Hi gang - I am organising a companion show to raise some funds so that I can take my class of special needs kids away to the seaside for a few days this summer - I have 16 classes on the schedule and was going to charge £1 per entry - hubby reckons I should charge double that but I think that's too steep -and would discourage folk from entering lots of classes - what do you think ?

Also do you think it is worth advertising in the dog press ?- I have distributed loads of flyers to all the doggy related places within travelling distance - do people travel outside their immediate area to go to a companion show ? - personally speaking I don't - if so it might be worth me advertising more widely.

your input would be greatly appreciated - what do YOU look for in a great companion show ?

Yvonne

Hi Yvonne,

I think £1 per entry is quite cheap, its usually £2 a class, maybe you could do "first class £2 subsequent entries £1"  People do travel outside their immediate area for companion shows especially if there is nothing else on that weekend, I see the same crowd at whatever comp show I go to and some of them do travel, although as a rule I stick to about a 50 mile radius but if ive got nothing else to do or if the show offers something else like obedience then I will travel further.

Good luck, its a shame im not in your area.

Claire

Hi Yvonne,
      We have an annual companion show, and yes, we do find people come from outside the immediate area - we have had people and dogs from up to 50 miles away.  We don't pay to advertise in the papers, but what I do is write to them, addressed to 'News desk', making sure to name which charity it's for, then they will put a little write-up in one of their columns.  Our class entries are £1 a class, though I have been to shows where classes are £2, but I think at £1 they are maybe more likely to enter other classes as well.  The other thing I've seen on schedules is something like "£1 a class, or £4 for as many classes as you like". 
Also, advertise on the internet.
  Hilda

Hi Yvonne

What a wonderful idea,

Here's my two pennoth' worth

£1 seems quite cheap - how about £2 for the first entry and say 50p for subsequent entries ? I'm sure people will 'dig deep' for such a worthy cause - maybe invite some of the kids you work with ?

Have good inexpensive catering (do you know anyone who could help out ? making cakes etc)

Ask any doggy friends have they got any spare rosettes for prizes

I went to a companion show once and all entrants got a 'doggy bag' to take home (just a few cheap chews - but made everyone feel like a winner)

Whereabouts in the UK is the event taking place ? Maybe we could all help spread the word.

Keep the emphasis on 'Companion', locally to me, they have got very serious, with many Champions entered, and and a competitive spirit that wouldn't look out of place at Crufts.:rolleyes:

Good Luck !!!

Chris x

Keep the emphasis on 'Companion', locally to me, they have got very serious, with many Champions entered, and and a competitive spirit that wouldn't look out of place at Crufts.rolleyes

Dogs with CCs/RCCs or JW are not allowed at Companion shows so you should make a complaint in that place. As for the competitive spirit, I go to as many Companion shows as we can find fairly locally during the summer as it's fun and good practice for pups/youngesters, and those competitive people I see there are always ones that would never do anything at "real" shows. :)

At one of our first ever companion shows my Dobe got placed first in a HUGE class but then the judge switched us over at the last split second with a Rottie. I got talking to the owner afterwards and he reeled off all of the CCs that the dog had won! Still annoys me. Blimin cheek! Gimme me rosette

Where will it be and when? I'd love to come. :) I must admit I've not been to any that charged £2 per class but have come across £1.50.

We charge £1.50 for our classes at companion shows :)  People will travel to them, advertise in dog papers (not many have been past few weeks) also add in champdogs diary and someone posted a link in a thread recently about a lady who lists companion shows on her website :)

Get sponsorship, ask your dog food supplier, local pet store or local Pets at Home (they sponsored us and to make it worth their while got people to join the PAH club :) )

Nutro, JWB, arden grange are good sponsors sometimes aswell as cheaper dog foods.

See if you can get a local business or businesses to sponsor rosettes or maybe afew classes of rossettes, maybe local ringcraft would help out?

Make money from a good raffle, include wine and dog treats, asking for sponsorship from supermarkets they will sometimes donate a bottle of wine or vouchers.  WE used the vouchers to buy their brand of dog treats and wine selected for them to use on the raffle :)

Would the kids be able to help sell raffle tickets?  Would their parents be able to donate prises, help with taking entries or as someone else mentioned, make afew cakes :)

If I think of anything else I shall let you know :) 

depends on your area i guess...having looked at some exemption show flyers locally today they are all .75p-£1 a class.

In London / Herts they are mostly £1.50 or £2. The one I went to today was £1.50 for breed and obedience and £1 for novelty. Are you having a couple of obedience classes? I will always pick a companion show with obedience over one without, but I know it's hard to find yet more judges and stewards! I will travel up to about an hour and a half for one with obedience too, but then I am obssessed! You need some sort of refreshments even if it's only drinks and crisps - I went to one once without anything at all and people were NOT happy! And yes, advertise in Dog World and the other papers, that's where lots of us mad show people look for shows. :-)

I wdn't believe it when people say that champions are at shows.  I used to go to quite a few with my first Spanish and a number of people told the organisers that she was a champion.  Seeing that she left her country of origin before she could be a champion or even be shown and was in import register classes here it totally wasn't true. 

We had one chap that went to local exemption/companion shows and
their dog was on 2CC's.
However last laugh was on them when they got beat :D They couldn't come
out with my dog has 2 CC's as it shouldn't even be competing...:rolleyes:
So what goes round comes round....and them that's greedy soon experience humiliation ;)

I show at all levels, don't have CC winners etc.
But still like to present my dogs at their best.

For me the exemption show was where I learned my craft. Where I made some excellent friends
that still are my friends and some that have sadly died.

Companion shows they are great, get great prizes and have a great day out. :)

Some great ideas - and thanks to those that e-mailed or PM'd with contacts - our show will be in the Wisbech area and I have managed to get the equestrian centre next door to the school to donate their facilities for free. It will be in May ( I'll put the details in the Champdog diary ) - I belong to the JWB breeders club so I'll contact them about donating some prizes etc.

Catering is a bit tricky as there some restrictions now about selling food at public events - I thought about getting a burger van to come along.
The kids are so excited and many of them are entering with their family dogs - I am also usng the show as a basis for our PHSE lessons on 'caring for animals' so it's all VERY educational too ( that's just incase OFSTED is reading this LOL :D :D :D

Yvonne

Ooh, I can reach Wisbech if there's obedience! :-D

no sorry no obedience - perhaps next year :)

Yvonne

I'll keep an eye out! :-)

Well getting the evenue for free is always a bonus, thats normally the most expensive part, don't forget KC licence and insurance aswell unless the equestrian centre's insurance will cover it.

Just keep asking as many places as you can for sponsorship.

Maybe if you've got enough people helping out you can have things on the side such as "fastest recall" and "slowest recall" etc that at 50p a go it might add to the funds :)

Hope you have fun organising it.  It's a little bit far from here to offer to hand out posters/scheduals for you but I would say possibly try and contact all dog training classes in a 30, maybe even 45 mile radius if not already.  The more people you get this information to the more will turn up! :)

I can see you already have some great ideas.  We pay £1 per class almost without exception so more would seem a lot to anyone in this area.  But I think £2 for the first class and £1 for any others.  I have been contemplating organising a comp show and have thought about most of the ideas here but also to get the local shops to sponsor (as mentioned) and/or to donate a raffle prize - often they will give a voucher.  People always like raffles.  Shame we are so far away - would love to support you.  Let us know how it goes.