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Tracy,
When I took over managing the San Diego rides in 1993, my goal was to
incorporate all the things that I had encountered at other rides that I
liked as a rider, and eliminate those peeves that I had to put up with
at other rides (i.e., I hate it when I have preregistered, and have to
wait in a line behind everyone who has not preregistered, just to pick
up my ride packet). My goal was to make our rides as "rider friendly"
as possible so that riders could participate in our rides with no crew,
and not only would the horse finish metabolically sound, but so would
the rider. I have found that "if you feed them, they will come." And,
of course, all this costs money. The question Carol Barret asked about
my rides was, "how do I stay above water.?" Sometimes (most of the
time) I barely break even. But my intent has never been to make money,
but to have all the money generated to go back to the rider in either
direct or indirect benefits. I spend a lot of money on postage because
I send entries to my rider base of 400, I send confirmations along with
the trail map to all those who enter, and I send detailed ride results
(recovery times, mph between vet checks, etc.) after the ride. I
frequently have a chart at the rides listing all the expenses so that
the riders know where their entry fees goes so they understand the costs
of putting on the rides (it makes the entry fees more palatable). The
following are the costs involved with the Mt. Laguna Ride this June
which had 62 50-milers and 54 25-milers.
Sanctioning 20
Insurance 106
Postage 200
Copying (entries, maps, signs, packets) 100
Trail markings, grease markers, misc. 100
Forest Service permit 200
Veterinarians 1400
Farrier 100
basecamp 1200
PortaPotties (5 for basecamp, 2 on wheels) 400
2 trailers for porta potties) 80
P.A. system 130
Donuts, coffee, juice, fruit (breakfast) 100
Gatorade, fruit, cookies, water at vet checks 120
Ice 50
Hay, carrots, bran, grain for horses at v.chk. 100
Lunches for riders and volunteers 300
T-shirts for volunteers 300
Awards Dinner for riders, crews & volunteers 1600
Vegetarian dinners & dessert cakes 80
50 Mile lst & BC, 25 BC (blankets) 350
Top Ten (chairs) 200
Division Awards (halters & leads) 180
Completion (choice of T-Shirts, etc.) 1200
AERC @ 3 per rider 348
FDA @ 3 per rider 348
That all totals $9,312. The entry fee for the Mt. Laguna Ride was $80
for 50 mile course, and $60 for the 25 mile course. (I used to charge
$75 and $55, but I increased it last year by $5 so that I could give the
volunteers either a T-shirt or dinner) Juniors and ride managers (or
spouse) pays half. I accept entries up to the morning of the ride, but
I set a deadline date (usually about 12 days prior to the ride) for the
riders to sign up to avoid paying a $10 late fee. This ride has corrals
at the basecamp for which I charge $10 so that will generate some
revenue.
So for this year, the 62 50-milers generated $4,840 (3 juniors), and the
54 25-milers generated $3,090 (5 juniors). We sold 55 extra dinner
tickets @ $10 each for $550. We had 50 corrals that generated another
$500 and then there were probably $120 in late fees. This year all the
hay, grain and bran was donated so that saved about $100. So as you can
see the ride was still in the hole. But the way it works is the riders
have a choice of their completion award. There is always a T-shirt,
maybe a grain bucket, or water barrel, etc. I never date the shirts so
they will carry over from year to year and I just fill in what I think I
may need for that year. Some riders don't finish (although if they
don't I give them a certificate for $10 off a future ride) so then you
save money on them not getting a completion award, (so sometimes the
money saved is in less completion awards needed for the following
year). Some riders leave and don't stay for dinner, so there may be
less money paid for the dinners (if you guess right--its a fine line
between not ordering too many dinners from the caterer and running out
of food).
Compared to other parts of the country $80 entry fee may be on the high
side for a 50 mile ride, but our riders don't seem to mind because once
they get to our rides they are provided with breakfast, lunch and
dinner, as well as refreshments at the vet checks and along the trail,
and they seem to be happy with the completion awards. Another bonus
with our rides is that we have great volunteers (not only quantity, but
quality). I don't think riders mind paying a little more for a ride if
they feel there is a perceived value for their money.
Terry Woolley Howe
San Diego, California
P.S. One of the side benefits of riders being happy with the way they
are taken care of is that they are nicer to the volunteers, which means
the volunteers have a good time and are more willing to help again.
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