknowledgment is truly inspiring (by which I mean, nonexistent). Honestly, at this point, I wouldn’t be surprised if my prizes just vanished into the ether. Did we actually sponsor that class, or was it all just a beautifully orchestrated illusion? Who knows.
To be fair, the show organizers do try. They’ll throw out social media posts, wedge your logo into the program, and if your sponsorship tier is high enough, you might even get a fleeting mention over the loudspeaker—right between an announcement about a loose pony and a reminder that the coffee van takes cash. Honestly no hate to organisers most are fantastic!
I suppose I should pause my relentless complaining to give credit where it’s due. This season has been an absolute whirlwind, and, to be honest, I can barely remember which events I’ve supported—so if I’ve forgotten anyone, let’s just blame it on sponsorship-induced memory loss.
That said, two events actually managed to cut through the brain fog: the Show Hunter Teams Champs hosted by MPC and the NZPCA Champs hosted by Manawatu West Coast. Why? Because many teams actually came and said thank you. In person. Wild concept, I know. And unless the heat was causing full-blown hallucinations, I’m pretty sure there was even a team of girls singing their thanks to each sponsor. If that was real and not just heatstroke, I’d say that’s some next-level appreciation. There were also many emails all were so so appreciated.
Businesses don’t expect grand gestures like impromptu musical numbers (though, admittedly, that was a nice touch). But a little acknowledgment wouldn’t go amiss. A simple “thanks” here and there—maybe even with the sponsor’s name attached—wouldn’t be the worst idea. Instead, we’re often treated to the classic, half-hearted “thanks to the sponsors” buried at the bottom of a social media post, right below 47 hashtags and a reminder that the horse will be for sale at the end of the season.
Now that the complaining portion of this broadcast is over (for now), it’s time to figure out what to do about the winter season and next season. My inbox, as always, is a steady stream of sponsorship requests—because once you’ve given something away once, you’ve apparently unlocked lifetime membership to the “please sponsor us” club.
I’ve started keeping track of which events distribute the prizes/ which riders are most receptive and which ones leave me wondering if my sponsorship just evaporated into thin air. So, going forward, I think we’ll be sticking to shows where the riders actually seem to appreciate the effort—because, shockingly, throwing free stuff into the void isn’t as fulfilling as one might think.
I personally get a lovely dose of imposter syndrome and start wondering if people just think my products are absolute garbage—so unworthy of acknowledgment that even a half-hearted "cheers" is too much effort. Always a fun thought spiral.
That being said, businesses want to support shows. We want to support the sport. But wow, do some riders make it so incredibly difficult to actually enjoy doing so. It’s almost like a challenge—how much goodwill can they drain before sponsors start questioning all their life choices?
Once again, a massive thank you to the shows and groups of riders who haven’t made me reevaluate every decision I’ve ever made, those who have let up trade onsite, And to the fantastic shows I may have conveniently omitted—my bad.
I’ll step down from my soapbox now, before I get too carried away with the existential crisis.
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