Pony Finals Survival Tips From an International Groom

CONGRATULATIONS! Your child qualified for Pony Finals!

You and your child have an exciting and memory-making week ahead of you. Pony Finals is magical, but it is also gruelling.

I have attended Pony Finals twice. Once as a working student for Emily Elek at Stonewall Ponies as a teenager. Since then, I have been an international groom with one of the world’s top show jumping programs. I have a lot of experience travelling, horse showing, and have put in more steps than I want to count at the Kentucky Horse Park.

As in all things, being prepared is key to enjoying your time in Kentucky. Here is my list of top suggestions for you, to help you enjoy your week even more!

READ THE PRIZE LIST

Knowing how your week will be laid out and what the show involves will improve your enjoyment and reduce your stress more than almost any other preparation.

Read the prize list before you go to the show. Educate yourself on everything in the prize list: the schedule, the different types of classes, pricing, rules, special events, and clinics. There are also numerous awards that can be won outside of the normal competition.

Study the prize list like it will get you into law school.

The prize list is something everyone (parents, trainers, pony owners, and pony riders) should all read. Make it your new bedtime story in the weeks before you leave for Kentucky.

Print it, highlight it, add sticky notes. Bookmark the prize list on your phone, so it is easily accessible.

HORSE SHOW ETIQUETTE

Remember that Pony Finals is an athletic competition - for you and your child. The challenge of Pony Finals is that it is a sporting event at a pony-themed carnival. It is difficult toprioritize their needs as a competitor and balance them with their social and pony-party needs as a child. The kids are there to compete in a finals competition but also want to run wild and roll around in ice cream. Every family has different priorities, so set yours before you go, along with good nutrition, rest and bedtime expectations.

Tip your grooms, bodyworkers, and braiders. I’m sure most of you are experienced at horseshows, but Pony Finals is a championship so it is a little different. Of course we still pay our grooms, bodyworkers and braiders like we normally do, but please tip them a little extra. At a Championship, they are going above and beyond to make your pony feel and look as good as possible and are exhausted from the crazy long rampacked days. The expectations from the trainers are incredibly high and the pressure is intense. Many of these workers are young people also trying to make it in an expensive sport, so a little envelope is very appreciated.

Know the show schedule. Pay attention to when your classes are, and the orders of go. At such a busy show, if you are late you will miss your class. Being on time is courteous to the show officials and staff. Being on time (even better - being a few minutes early) is considerate of everyone involved.

Be quiet at the ring. Be mindful of your surroundings. It is easy to get carried away with chatting and laughing, but it is distracting to the coaches, kids and ponies. Keep boisterous socializing away from the show ring.

Manage siblings and extended family. Ensure guests who have come to watch your child are well informed where they can and can’t go. Remind them that the competitors and horses have the right of way. Big groups of people block the ingates and warm up areas, fire lanes, and create hazards for everyone.

Ask your family and friends to allow your child time and space with their trainer to focus and not have to worry about anyone else.

CLOTHING FOR THE RIDER

Pack multiples of everything. Even if you have laundry where you are staying and can wash everything, don’t rely on one set of show breeches or shirts to get them through a day . The last thing you need is an ice cream accident and have to scramble to purchase new breeches 30 minutes before your class. If you pack spare clothes in your day bag, it will ease a little bit of the stress if something happens.

Bring multiple outfit changes per day. Kids will want to be kids and play around and goof around when they are done showing for the day. They should play clothes and rain gear.

CLOTHING FOR THE FAMILY

Bring multiple pairs of sneakers. It is scorching hot and/or rainy, so you will want multiple sneaker options. This way you can switch your shoes frequently and give them a chance to fully dry out when they get wet. You are also doing a lot of walking and may be on your feet a good chunk of the day so it is good to have shoes that you can switch out to keep your feet from hurting.

Pack a variety of clothes. The weather can either be crazy hot or really rainy. Have clothes that are lightweight and can keep you feeling cool but still covered from the sun.

Rain jackets galore. Don’t forget to pack your rain jackets. It almost always downpours at least one day while you are there and prepare to get wet. Bring multiple rain jackets, so you can switch them out when they get wet or soaked through, and rain boots so your feet don’t get wet.

It is easy to forget about the raincoats when we are so focused on how hot it is going to be but I can’t stress enough the importance of rain gear for Kentucky.

VIEWING AND LIVESTREAM

Whether you are going to Pony Finals or are watching from home, you'll want to watch the show. If you or someone in your family isn’t able to make it to Pony Finals and want to watch some of your favourite kids and ponies compete, you can watch the livestream on the USEF Network on ClipMyHorseTV. If you have a USEF account, you can create a ClipMyHorse account with it and you should be able to watch your desired classes.

A lot of barns and big groups of families and friends will purchase VIP tables for Pony Finals because it is an easy way to ensure you have seating and somewhere shady out of the sun to sit and watch while at the show and can also be a great way to convince some kids to take a break, get something to eat and watch the other classes without you having to worry too much about where they might be.

For the Pony Jumpers and Medal classes in the Alltech arena, your only real option to sit and watch is in the arena seating around the ring. There is generally enough seating that you will have no problem finding a good seat to watch. Please remember to be courteous and quiet, especially in the indoor where sound echoes.

PONY SHOPPING

Whether you are the one pony shopping, or you are selling a pony there are a couple things you should do to make the whole process easier for everyone.

If you are working with a trainer, let them handle everything.

If you are the one who is pony shopping and you are looking for a pony for your child, have it all go through your trainer. Other people and trainers are busy, and if you start messaging and booking trials for your child without talking to your trainer you can cause a lot of conflicts. Your trainer knows your child the best, and should be the one talking to people about ponies so they can make sure your child is sitting on ponies that are suitable for them and your budget.

You never know when your trainer might be talking to the same person about a pony that you are and the seller doesn’t realize and can accidentally double book. They have limited time at the show to do trials around when the pony is showing, without exhausting or overworking the pony, so be conscious of their time spent.

Trainers have mastered the art of pony negotiations. Your trainer is more equipped to negotiate an agreement for you because they may know the owner, the pony’s history, be able to spot any issues and discuss any goals, plans and info the owner might want before selling or leasing. Allow your trainer to be the one to speak on your behalf.

If it is your pony that you are trying to sell or lease out, allow your trainer or agent to handle the trial. Unless your trainer requests you be there, give the buyers their space. It is a hard decision sometimes, especially for kids, and you don’t want them to get too emotional about seeing someone else riding their pony and accidentally make a scene. You also want to not be present so that your trainer/agent can be the ones to negotiate and tell them their history, and it is better because then you don’t accidentally over share or say something the wrong way. They will know the best way to describe and talk about the pony to other people in a positive light while sharing their history. We all have desired price that we want for a lease or sale, and sometimes that makes it hard for us to negotiate for ourselves so it is better to have the agent negotiate because they will also want you to get as high a price as you can without getting emotional about it.

When do trials happen? Once a pony has finished competing in their over fences class, they are able to be tried. It is then at the discretion of the trainer who has the pony about when and how much the pony can be tried. Some people will let you try the same day, others will wait until the next day.

If the pony is also competing in the Pony Medal class they are not allowed to be ridden by anyone other than the child competing on it in the medal for 24 hours before the start of the class. This can limit how much a pony can be tried in the week. A lot of the ponies going will be in Kentucky the week after Pony Finals (or week before if you are an early bird) and can be tried then so that you don’t need to work around the stricter Pony Finals show schedule.

PHOTOGRAPHERS

First and foremost, please do not steal photographers' photos. It takes a lot of time and effort for them to get nice photos of as many classes and kids and ponies as they can, and at huge shows like Pony Finals. Also, each media company is usually paying multiple photographers to cover all of the rings.

Not purchasing and sharing screenshots with a watermark is theft. Please be kind, and if you really like a photo, buy it.

The official photographer of the horse show this year is Shawn McMillen Photography. Shawn’s team will take photos of everyone at the rings and you can buy as many or as few photos as you want.

Your other option is to hire a private photographer to take pictures of your child & pony in each class they do as well as get some candid and warm up photos as well. There is obviously a higher price point for pristine photography, but you do get way way more photos and a bigger variety of shots. Many photographers also offer videography packages. Generally being a private client can be your best option if you want the most photos out of your experience.

CLINICS & ACTIVITIES

One thing I wish I had been better about doing when I went to Pony Finals, was actively participate more in the different clinics and activities that they provided around the horse show during the week. They are great for learning and developing more skills in different aspects of your riding as well as some that are just fun and allow you to meet new people. They are all free.

US Equestrian Horsemanship Test - This is a great skill building activity for any child at Pony Finals. You don’t have to be a competing rider to participate as long as you have a valid USEF and know your USEF ID and login. The children take a written test, and then the 4 highest scoring individuals in each age group will move onto a hands on test. S winner is picked from each age group.

USHJA Wheeler Museum Scavenger Hunt - This is a really fun activity for a group of kids that spans over a 3 day period. They can pick a bunch of friends (or make new ones!) and go on a fun hunt around the show in between their classes.

Model Clinics - There are 3 model clinics throughout the day on Tuesday and then one on Wednesday morning. Even if you have modelled your pony before in classes or shown on the line, it never hurts to get more help and guidance to help you show off your pony to the best of your ability and make sure your skills are sharp before you go into your first class: the model.

Mental Skills Coaching - There are mental skills coaching classes on Wednesday & Thursday, these can be beneficial to hear what professionals say and provide some tips to help cope with the nerves, stress and overwhelming excitement of showing at one of the biggest shows of the year.

Course Walk Clinic - Course walks build the excitement of doing your over fences and medal class. This clinic is great because kids can learn about the importance of the course walk, and learn about different things you may see or experience and what to look for while you are walking.

Judge’s Perspective Clinic - We all want to know what a judge might be thinking and specifically looking for when they are watching someone show their pony. Want to learn how to show off your pony the best? Learn from judges themselves and hear what they have to see and take what you learn and apply it the best you can to what you are doing in the ring.

BE PREPARED FOR EARLY MORNINGS AND LONG DAYS

It’s a busy show, they have classes that start early and classes that end late. There could be days where you need to be at the show at 4 am to make sure your pony is prepped and perfect and there might be days that you don’t leave the show until 7pm. Make sure you are prepared for it all, and if your kid is helping give them a break and take a nap. You don’t need a tired kid on a show day.

REMEMBER WHY YOU ARE THERE

The build up to Pony Finals feels like forever. The days are long but the show goes by in a wink.

Be patient, slap on a smile, even when your face feels like it is going to crack.

Remind your child how proud they should be of themselves.

And always always thank your pony for the incredible experience.