I asked Alex how she had gotten into horses. “I’ve loved horses forever and ever,” she states. “I loved hearing my mom’s stories of owning a pony when she was a kid. Finally, when I turned 10, I got a riding lesson for my birthday.” Now Alex owns West River Hollyhock, an 8 year old Morgan mare that she’s had since birth. Alex has been deeply involved in 4-H and credits it with being a HUGE part of her horsemanship background. She has competed nationally with 4-H for 3 years, at the Eastern National Horse Round Up and Eastern States Expo. Alex rides dressage and competes in dressage shows and Morgan shows in addition to 4-H. Even though Alex worked part-time and full-time throughout the year, with this rigorous level of involvement she was not able to afford all the shows and clinics that she wanted to attend. But that didn’t stop her. She began to develop sponsors to fill in the financial gaps. These are other qualities that entrepreneurs share – high energy level and not letting lack of your own money stop you.
Alex laid out her sponsorship program for me. “In 2008 I attended the Weekend Educational Program that Dressage 4 Kids hosts. Dressage 4 Kids is a nonprofit started by Lendon Gray that provides educational and competitive opportunities for youth riders. One of the clinics that weekend was “Developing Profiles for Sponsorship.” It gave me the framework to really organize my efforts. The profile that I put together is the central piece of my fundraising efforts.”
“I did light fundraising in 2008 and raised a few hundred dollars. I sent my profile to family, friends, people at the barn and businesses. Then, 2009 was a huge show year for me and I raised about $2500. I also received a Green Mountain Horse Association Youth Scholarship and an American Morgan Horse Association scholarship. In 2010 I qualified for the Morgan Grand Nationals which was very exciting. I would need about $8000 to $9000 to go and compete. I raised $5000 in sponsorships, $2000 in scholarships, and sold one horse to meet this expense. 2011 is a year of change for me, and I won’t be going to as many shows because I’m going to college in the fall. The sponsors that I developed in 2008 will still provide me with sponsorships to cover this year’s shows. When I’m in school, I’ll maintain my sponsorship program as I’ll be looking for money for clinics. I’ll be pursuing my L dressage judge license and workings towards equine massage certification and will funding for these pursuits. ” Alex didn’t miss a beat as she further described her goals. “I want to be a Grand Prix rider and represent the US internationally. And I also want a small dressage training barn that focuses on young riders and non-traditional breeds.”
I asked Alex about her sponsorship materials beyond her profile. She handed me her business card and pointed out that her website address was on her card. She’s had a website since 2007 and really began to actively use it as a communication tool in 2009. She also maintains a blog. I think I mentioned that she presents herself professionally and it bears repeating. There were business owners that I met during the Expo that did not have business cards, which always surprises me because it is such a simple and effective marketing piece.
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