September 27, 2008

TO: NYSHC Show Program participants
NYSHC Show Program show managers

FROM: NYSHC Board of Directors
Marsha S. Himler, Chair, NYSHC Show Program

I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of you for your support of and participation in the New York State Horse Council Show Program over the years. For several decades there has been a show program in place. Back in the 1990s, in an effort to boost visibility and to encourage more amateur owners and riders to show, the MHM program was established with a generous grant obtained for the NYSHC from Senator Joseph Bruno. This program was very successful but when the grant money was gone, we had to devise other ways to keep the program going.

It took a few years of tweaking and changing things here and there but we finally came up with a method whereby the program would be able to pay for itself, which it had not done before. The last three years, the program has run in the black and has had money left over to carry forward for the following year’s program. Sponsorships have also played a big part in the success of the program although in these lean economic times they have been harder and harder to come by.

Despite all our efforts, the number of participants did not grow and the number of shows holding NYSHC Show Program qualifying classes continued to drop. Only two divisions had people participating in the finals for the competition year just ended. Given the continued lack of substantial participation across the board in all the offered divisions, the NYSHC Board of Directors voted at the Annual General Meeting this past weekend to discontinue this program, effective immediately. It is with deep regret that we have taken this action. The program, even though self-funding, was not and has not accomplished its goals.

We encourage you to continue your membership in the New York State Horse Council and to visit our website (www.nyshc.org) on a regular basis to find out what is happening. We will be working to establish an awards program of some kind, the shape and focus of which has yet to be determined. We welcome any ideas you may have in this regard. We will continue listing show information on the website as a service to all show managers and competitors.

Again, we thank you for your support and participation in the Show Program.

Best regards and good luck in the 2009 show season.

Marsha Himler, Chair
NYSHC Show Program

2008 NYSHC Horse Show Schedule (pdf posted 6/25/08)