I’m not going to lie, covering equine events isn’t easy. It can be long days, a lot of chasing down winners, and it can require fast and furious writing. But the benefits from working events far exceed the lack of sleep or miles walked while completing that work.

Over the years, I can point to event coverage—both in person and by phone—as one way my interviewing skills and writing skills improved. An interview with an event winner is either running in one of two places: immediately after the event online, or in a couple of months in a magazine, and that requires adjusting your questions to obtain the answers you need. (Check out this blog from The Freelance Remuda to hear from editors!)

Also, if you’re interviewing in person immediately following an awards ceremony, those questions better be straight to the point, because that rider / owner / trainer is ready to go celebrate, or go get on the next horse. A concise question for an interview that will be run immediately online would be: Tell me how your run went and what felt like it was credit-earning to help you get the win. An example of an open-ended question that could lead to a lengthy answer that is more fitting for a longer answer to run in a magazine story is: Tell me about this horse’s journey to the show pen. Small nuances in how a question is asked are going to have big impacts on your interview.

All of these past experiences, and potential questions, were running through my mind as I prepared for my first in-person event coverage event in a year. In June, I accepted an invitation to work in the media room for the National Reining Horse Association at the 6666 NRHA Derby. I’ve worked and ran the media room for the National Reined Cow Horse Association, worked the National Reining Breeders Classic reining and the American Quarter Horse Association World Show as an intern. Every media room is different, and each time you work an event, the way they are covered changes.

At the Derby, I was not only focused on writing and taking photographs, but I was also able to utilize my new Canon R5 Mark 2 video mode to created reels for the NRHA to post on TikTok. My eye for photographs shifted to capturing moving moments.

The media team—Sara Honnegger Chrystal Kramer and Aubrey Malone—was a phenomenal, well-oiled machine. Daily press releases posted with results from two arenas, the Adequan® Arena and the OG&E Coliseum. It was fun to be part of the first event to utilize the new coliseum at the Oklahoma State Fairgrounds. The lighting made for wonderful photos and videos! However, my “jam” at the show was covering the classes in the Adequan and also writing “Behind the Slide” short stories for web.

The coverage from the Adequan included a quote from each class’s champion—and those were fun to gather. Going into the day, I had a mental list of questions that could generate a heartfelt quote. Here are some examples:

1. Tell me what you love about competing with this horse.

2. How long have you partnered with this horse and what makes it fun to show?

3. What excites you or challenges you about reining?

Having a list of questions to steer a conversation is a must for event coverage, and I would advise anyone headed to an event to tailor those questions to the class/ coverage needed. For NRHA, showcasing the connection between horses and their riders was paramount. Here is a favorite quote from coverage, and you can view more at nrhaderby.com.

“‘Dillon’ and I have been through a lot together,” Brooke Banks said of winning the NRHA Unrestricted Youth Slate 1. “The first year, I didn’t ride him at all. It’s been a long process, and Dan [Huss] has worked really hard on this horse, and we worked hard together. This horse is really special and he brought a spark back in me. I really enjoy riding this horse now. The thing Dan and I think look good is his spins, which was a weak thing when we bought him. He gets that foot speed and it’s a cool feeling. He’s made such an impact on my career and taught me so much–he’s one I’ll remember forever, that’s for sure.”

No matter what event is covered, I’ve found that focusing on the horses, the people and the connection between them is always best when writing about a win. It’s great to take home a ribbon, but it’s even better for readers to understand the why behind the event. Don’t take my word for it, though, and check out these tips from fellow freelancer Kristen Pitzer!

See you in the alley, as they say at NRHA!

The Thing About Event Coverage