What goes on behind the scenes

Show entry fees have become a contentious issue as of late, however few people stop to think about the cost involved in running a show, or the levies that need to be paid, not only to the Associations and SAEF but to officials and medics. Most venues also have a ground levy.

What you’re paying for
Let’s look at a basic breakdown of costs for organising a dressage show in Gauteng, where the average cost of entry is R230.00. Consider a class of ten competitors over two tests:
Entry fee @ R230.00 x 20 = R4600.00
Less 14% Vat (because the taxman needs to be paid) -R 644.00
Which leaves: R3956.00

Now for the levy deductions:
Ground Levy @ R45.00 x 20 –                   R900.00
Officials Levy @ R30.00 x 20 –                  R600.00
Medical Levy @ R20.00 x 20 –                   R400.00
DressageSA Levy @ R45.00 x 20 –            R900.00
EDS (Development) Levy @ R4.50 x 20 -R90.00

Levy Total R 2890.00

After levies: R1066.00

Less 40% for prize money(60% for CN Status shows) -R426.40

That leaves you with. R639.60

Of course, prizes must also be included. Most venues try and pay as close to the entry fee as possible, making the prize money scale as follows:

1st R150.00, 2nd R120.00, 3rd R90.00 – Prizes Total- R720.00 

So out of your prize money total of R426.40 you are R293.60 short which will come out of your “profit” of R639.60

Leaving you with R346.00

Rosettes @ R15.50 (for three-tier) x 6 –R93.00

Less Rosettes: R253.00

The cost of officials such as judges, scribes and runners comes out of the R600 Officials Levy:
2 Judges @ R 80.00/hour(10 tests at 7 mins equal 70 mins)-      R160.00
2 Scribes @ R35.00/hour –                                                                    R80.00
2 Recorders @ R35.00/hour –                                                               R80.00
1 Runner @ R35.00 –                                                                               R40.00
7 meals @ R35 pp (bacon & egg roll, tea/coffee,water) –                 R245.00

Officials Total- R605

So your R5 short which comes out of your profit leaving you with R248.00

With dressage, especially in the higher grades, where two or more judges are required and the entries are smaller, there is almost no profit. Essentially the lower grades subsidise the higher grades. One can see why many venues are more inclined to host jumping shows where you can have three horses through the course in the seven minutes it takes for one dressage test to take place.

Profits from ground levies?
One might look at the Ground Levy as a better incentive, however the R900.00 doesn’t go a long way when you consider the costs of installing and maintaining arenas. This can vary from R360 000.00 to over a million rand. Equipment to maintain the arenas, the water and electricity costs, as well as the arena siding and letters add to the mix.

Venues that operate primarily as yards are more likely to see a return on investment in arenas than those which function purely as show venues – here profits are very slim indeed.

Building the sport
Another challenge is timing. When multiple venues in the same area have a show on the same weekend it whittles down the numbers of entries. In these instances, it makes sense for venues to support each other by alternating dates to build up the sport.

Some venues have started to runs series, with riders having to compete in two or three shows to qualify for a Championship, which is a great initiative.

In an ideal world we need sponsors, however sponsors require spectators to promote their brand to their target market. Shows like the Musical Kur Festival often draw people in, however rider participation is lacking, so shows are often not big enough to pull substantial crowds. On the whole riders may need more education in how to meet the expectations of sponsors

As to the solution, the answers are difficult. Do we drop entry fees and not pay prize money? Or increase entry fees in order to pay better money? At some point it will also become necessary to address the issue of low fees paid to officials – judges spend vast sums to improve their technical skills and this is hardly covered by the fees they’re paid. Essentially judging is a labour of love.

Riders have a role to play; we need to be more appreciative and we need to be aware of the facts. If we want change we need to drive it, to attend SGMs and AGMs. Fundamentally we need to become proactive in our sport.