Ok - well its Monday following a weekend where I threw a graduation party with the help of my mom and my friend for myself. I was VERY stressfully and I believe it was way more fun for my guests than myself. Drank too much (after most folks had left of course cause I didn't have time to drink while everyone was there). I am dragging a little bit today, but not as bad as I had expected.
I have been thinking about maybe trying to throw in one more show this year - and decided for sure this morning that I wasn't going to do it. Since I have no vacation time I would have leave work on Friday night AGAIN and drive to Montana for 4 hourse and after losing an hour in Mountain Time I would not even have time to ride when I got there. This is all IF my horse is sound enough for a show. Last I spoke to Joe the blame was squarely placed on a stone bruise due to his round pen antics Saturday morning at the Moses Lake show. With fuel costs the way they are - and considering the unusually steep stall fees and post entry fees leveled by the Montana Club - its just not worth it.
And while nothing would make me happier than waking up Saturday morning in the Bitter Root Valley in Montana (one of my most favorite horse show areas ever - I've travel alot in my short life and trust me you will not find a more beautiful place in the month of June) I must decline this year. My budget would be greatly helped by me skipping this show. If I were trying to qualify for World or maybe running for a year-end award, I would make the effort - but not this year with nothing going on and sky high fuel and stall costs. PLUS since I would not want to pay to send my horse on to the next show my trainer is going to (Kalispell, MT) I would have to drive Stretch all the way back to Lewiston ID by myself - turning a 4 hour trip home into a 7 hour trip home.
To give you an idea of what this show might cost me:
Post Entry Fee Charged by Club: $10.00 Per Day = $20.00
Novice Classes: $15.00 per class (Novice HUS + Horsemenship both days) = $60
Open Classes: $18.00 per class (Green Horse HUS both days)= $36
Amatuer Classes: $18.00 per class (Amateur HUS both days)= $36
Stall: $95 ($7 a bag for shavings I'd use mostly likely 4 bags and no, you can't bring your own) = $123
Fuel: Paying about $90 for a tank of fuel now - $220
Food: $90 (Includes going out to eat once)
AQHA Drug Fee: $3 per horse per judge - $6
RV Hook-Up (with this warm weather I would most likely skip the plug-in but it would cost $25 a night) $0
Trainer: I would pay him mileage one way plus day fees, not sure, but I think it would run me $200
Banding: Since I would not be there in time to do it myself, I would be looking at paying $25
Tack Stall - if I can't park close enough to the barn to tack and untack, I will have to split a tack stall with the only other barn member who is attending the show and my trainer ($95 divided by 3) $31.66
So I would be a good $847.66 poorer by the time I got home. 
And that folks is why I am not going....
AQHA, and most of the Quarter Horse clubs in our area are going to have to do some major re-thinking of how they are puuting together their shows if they want to continue having horse shows....why I ask - must a horse show cost that much? Show management says they have to charge that much or they lose money - then how do Open shows that charge a fraction of that make money? Lower judging fees? No association fees?
Tell me where the the money is going and I will tell you how to save money. If horse shows were run like a business instead of a hobby cost would not spiral out of control like that.