Twenty five years ago in October 1983...out of necessity the Oktoberfest was 'Born'.
I had recently built the barn and it was filled with new little weekly lesson students and my BIG old retired event horses. Both the students and horses were not able to compete at the Novice or Training heights...the only lower divisions offered in those days. I decided to create a 'new' division for my students and go easy on the retirees. I thought 18 inches was a safe height and got to work building little XC and Stadium jumps. (I still have 2 original stadium jumps.) I named the division Elementary as I did not want to call it 'baby' something. I knew to attract outside competitors it had to have a distinctive idea so I called it the 'Oktoberfest' and promised a fun day. I went to a printer and had them make prize lists then mailed them to other stables. NO WEBSITES then. I called friends on my regular in the kitchen, connected to the wall dial phone...no push button, portable or cell phones then.
I even threw in a free lunch voucher with the $20.00 entry fee. My mother and sister served all the free food out of my kitchen window. (I killed flies for days in the house.) We had 57 competitors that year.
I mailed competitors their times on postcards, no posted times on websites. All the competitors entered early with completed forms, no one could use overnight delivery or fax a new coggins. Those options did not yet exist.
The whole farm dedicated to the show was only on the right side of the driveway. The Big XC courses you know now on the left were still just a corn field. Stadium was behind the house, all XC in the pond field and dressage in the front field. The back field was devoted to parking. I stood on the barn roof to judge XC. (Somethings never change.) It was "self serve" the day of the show - no show secretary - you found your own number on the table in the barn aisle.
I scheduled 10 minutes between each dressage test so that the scribe could 'score' the tests with a battery operated expensive calculator, no dollar store solar ones then. The judge would step out of the box and offer the competitor words of wisdom and a candy from a silver bowl.
We had an awards ceremony after each division and competitors stood on podiums made from whiskey barrels for photographs. The show started at 8 and ended at 4:30 EVERYONE was here ALL DAY! I decorated the entire farm with pumpkins and wrote a competitors number on each one. At the end of the show you got to take your pumpkin home if you found it!
I did play German music ALL DAY LONG...some things still remain the same.
The farthest competitor came from Wilmington Delaware, 38 miles away. Our 2008 competitors will have traveled a combined total of more than 30,000 miles to compete at Oktoberfest 2008.
After that first Oktoberfest (and a long recovery period) I decided to make it an annual event. Each year saw improvements and more competitors. I was constantly teased by my old eventing buddies that I was "dumbing down the sport" by offering 18" courses. A well known AREA II organizer use to laugh at my efforts until he saw my growing entries. I told him I could build a whole cross country course with the wood leftovers from one of his Preliminary Jumps! He later sent his wife down to "borrow" my mailing list. (He shall remain nameless today HAHA)
Some of the competitors at the first Oktoberfest are still with me today...but usually it will be their children or (oh my) grandkids now competing that they have come to cheer!! I tried to keep the event friendly, fun, safe, yet educational...something I strive to do now for every event at Olde Hope.
People would mail thank you cards weeks after the show - now I receive thank you emails complete with competitor photographs when I come back in the house Sunday night.
Alot has changed over the years but one thing will never change for me.
I am truly honored and thankful for ALL the support I have received through the years. I have made many long-term lasting friendships because of Oktoberfest, and I value all of them.
As competitors you have many choices now where you want to compete....thank you ever so much that you have chosen the OKTOBERFEST!!
With best wishes and Good Luck to all.
You are ALL winners! Drive home safe.
5-4-3-2-1- GO!
Cheers, Jane!
