I, as a rider, and often volunteer, have
always appreciated having vendors at rides. Our tack, equipment and apparel is
not something we can pick up at the local tack store. I like to look at the tack
before I buy it. After I find things I like, mail order works great. I
appreciate the time, effort, and fuel vendors spend, to come to a ride, with no
guarantees that they will sell enough that weekend to cover expenses. I try to
always buy "something", and thank them for being there. Also, being a
photographer at rides for years, off and on, I always felt that I was offering a
service to riders, and would always give management what ever photos they needed
for publication etc., along with giving the drag riders their photos for
volunteering. Large rides like Tevis, charge vendors, and I understand that
concept. The ride benefits, having a huge vendor area, but also, the ride brings
a huge number of people to those vendors. More than a normal weekend
ride. I know as a photographer, I'd have to either skip a ride, or
up my prices to the riders, to cover any expense management would charge me to
attend. So, is charging vendors something other rides have started doing, and I
have just missed out? Is there some sort of insurance concerns? I'd hate
to see them all starting to stay home, and just depending on our mail order
business due to high expenses.
