Unpacking NAN 2013

We're adults. We should be able to have an intelligent and rational conversation. Especially when we are talking about a model horse show, which is about as much of a ridiculous display of extra time and money as you can get. I mean, we are not discussing how to divvy up the last case of Icehouse Light during the Zombie Apocalypse here. We're just discussing where the best spot for NAN 2013 should be.

Yeah, its that time of year. Full disclosure--I have been following the posts on NAMHSA-Discussion, though not in the last 24 hours. I do not read Blab. I have largely stayed OUT of the discussion, because I feel I can be polarizing, and frankly, its much better the meat of this on N-D comes from the people who are currently serving it. However, I got to the point where I was pissed about feeling unable to make my thoughts heard, and, well, I have a blog.

So how do you go about making a selection? Really? It should go to the location that makes the most sense, based upon things like what it will cost to run the show, and how many people can be expected to show up and cover its costs. NAN has not covered its own costs in over a decade. It loses money. On average, the Breyerfest NAN (which gets more entrants since Breyerfest is that weekend) looses less--between $2-5K, and the non Bryerfest one (which has been in Las Vegas, Dallas, Portland, and Tucson--prior to 2005, it was held in Pomona California in conjunction with another hobby event called Jamboree. Jam was a big draw for the hobby, but its organizer decided to move on) loses around 10K. Though apparently the Tucson NAN lost a lot more than that. You can make the argument that losing some money is OK, since NAN may have benefit for the hobby--its a big spectacle and you get to see all sorts of things you wouldn't otherwise. The competition can be fierce. But you can also decide that probably a 5 digit loss every other year isn't smart for the long term viability of the organization. After all, the often quoted "$80K in the bank" is now really, according to the latest NAMHSA News, in the $60K area.

And yes, there's been some discussion about how to cut costs, but no one wants to lose the trophies ($20 each, so $40 per class) or make the rosettes shorter (another $20 per class), or decreasing the judging staff from 3 per class to 1 (which would relieve issues with having the sheer volume of volunteers who can judge) No one wants to limit entry (like a show like Westminster does) and when you want to raise the entry fee, people don't like that (understandable) They also don't like it if the org wants to set a limit on how small classes can be (awards alone are $60 per class. It costs an entrant $3 to enter a horse in a class, so you need at least 20 in a class to break even. At the Tucson NAN, the entire OF performance division was sub-20 horse classes. Some were 3-5 horses. Entrants largely refused to allow the organization to combine classes. Some were offended by the very idea) No one wants to hold NAN with less frequency--say every other year, and people demand that it be held in a different location every other year, creating logistical problems that must be solved over and over again. So, the show is stuck because everyone wants what they want and are unwilling to compromise at all.

One way to get the non Breyerfest NAN to be less of a cash suck would be to try and get more entrants to it. This year, there are two bids in the northeast, east of Lexington KY, in the running. These are in areas that do support large, active, showing populations. While many of these showers do go to KY in Breyerfest NAN years, there are many who don't--the trip isn't feasible due to work, family obligations or finances. An event closer to these dense populations, might draw more entrants to a non Breyerfest NAN, and then have less of a loss. An event east of Lexinton could draw not only those who do make the trip to Breyerfest and NAN, but also those who stopped or never have been able to go.

For me, getting to the Breyerfest NAN is a 12 hour drive one way. The show is held the Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday prior to Breyerfest. If I were ONLY to do NAN, that's a week I need to take off to do it. That's 1/3 of my vacation time. While this is do-able for me every other year, its impossible for some of my comrades who live even further east than I do.

For the western half of the country, the trip is, obviously, even more arduous. Which is why, initially, that non Breyerfest NAN was started. The org wanted to include them. Great. Except its become an entitlement. Even suggesting that the show be outside of California is met with anger. I helped run the Las Vegas NAN--5 hours from Los Angeles! And people were angry about the 5-6 hour drive to that. Oh, the non Breyerfest NAN is also held on a weekend. I'd LOVE to have a NAN 5-6 hours away. I could do that taking only one day off, if I felt like jetting out right after work on Thursday. But, because I live in NJ, I won't have that chance. I'm already privileged, apparently, to have a 12 hour drive and a mid week show, and I should be happy with that.

I do feel for the west coast and the travel issue--last year at this time, I packed a bunch of china horses into a plastic tool box and flew cross country to attend BOYCC. It was not cheap for me--my roommate had to bail at the last minute (her job cancelled her vacation, there was nothing she could do about it) and I had to take on the entire cost of my (not cheap, but very nice) hotel room. I don't regret the trip, but I would love another BOYCC experience that was closer to home. However, unless I put it together, its not happening here, and I'm not going to pursue that right now. I suppose I could bitch and whine about how I deserve a BOYCC here, and how unfair it is that it will only be in CA...but, its not the responsibility of the person holding BOYCC to make sure I have a convenient experience. If I want it, I'll make it happen. If I can't, I can't.

NAMHSA decided to try and make it easier for all to come, at least once in a while. So why is the west coast "more deserving" than the east coast showers who have supported the show and the organization as much as the west coast (really? How are we measuring this and who cares?) Why is someone in Region 2's time and cash spent going to a NAN in their region worth more than my same amount of time and money getting to the Breyerfest NAN? If its going to be fair, you cannot allow one group to gripe about distance and then poo-poo the idea that this is an issue on the other end as well. If its a valid argument in one place, its valid everywhere. That doesn't mean the organization should try and hold NAN in all 50 states, or everyone's personal circle. But it does mean that if one group is allowed an opportunity, to truly be fair, it should be offered to all. After all, in 17 years of NAN, 8 have been west of Kentucky. None have been east. No one has even bothered to put up an east coast bid because no one thought it would be taken seriously. When discussion last turned to this, and the suggestion that the non Breyerfest NAN might stop, the west coast begged saying that all regions should be considered. Now that there are TWO eastern venues up for consideration, they are sounding a lot like a spoiled child screaming about a toy.

The western NAN is subsidized by those east coast showers. If the childish behavior continues, they may find that the east is a lot less supportive of the endeavor. After all, more people from the east have helped chair that NAN than the west has turned out to work Breyerfest--in 2011 the organization had to threaten to cancel the show unless a chair could be located. It took a threat to get someone to step up and run the show they wanted so badly. IF the west wants this to continue, they need to start taking a lot more responsibility, and offering more help than showing up and paying entry fees, or buying raffle tickets.

I know this will post to Twitter and Facebook shortly after I hit publish. I ask that if you read this, and you want to respond, PLEASE do so here. This page is public. Everyone can read it. The hobby does not (and will not) have broad access to my FB account. Any conversations need to happen where everyone can read them.

And you can post anonymously--but if you're going to be packing a flamethrower, its not showing up. Be forewarned :)