For those that show...how long actually AT the show.

It is not as strange a question as it may seem and I am wondering if my times are about equal to yours.

So here is the question. How long from the moment you leave your residence to the time you return do you actually spen on one show day?

Leave out any side trips,and use only the average show and minimun classes entered. Don't forget that some times will be doubled as you need to get there AND return.

Here is an example

Dressage show

To barn and back (driving time) = 3/4 x 2= 1.5 hrs

Trailering and getting horse ready at the barn = 1.5 x 2 =3 hrs

At the show = 3.5 hrs with 2 classes

Total time =8 hours.

Well our barn goes with at least 8 riders ranging from different classes. If we are going to a schooling show that is one day.....

Get to barn at 5:30am leave at 6am
Arrive at show grounds at 7am
Classes from 8am-3pm (sometimes longer if anyone does Hunter classes)

I usually will do 6-8 classes at a minimum most in jumpers and maybe a few hunters if I want some practice.
Get back at barn at like 4:30pm
Clean Joe, tack, put everything away at barn 6pm

Soooo I spend about 12 hours when at local shows sometimes less depending on who all goes to shows.

Now if at a big 4 day show, well we only trailer first and last day so other days we usually are at the grounds from 7am-3pm (sometimes longer if we stay and watch)

Our barn rule is we don't leave until everyone has a) finished showing (we need to support each other) b) we have to clean all our horses stalls and put fresh shavings in c) refill all water buckets D) feed horses E) rake the aisle F) lock all the horses stalls/tack room and stack all chairs etc... then we may go. Lol

I always trailer into a show the night or day before unless there's some weird conflict.. On a usual show day day I'm on the grounds at 6AM to open the show office and walk my horse and I probably wont leave until 6pm or later, depending on when the show office closes that day.

It varys, I usualy do all the preperation the night befor and then get up an houre before we need to leave to feed Magic, we usually arive at the show about an houre before it starts and most of the shows I go to start at 8.30 and finnish between 3 and 4 pm, I just got back from a show that went for 3 days though.

Has anyone done a show in less time than the example I posted?

If I were at a show on my own I probably could, but since I am stuck with trailering with the rest of the barn, I have yet to be done less than 9 hours.

Umm well one time at a dressage-one-day-hunters-the-next trailer in and tie to your trailer show I think I got there around 9 or 10 and was gone by 3 or 4 each day... But my memory is horrible.
I do remember that my horse was trying to eat the decorative shrubs the entire time and flung one at another horse..

I really can't say, I usually ride different horses (so different prep time, different classes, etc.)

If I don't school, I get there at about 9:00AM, 5:30 AM if I need to school early.

It also depends on if they trailer out that day, or the next. And also if our one jumper is showing. If they are trailering out that day, everyone waits for the last person to finish showing and THEN we leave. So if the jumper is showing, I might not leave the show untill 8PM.

So... 15-8 hours?

I usually haul in on friday night around 4pm. I ride and then bath and feed, then we cook burgers and dogs at the show grounds and get home about 10pm... I feed the horses and leave the house around 6:30am on Saturday and spend the whole day there (classes are all mixed in). Finish around 6ish and get home by 6:30ish unless we do burgers and dogs at the show grounds. I get up Sunday morning and do it all over again, show ends around 5ish... home by 6ish.... (that's a local show). Away shows are usually 3 or 4 days and we stay at the show grounds the whole time.

For our local shows, we leave the barn at 7:00 ish and get home about 6:00ish so very long days! But usually that is cuase my jumping classes are at 8:30 and my others are like after lunch! So lots of waiting. Great bareback time;)