(EMAILWIRE.COM, September 25, 2010 ) Ann Arbor, MI - Model Schleich Horse showing has three ways in which to participate - photo showing, live showing and postal showing.
PHOTO SHOWING
Photo Showing is convenient for people who aren't able to travel or don't live near other collectors. Showholders publish a classlist and invites people to enter for a nominal fee. The shower then takes photos of their Schleich Horse. On the back of the photo, the horse's vitals are recorded along with the shower's address.
Once the showholder receives all the entries, they sort them by class numbers and begin and begin judging. A showholder may place a horse based on quality of photo, accuracy of breed depiction and condition. The results are sent back, sometimes along with ribbons or small prizes.
LIVE SHOWING
The show is usually held in a large space such as a hotel or arena. Depending upon the popularity of the show, people may travel from far and wide to attend. Each shower usually gets their own table or may have to bring their own table to the show. The "model Schleich Horse rings" are usually tables with ring numbers, and this is where showers place their horses to be judged. Live shows may be the only time that hobby friends get to see each other. Usually any profits from the shows are donated to an animal related charity.
POSTAL SHOWING
Postal showing was the original method of showing, where a horse's details were sent to a judge and places were awarded by rolling dice. Now postal Schleich Horse showing is more usually the preserve of performance disciplines such as racing or dressage, and the model events often mirror real events. Places may be awarded by pairing a model with a real participant whose luck it shares, or in the case of racing, with reference to a sophisticated handicapping system.
