What To Do With Your Equestrian Awards: Inspiration from WIHS

Growing up on the A Circuit, ribbons came in left and right each and every weekend from short stirrups to pony hunters.  I still remember the time my mother taught me the art of sharing by  giving some of my blue ribbons away after I had won all classes in the short stirrups division.  There were too many ribbons that even my creative-minded mother didn’t know what to do with all of them!  So, I started saving some of my favorite ribbons from Zone and National ribbons.  Nowadays, there are so many ways to accent your living room with equestrian trophies such as glass ribbon boxes like the one from Mcguinn Farms, and others such as ribbon quilts, and even traditional framing methods.

The Washington International Horse Show awards are trimmed with silver accents with a beautiful medallion in the center.  The grand champion ribbons are Red, Blue, and Yellow.  This prize is won if you accumulate the most points for your division.  The Reserve champion ribbons are yellow, red, and white.  Reserve champions are designed for those with the 2nd most points for the entire division.  Blue ribbons, of course, are first place.  Red ribbons are second, and Yellow for third… and so forth.

The River’s Edge Farm set up at the Washington International Horse Show 2012 stood out from a distance with the tremendous amount of championships and blue ribbons, but also the presentation of horse coolers with the chest ribbons was extremely eye-catching.  Dressing the entrance of the barn in ribbons is quite a tradition at every show (not just the Washington International Horse Show)– and it definitely creates a sense of competition between barns by noticing who has the most ribbons lined along the top of the show drapes.  The colors of the tack trunks and show drapes coordinate to each farm’s specific “barn colors”.

Take a look at this beautiful ribbon quilt that was donated for the silent auction at the Washington International Horse Show 2012 in the silent auction.  What a fantastic gift idea for an equestrian competitor!

So, what will you do with your next horse show awards?  Will you frame them, quilt them, hang them, or box ’em?  Let us know!