Think awards are silly? Think again—they can introduce you to a whole new customer base.
By Jennifer Paulson
It’s easy to focus on show-pen success as the No. 1 driver of gaining notoriety that helps build your business. Those high-profile wins get a lot of media attention in all corners of the horse world. But perhaps you’re not at the phase of your career, or maybe your business model isn’t focused on the aged events that get the spotlight. There are still many opportunities for you to achieve recognition that leads to an increased reach for your marketing efforts and elevated engagement on your social media platforms. One example: recognition via awards, whether they’re the NRHA Professional of the Year awards or those from other media brands.
NRHA Professional and judge Line von Koeding earned the Horse&Rider Trainer of the Year award, and the recognition went well beyond the walls of her barn.
“We created the Trainer of the Year program to celebrate the horse trainers who are leaving a positive impact in the industry and are dedicating their time to helping riders reach their riding goals in life—whether that be competing at a major event, or just heading to a local horse show to compete for the first time ever,” shared Horse&Rider editor Nichole Chirico. “We frequently hear about the trainers who are winning the open-level major events, but there are so many other trainers deserving of recognition for all the hard work they’ve put into building their training businesses. By having a program like this, we’re able to honor the trainers who are doing great things inside and outside of the show pen and share all the positive ways they’ve helped others within this industry.”
Award Dividends
A plaque is nice, but recognition that comes with ongoing, marketable deliverables can be a trainer’s best friend for establishing name recognition, building it, or maintaining momentum from other successes.
Once named the recipient of the Horse&Rider award, von Koeding’s name became attached to the Horse&Rider brand, which has been a respected voice in the Western horse world for 60-plus years and has featured legacy horsemen and horsewomen that readers come to trust. The NRHA Professionals awards hold similar clout. When you rank with pros who hold themselves to a high standard, others see you in the same light.
Additional recognition for von Koeding’s award came in the form of a podcast episode on the brand’s podcast, The Ride, which has a solid reach in the Western industry. Horse&Rider also promoted her accolade to its audiences in print, on social media, and via press releases sent to various equine-based groups. All of these placements expose the recipient to other media professionals who then could approach von Koeding to create content for their brands in the future.
How to Achieve Recognition
The foundation of any award lies in being a reputable business owner, trainer, and horseman. From there, the sky is the limit to achieving recognition. But it doesn’t come without a little work and a lot of attention to opportunities around you.
In von Koeding’s case, her customers knew about the award and nominated her without her knowledge. Her glowing entry read as follows.
“I am nominating Linde to be trainer of the year. If you have met Linde, you would see her passion and care for her riders and horses and know undoubtedly that she deserves this title a million times over. But that’s not the only quality making her trainer of the year worthy, Linde always makes time for you and makes sure to teach you right with a smile on her face (even if it takes all day long to learn a lead change). Linde will show up every time and make learning fun no matter what. It takes a great trainer to not only make such well-rounded and happy horses, but riders too. She has cultivated a love for reining with many people, and she is a great example of good discipline, hard work, and an exceptional horsewoman.”
The entry caught the selection committee’s eye and catapulted von Koeding to the next round, which included submitting a video.
While a customer doing the legwork for you is ideal, you can initiate the process for achieving recognition, too.
“If you see an opportunity, ask your customers to nominate you,” von Koeding shared. “They might not know about the award—many of my customers aren’t on social media, so they wouldn’t have seen this opportunity. There’s nothing wrong with pointing it out, and they’ll be happy to support you.”
Follow Through
Once you’re nominated, be sure to follow through. You’d be amazed how many nominees don’t complete the entire process to receive an award, whether that’s something as simple as sending a photo or more involved like creating a video. The great part is, when you develop these materials, you can use them in many different ways in your other marketing efforts. For example, take your filming day, and turn it into an opportunity to gain footage for Reels and TikToks, or even use it to create a promotional video for your business to use at events.
When you receive the award, it’s also your job to leverage the opportunity. Share all the posts the brand shares on social media, promote an interview in every way possible, and work with the group giving the award to identify further opportunities. The more you work together, the better it is for everyone involved.
