Indiana, a Hotbed of Showing: More Ideas & a Story

I received a couple more thoughts on why Region 8 has the most NAMHSA members yesterday and wanted to share them with you. Both make very valid points. (I did not give names on anyone, yesterday or today, as all comments but one were emailed to me privately.)

Here is the first one:

Can't forget that Indiana in particular has Stone, which has/had considerable reach. 4-H programs often have model horse shows and seminars, and 4-H is strongest in R8. Trade and industry is also pretty large in the Midwest; there's a reason Indiana is known as "the Crossroads." Perhaps there is just more exposure in local tack shops as it's easier to get models there than California, per say.

Good points! And in retrospect, I'm surprised Stone models was not on yesterday's list. (This is a reason why sharing ideas is important!)

And then this one:

Here's my take on it: Most people don't bother with a NAMHSA membership unless they're holding a show or entering NAN. The only NANs in recent memory were held in Kentucky, which is an easy drive from Region 8. No surprise, Region 8 has a higher membership than far flung areas like California or New York.

That is true. I was a NAMHSA member when Allison Pareis and I held the first FAMulous, and then she was the member for the next. Most likely we will continue alternating moving forward. And I agree about the Kentucky connection and influence.

On a little bit of a different track here is a story that Kathy Bateman shared. With her permission, I share that.

We lived a couple of blocks from a Texaco service station (remember when that was what they were ?) I was maybe 6, 7. The station was holding some type of promo. Giving out red plastic fireman hats and, gasp, they had a gray Shetland pony tied up in the grass that they were going to give away in a drawing ! Dad, Dad, puleeze put your name in !!!! We came home and he told Mom about the pony drawing and that he had entered. She was shocked. What if she wins ? What will we do then ? Of course I would keep it in the backyard and the garage, what's the problem. Anyway, did not win the pony but that small gesture made my Dad the best man in the whole world.

Kathy and me at a show in Indianapolis in the 1990s.

Several years later my buddy and I were digging in the dirt around the garage. I found an odd tooth, large with surface ripples. Mom took me and the tooth to the museum at the U of I where I was told that it was a horse molar. We found out that our garage was where the barn sat on the original farm. The farmhouse sits catty corner across the street having been moved from the corner. So see, I could have kept that pony in the garage.

A pony up for a drawing? Back in the 1960s that happened. And in the years before that, you could buy horses, ponies, and other livestock through catalogs. Hard to imagine now.

I'm going to wait until the end of today for that show information I am hoping to get. (No criticism from me - I know people get busy and life happens.) We will go with what I have received or know about those shows if I don't starting tomorrow.

Stay 'tooned!