Show History

The Back to School Blast All Youth Horse Show (BTSB) can trace its beginnings to the desire of a few Greene County 4-H Leaders that wanted to bring an affordable, big horse show experience to area youth that might not otherwise have an opportunity to travel elsewhere to participate in a show of this size. In addition, the show would also serve as a fundraising event benefiting the Greene County, Missouri, 4-H program. In late August 2009, our inaugural 3-day show was held at the Ozark Empire Fairgrounds in Springfield, Missouri. The show committee worked diligently acquiring sponsors and donors so that ALL exhibitors, not just class winners, would leave the show with some “really cool stuff” to take home with them. They wanted to reward everyone for their participation and hard work. Thanks to so many wonderful sponsors and donors of prizes, approximately $6,000 worth of prizes and awards were given away to the 40 plus youth exhibitors. In addition to the typical horse show action and high point and overall point total awards, the weekend proved fun and exciting with clinics, games in the evenings for the kids, and the handing out of lots of great prizes and special awards. Lots of positive feedback was received from the participants and many sponsors approached the show committee wanting to be involved with the 2010 show. The BTSB fundraising goal was met when they were able to present $1,000 to benefit the 4-H youth of Greene County.

For 2010, the BTSB wanted to be even bigger and better. Again, due to the enormous generosity of our many wonderful sponsors and donors, nearly $10,000 worth of prizes and awards were collected to make the show possible for the over 80 youth that entered. Class winners were presented a first place prize, and there was still a drawing for one or two additional prizes that were awarded to non-first place winners in every class. Other highlights from the weekend included a Youth and Yearling Mustang Challenge competition, a free exhibitor’s dinner on Saturday night, and Cowboy Church on Sunday morning. Three different drill teams performed including the Easy Riders, which also performed at the Word Equestrian Games in the fall of 2010. The Stars N Steeds drill team, made up of current and former Greene County 4-Hers, and the Diamonds and Dust drill team entertained the participants as well. For the second year in row, a notebook computer was given away as the grand prize. A BTSB program was developed and printed that included all the details for the weekend, including sponsorships, class patterns, and rules. Several Breed Associations approved that thee points earned at the BTSB could count toward their PAC programs. At the end of the weekend, lots of positive feedback was received, including encouragement from the exhibitors and their families to please have the show again in 2011! Fundraising efforts again proved fruitful with $1,400 being donated to the Greene County 4-H program with hopes this number would continue to rise every year!

So, that brings us to 2011. The BTSB committee has been working for months acquiring sponsors and donors . . . without whom this show would not be possible! A comparable amount of prizes have been donated already with more arriving daily! The tradition continues of giving a backpack filled with a t-shirt, prizes and lots of horse related information to the first 150 entries. A very nice saddle has been added to the prize table this year as our grand prize. Every class entry will receive a ticket for a chance to win this saddle. The BTSB has also been given an amazing 3-year old gelding with outstanding bloodlines that will be raffled to one lucky youth. He has already been started and will continue to be worked and trained up until show time. An exhibitor’s dinner will be held again on Saturday evening, along with a vaulting demonstration from Ice Pond Farms. Some really cool new sponsors are on board with us this year, along with many of our previous sponsors. It should be another fun and exciting weekend! We hope you will join us!