The 34th Annual
Region 12 Championships And
Fifth Annual
Spotlight Futurity May 3-7, 2011
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The 34th Annual
Region 12 Championships And
Fifth Annual Spotlight Futurity May 3-7, 2011 For the last decade, the Region 12 Show has been the main source of income to our membership, and at the same time has provided to our exhibitors a first-class show facility, national-caliber competition, and a mini-national-like atmosphere for all attendees. However, it is a common mistake to become a little too complacent when you have had the opportunity to be at the top of your game. When our revenue started to take a nosedive over the last few years, a decision was made by our 2011 Show Commission to go back to the drawing board and get our fingers back onto the pulse of our industry. The common goal was to do our best to provide the best but at the same time to charge less. In today’s world, where
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prices are soaring through the roof, that sounds a little daunting, don’t you think? What Region 12 management determined would work better was more attention to the costs incurred both by the show and by horsemen. We broke down everything we did, line item by line item, and tightened up everywhere we could. It was pretty labor-intensive, but we were able to keep all the quality items we wanted and still bring our costs down. This recipe for success was made possible because our volunteers stayed on course and the lines of communication to our trainers and exhibitors were kept open. Many of our trainers actually volunteered to help out by working with us to revamp our class listing and schedule.
For the most part, the improved finances were achieved by returning the show to its previous five-day format, negotiating better prices where it counted, cutting expenses for volunteers, and boosting participation by trimming all show charges for extra services that are provided to our exhibitors. Patron fees were slashed by $100, which resulted in the program’s nearly doubling in size, and post-entry fees were decreased, prompting the appearance of more horses. In critical areas such as judging, the show did not spare expense; three nationals judges were included on the roster of five. As well as taking in money, the show paid it out as well—more than $115,000 in the independent Spotlight Futurity and Region 12’s Futurity. Those are just the facts, however. The real appeal of the Region 12 Show lies in its approach to pleasing its participants. The myriad of ways to earn trophies and prizes combines high-class competition that attracts some of the country’s top show barns, with real opportunities for small operations and amateurs to win not only ribbons but prize money. And the level of competition ensures populated grandstands— not only with spectators and the owners of Nationals-bound horses, but also with other exhibitors who just enjoy watching the horsemanship and feeling the excitement. Region 12, of course, is about more than just the payouts in the Spotlight. It also features a full slate
of open and amateur classes, Breeders Sweepstakes Yearling events, Region 12 Futurity competition (where the horses are typically presented by trainers), and an array of dressage and sport horse competition. The schedule offers social events and other activities as well, including the Spotlight Auction on Thursday night, which mixes business with pleasure. Does it work? As our Region 12 director points out, “This year our Sweepstakes yearling colts and fillies had 19 in one and 16 in the other, which is higher than the other regional shows held so far. Here, we have the advantage of offering a second payback program for the yearlings with our Spotlight Futurity program.” I’ve been doing this for 10 years, and this year’s show was the most logistically correct and well-organized show we’ve ever done. I’m so proud of all of the people that worked this year’s show, the outpouring of support was overwhelming. A show like this reassures people that they don’t want to cut back, but instead that the footing is safe for them to get more involved with our incredible breed. For those of you that have not made the trip to Region 12, you are cordially invited to come on down and check us out. For additional information, please take a look at our website, www.region12.com. Janet Searls is Vice Director of Region 12, and the longtime Spotlight Stallion Incentive Program Event Director.
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That Sizzling Spotlight Futurity In its brief history, the Spotlight Stallion Incentive Program, which has attracted high marks since its inception, has gotten even better. In the beginning, its classes were for amateur owner handlers only, but now in its fifth year, it has initiated junior performance classes, which will be shown mainly by professional trainers, in western, country English and hunter. The 3-year-old age group was added in 2011, with 4-yearolds coming on line next year. At age 5, Spotlight entries must be presented once again by amateurs. With more than 200 mares a year nominated, the program is the fastest-growing stallion incentive program on the east coast. Recognizing that the number of futurities now available in the Arabian industry puts pressure on stallion owners, the program also has added incentives in appreciation for the owners’ participation. “One of the things we have done is that every stallion owner who puts their stallion in also gets an auction breeding and they can compete in those classes,” says Frank Chisholm of Palmetto Arabians in Timmonsville, S.C. Chisholm has been on the Spotlight board since the program began and was its president for two years. “It allows each one to designate one of the babies out of their breedings to go in and compete in the classes and have a chance to win some money too. I get calls all the time wanting me to put my stallions in futurities, and the first thing I’ll ask is, ‘Great, what’s in it for me? I probably can’t make it to your show, you’re so far away.’ The Spotlight gives you the chance to breed a baby that you can sell and that baby has a certificate that allows them to show in that show. For the regional, and in our case the Spotlight too, it also drives up the
number of entries because the stallion owners can go in and compete too. That attracts good stallions, which gets people to come in and bid, and the auction is where you raise the bulk of your money.” Since stallion season auctions are a feature of most futurities, the Spotlight’s management also searched for ways to make their futurity exciting and fun. To kick things off, they begin with a competition. “We do the auction in the main arena, with catering tables set up and food and a bar available, and we hold one of the Spotlight auction yearling classes prior to the auction,” says Eric Wolfe. “These horses are shown by their amateur owners, and place emphasis on the presentation with the check and roses and ribbons. As soon as the class is concluded, the auction begins.” The Spotlight has found widespread support from breeders and owners in Region 12 and, increasingly, across the country. “The Spotlight is amateur driven,” Janet Searls observes, “but it has something for everyone—stallion owners, serious breeders and exhibitors alike.” Darrell Turner, who with fellow breeder Frank Meade owns Ridgeline Arabians in St. Paul, Va., describes the role the Spotlight plays in the attractions of Region 12. “Think of the stallions who were bred or owned here: DA Valentino, Magnum Psyche, Versace, Vitorio TO, ML Mostly Padron, Major Jamaal, Semper Fie, PA Magnanimous, Trussardi and there are probably others I’m just not remembering,” he says. “In the Spotlight, you can win some serious money and you don’t have to go all the way to Scottsdale or Minnesota or Iowa. As small breeders, that makes a difference.” j u ly 2011 | Region 12 • 49
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Turner has purchased “three or four” breedings at the Spotlight auction, and began showing in its classes last year. He says that Ridgeline produces just one or two horses a year—and in 2011, they took home more than $13,000 in Spotlight prize money. They won the Auction Yearling Colt competition and the 3-year-old English Pleasure class with the full siblings Commandandt (Semper Fie x Falcon Myst BHF), shown by Turner, and Mystifie, who was trained and shown by Hal Sander.
well—it’s a passion for us, as opposed to owning the horse and having someone hand it off to me when I go in. That’s really rewarding, knowing that we can be competitive doing our own thing.” In addition to the Spotlight classes, he says, Region 12’s ATH and AOTH classes have added to the fun. “I have several horses that are nominated to the Spotlight,” he offers. He can’t resist. “I am so into the horses and their pedigrees. I don’t know if Arabians are a passion or an addiction.”
“A good halter horse should be a good performance horse in my book,” he says. “If you breed correctly, that halter horse should be able to do something other than stand there and look pretty. With this Spotlight, in their 3, 4 and 5-year-old years, it’s all performance. They’re keeping it really simple as of right now, and I love it. I say keep it amateurs, because it gives me a chance to show my horse and if he’s a good horse and we have some good judging, we’re going to be rewarded for it. And when you have all amateurs in there, most of the judges don’t know who they are. Not to get into politics, but they judge the horse and not the handler.”
Charles Moseley is another enthusiast. “You have to give people a way to become excited and a chance to get some of their money back,” he says, “because it is an expensive undertaking. The more we do that with our Arabians, the more we’ll see the industry grow.”
At the same time, Turner counsels amateurs who do their own work to study the professionals on conditioning, ask questions, and pay attention to what wins, because the level of competition demands it. “We’re small breeders,” he says. “We basically do it ourselves. I’m not knocking trainers, because we have sent horses to them and many of them have been very helpful to me, and if you win money, that helps you with your expenses. We condition our horses
Moseley, of Southwind Arabians in Selma, Ala., has been breeding since the early 1990s and admits to making all the mistakes new breeders make—and learning from them. Now, he keeps broodmares and believes in the Spotlight so much that he became a right-holder and, instead of acquiring a stallion himself, sponsors individuals he feels will enhance the program. “If you own and promote a stallion, that’s a very expensive undertaking,” he says. “I want to promote the Arabian horse, and feel like the best way to do that is to promote the programs. For breeders, the auction really is one of the best avenues to buy breedings. We’re very thankful to all the stallion owners who donate breedings to the futurity; I know it benefits the stallion owners, getting those babies out sometimes in a region where some of them wouldn’t normally be.”
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In a normal year, Chisholm says, Palmetto breeds about 15 babies, of which two or three go into halter and the rest become performance prospects. “We won in the Spotlight Western Pleasure class this year,” he says, “and we were three out of the top five in Spotlight Hunter. Four horses bred on our farm were in that class. Having those classes was a big plus for us, and as the money rolls into these performance classes, more and more people who think of futurities as halter programs are going to realize that there can be money in performance too. It was nice going in a class and finishing in the top five and winning over $1,000.”
with Gordon Potts. “This is something we enjoy doing together. It’s a lifestyle thing; I can’t stress that enough. I was never around horses before I became involved with Arabians. This gave my daughter and me something we could do together when she was growing up.” Evaluating the success of the Region 12 Show, Moseley sees the big picture. “Region 12 is very fortunate to have the support that it does from the seven states and all the professional horsemen,” he says. “The money is only part of it. People do business with people they like, and I’ve always felt like people support Region 12 because they like the people that are doing the show—they like the atmosphere. The show itself is very well-run, and it’s a beautiful facility. When you have hard-working, good people who put so much time and effort into the show, and specifically into the Spotlight, it becomes a lot of fun. “There’s something for everybody and it doesn’t take long to get hooked on Arabian horses,” he observes. “I can’t see myself with a life that doesn’t involve the Arabian horse.” Charles Moseley remembers the first time one of his horses won a regional championship, in 1995. “I could have won the Nationals that day, it was so exciting.”
Even though he has traditionally been a halter man, Moseley too appreciates the Spotlight’s new expansion into performance. He and his wife, LeAnne, have their first homebred performance horse in training
That’s the way Region 12’s supporters view their show. For some exhibitors and breeders, it is their Nationals, and for others, it can be the springboard to world-class titles.
Longtime supporter Frank Chisholm and his wife, Sara, made a serious commitment to the Spotlight when they nominated all five of Palmetto Arabians’ stallions to the program. This year, the wisdom of that decision was more evident than ever, as a team of their representatives—some owned by the Chisholms and some by clients—not only scored and earned prize money, but also provided the strong promotion for their sires. “We were very consistent in being able to place and win in about every class we entered,” Chisholm says. “We won almost $20,000 in prize money in the Spotlight this year, and it was really nice going to the show and coming back and you actually made a profit at the show!”
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