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

I think I might be quicker, I know that indoor ode's are pretty close and only take a few hours altogether but shows...
Riding club shows the sites are close, let me think...
Probably leave the house a little after 8, go get moo ready and go, 3 classes my last (time dependant) finished somewhere around 2/2:30, go back to the yard feed the pony and turn out then home at about 4
So just under 8 hours Alot longer for county shows!

Yup, the grounds I normally do the jumper show at are about 15 minute drive away. And there are three jumper rings with at least 200 riders with 3 classes each. We are always done before 2pm. And they do ribbons when each class finishes so even when I am the last two classes of the ring I still get out of there before 2pm. So... 15 minutes driving X 2 plus 9am arrival to 2pm leaving is 5.5 hours.

Dressage shows are usually way shorter cause I get a time to ride and they can usually give me my two tests (I tend to only ride two tests in a day) with an hour in between. So the grounds for the dressage are about 1/2 an hour drive away so... I usually get to the ground with two hours before my test, lots of time to chill and warm up slowly. Lets say an hour and a half for the two tests and then leave... 1/2 hour X 2 travel, 3.5 hours at the grounds is 4.5 hours.

It really depends where I'm going. The nearest show to me is about 3 hrs, the farthest is pushing 8.5 hours. Because I show in eventing, the venues in my area are few and far in between. I'll give you a run of the show I attend most often.

Getting Ready to leave (wrapping, loading, hitching, etc; there and back) = 1hr x 2 = 2 hrs
Travel (there and back) = 3.5 hrs x 2 = 7 hrs

Actual showing differs, tbh. Since events don't really have "classes" per say. I mean, you register for your division, then you're placed in a subset of the class if there are a lot of people entered. For example, I might be showing Novice level, but be in Novice Section B for my riding class because there are so many entrants in my division. Then your dressage and stadium are usually on Saturday, with cross country on Sunday, so it's kind of hard to give an exact time table. Generally I warm up for dressage for about 45 minutes, depending onthe horse I'm riding. The test itself is about 6-7 minutes, then I head back to the barn to give the horse a break (anywhere from 10 minutes to an hour depending on when stadium starts) then change tack and head off to warm up for stadium, usually about 20 minutes, then a 1.5 minute course, and I'm done until the next day.

I'm actually at the venue itself from early Friday afternoon until Sunday midmorning or afternoon, depending on my cross country time. So we have to get a hotel every time I go show.

I always go the night before if they are out of town. I like to get my horse there early and if possible ride in the arena first or just tack up the horses and go for a little walk around the grounds so they can see and smell every thing. I rather get all the spooks out the day before the show than the day of the show. And when it comes to going home. It all depends on how far the drive is. I don't like driving at night because I have pretty bad eyes so I will either wait another day or go home..

Our shows are usually 3-4 day shows. We don't really have any one day shows. So, we trailer all of the horses into the show grounds the Wednesday before. That Thursday we train, clean tack, get settled and have a potluck dinner (just our barn). Friday, Saturday and Sunday we arrive really early, warm up, get stuff ready and then classes start around 8am. My division is usually done by noon so the rest of the day is spent watching fellow riders, doing our signed chores in our barns area etc. Sometimes on Friday nights the ladies all hang out in the evening and have wine and discuss the day. For the most part, the shows are an all day thing.

Ours typically are over the course of 4 days. We typically get there a day early for a 3 day show. Most of our shows range from 30 mins to 4hrs away from home.

Well, I could if I showed, but I can do the math for you:

Dressage show

To barn and back (driving time) = 0 (at home)

Trailering = 1/2 hr x 2 = 1 hrs or up to 3 hrs if further away
And getting horse ready at home = 1 hr (guessing here since I don't show)

At the show = 3.5 hrs with 2 classes -- probably the same, but depends on order of shows

Total time =5.5 to 7.5 hrs depending on location of show.

However, most people I know that DO show, write off the entire day. Period.

Hm, that depends on the show, location, how many horses I'm riding, how many divisions I'm riding in, if any of my kids are showing, etc.
At local shows I can actually show very quickly. The division I show most of my horses in is almost always the first of the day, which starts at 8am. So I get there around 6:30 or 7:00, pay my entries, tack up my horses, give them a quick school. The division has about 4 classes which are usually over within an hour. So I'm done... 9ish? :) (not bad, huh?) But I do spend the night before schooling them at the show grounds, bathing, etc. That takes a while.

At a rated show? Wellll... In July I spent 2 weeks waking up at 4 am, not usually having time to eat lunch, and eating dinner at 10pm before heading back to the hotel exhausted. I lost some weight that week!

I generally get up at 400-430 and we roll out of here around 500. Takes me 1 hr & 15 min to get to the showgrounds. Show starts at 830. I'm there ALL DAY. It's not unusual to be there at or after 600 pm. Til I get home and unloaded, etc. it's well after 800.

Depends where the show is.
Last weekend had SJ
At our PC so
Got there at 8.30
9am the classes started.
Did 3 rounds and 3 jump offs(call Back)
And was finnished horse untacked and iced by 11.30
We couldnt put them away till after all the classes had finnished though.
So that's 3 hours for three rounds of sj and three jump offs.. not too bad.