Where to Find Shows

Do you want to attend a show, but don't know where to find one? These are my primary resources:

NAMHSA - Member Shows

This list is all NAN-Qualifying shows. Many shows are announced before they are approved for their NAN-cards, so this list is not always the most up-to-date. By the time a show is listed on this site, it may be full.

Model Horse Blab, Fallen Leaves, The Watering Hole

All three of these are discussion boards. Showholders will often announce their upcoming shows here, but not every showholder is a member of every board.

Model Horse Gallery - Live Show Listings

Gail does a great job of keeping this list up-to-date. A great resource.

Your Region Yahoo Group

I'll link to each of these tomorrow when I cover the topic of Regions in more depth.

These are the resources I use. If I missed your favorite, please link it in the comments!

Choosing Your First Show

Attending your first show is like going on a first date. You want to pick an environment that will be comfortable for you and give both of you a chance to show yourself in the best light.

When looking for a first show, try to choose a show that is close by. Showing can be stressful (even for veterans!) so removing the added stress of travel may be to your advantage.

Next, try to look for a smaller show. Show size can vary from as few as a handful of showers to over a hundred. Way over in a few cases. A smaller show will end sooner in the day, so this will limit your exhaustion and stress. In addition, the judge will often have more time to allow showers to ask questions.

Fun shows are often an easier start if one is held nearby. With the popularity on NAN qualified shows, they can be hard to find in some areas.

Generally, I recommend new showers avoid “play date” shows their first time out. At a playdate, everyone judges. They are fun, but when everyone is judging you won’t have an opportunity to learn why one horse may place over another.