I honestly wish there were more postal shows, it is such a fun element of the hobby and requires very little skill or effort on the part of the entrant or host. A free show can be run with relative ease and very little time input just for everyone's amusement. You may find it a little hard at first to find a postal show to enter, but some clubs such as Model Horse's Unlimited do run them and individual hobbyists do as well. Keep searching and you will find. The more people that run postal shows the more people will get a chance to enter them, enjoy them and think about running them themselves.
Postal shows can be great fun to enter
Finding a Postal Show
The first stage to entering a postal show is finding one to enter. The best place to start is to simply Google 'model horse postal show' or similar. There are usually whole websites devoted to the larger postal show series.
You can also try searching model horse sales pages, forums and groups in which show hosts will advertise. Some forums may have entire boards devoted to postal showing in which you can not only find shows but also share your results and chat to other entrants. Many shows encourage an element of role playing which you can engage in through these groups and forum threads.
Make sure to check the kind of postal show you are entering. Some will require more work on your part, such as providing information about your horse's form and explaining any negative results. Others may simply require you to send in your entries and then will send you your results. Find a show that suits your own requirements and time commitments.
You can also try searching model horse sales pages, forums and groups in which show hosts will advertise. Some forums may have entire boards devoted to postal showing in which you can not only find shows but also share your results and chat to other entrants. Many shows encourage an element of role playing which you can engage in through these groups and forum threads.
Make sure to check the kind of postal show you are entering. Some will require more work on your part, such as providing information about your horse's form and explaining any negative results. Others may simply require you to send in your entries and then will send you your results. Find a show that suits your own requirements and time commitments.
Postal shows are not as common as live or photo shows but they are great fun to enter
Entering a Postal Show
Once you have found the postal show you want to enter you will need to start preparing your entries. Different shows will require different information so make sure to check the rules and requirements for the show you are entering. Below is just a general guide to help you on your way.
Most shows will have a class list with a variety of different classes for you to enter. You will need to pick the classes suitable for your horses. For example in an eventing show horse's competing at CCI**** will be of sport type, whilst in lower levels you may see more variety of breeds. Some shows may simply be split up by breed or colour like a live or photo show so you can choose the class that suits your model. Most shows will have entry limits either per class or for the whole show so you will need to check this before sending in your information.
Horse Information
Most shows will require quite detailed information in order for you to enter. This will vary from show to show so check first what information is needed for each horse or entry. Below is some standard information required:
Horse's Name
Like other shows your horse's name is one of the most important pieces of information. I would recommend using a prefix to make your horse more unique and avoid confusion. There are registries for prefixes within the hobby. You can view the British one here.
Breed
Most shows will ask for your horse's breed or type.
Colour
Your horse's colour should match the breed you choose. For example you wouldn't get a leopard spotted Shetland pony.
Height
Most shows will also ask for your horse's height. This is the height it would be if it were a real horse not the height of the model! For example 14.2hh or 152cm. This should also be breed appropriate.
Age
Many shows will also ask for the age of the horse. This may effect whether or not the horse can enter a particular class, for example a race for 2 year olds. Ages should be sensible and appropriate and fit with breeding, a yearling is hardly going to be going round a CCI*** course!
Sire
Most postal shows will ask for pedigree details. These will usually include the sire and dam.
Dam
Most postal shows will ask for pedigree details. These will usually include the sire and dam.
Some shows may also ask for information about the breeder, rider or the name of your stables. How the information is presented will depend on the show. Most will have some form of entry form, either a piece of paper you can fill in, a word document or a spreadsheet although some may ask for the information in a different format. Make sure to provide all the information needed and send in your entries along with any entry fees well before the deadline.
Most shows will have a class list with a variety of different classes for you to enter. You will need to pick the classes suitable for your horses. For example in an eventing show horse's competing at CCI**** will be of sport type, whilst in lower levels you may see more variety of breeds. Some shows may simply be split up by breed or colour like a live or photo show so you can choose the class that suits your model. Most shows will have entry limits either per class or for the whole show so you will need to check this before sending in your information.
Horse Information
Most shows will require quite detailed information in order for you to enter. This will vary from show to show so check first what information is needed for each horse or entry. Below is some standard information required:
Horse's Name
Like other shows your horse's name is one of the most important pieces of information. I would recommend using a prefix to make your horse more unique and avoid confusion. There are registries for prefixes within the hobby. You can view the British one here.
Breed
Most shows will ask for your horse's breed or type.
Colour
Your horse's colour should match the breed you choose. For example you wouldn't get a leopard spotted Shetland pony.
Height
Most shows will also ask for your horse's height. This is the height it would be if it were a real horse not the height of the model! For example 14.2hh or 152cm. This should also be breed appropriate.
Age
Many shows will also ask for the age of the horse. This may effect whether or not the horse can enter a particular class, for example a race for 2 year olds. Ages should be sensible and appropriate and fit with breeding, a yearling is hardly going to be going round a CCI*** course!
Sire
Most postal shows will ask for pedigree details. These will usually include the sire and dam.
Dam
Most postal shows will ask for pedigree details. These will usually include the sire and dam.
Some shows may also ask for information about the breeder, rider or the name of your stables. How the information is presented will depend on the show. Most will have some form of entry form, either a piece of paper you can fill in, a word document or a spreadsheet although some may ask for the information in a different format. Make sure to provide all the information needed and send in your entries along with any entry fees well before the deadline.
Postal shows are great for those hard to photograph models
Results & Prizes
There are two ways of generating results:
By Complete Random
A More Sophisticated System (usually involving some element of random chance)
The system used will depend on the show you have entered and will usually be made clear in the show information document.
Results will either be posted to you, emailed to you or posted online for you to look at depending on the show. Some shows will announce all the results on the same day, other more long running shows may announce results as certain events happen (e.g. races).
Prizes (if any) will depend on the show. Some postal shows offer really nice prizes, particularly those with a year long championship including trophies, rosettes or actual prizes. Most shows will ask you to contribute to the cost of having your prizes returned to you so make sure you factor this into your own finances.
By Complete Random
A More Sophisticated System (usually involving some element of random chance)
The system used will depend on the show you have entered and will usually be made clear in the show information document.
Results will either be posted to you, emailed to you or posted online for you to look at depending on the show. Some shows will announce all the results on the same day, other more long running shows may announce results as certain events happen (e.g. races).
Prizes (if any) will depend on the show. Some postal shows offer really nice prizes, particularly those with a year long championship including trophies, rosettes or actual prizes. Most shows will ask you to contribute to the cost of having your prizes returned to you so make sure you factor this into your own finances.