Yep some rides use fancy caterers, and charge more
than *I* would pay, but.... At both of the Big South Fork Rides, our local horse
club prepares the meals. We include a meal in the entry fee of
each ride. We charge a nominal $5 for "extra" meals. We have
never had any complaints about the food (at least that made it back to
me). It's not that hard. When we (Knoxville Arabian Horse
Club) took over the Big South Fork Ride, we purchased three turkey cookers
(about $150) and have now used them for six years, so they have cost us
about $25 a year and should last for several more years. We have
cooked spaghetti, beef stew and chili. We have considered many other items
as well. By cooking our own meals, we not only save a lot of money, but we
can wait until the last minute to buy our final supplies and feed all
comers. Our biggest problem has been we expect to feed about 125
riders and volunteers on a given day, but end up feeding between 150 and
200, because people just show up and expect to eat. At the fall ride,
we have a club member who has access to a large portable smoker, and he
stays up all night smoking a BBQ that is to die for. All that it takes is
a little planning and finding the right volunteer(s) to take over the food
preparation.
Your welcome to come see this at work at
the NEW THIS YEAR Region XII Distance Round
Up (30/50/100) June 28th and the Big South Fork Pioneer (30/50 30/55
30/50/100) Sept 4-6 -- entries on-line at AERC (www.aerc.org), SERA (www.seraonline.org) and AHA Region XII (www.aharegion12.com) -- I've been
waiting for two weeks to find a chance to advertise my new ride!!!!
thanx eric
Eric Rueter Rueter Consulting, Inc. Eric@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx 865.988.4134(W) 865.599.3594(C) 865.986.5966(H)
> Eating is> going to cost me either way and it's extra bother if I
have to bring > and> prepare my own.
Here's an
exerpt from the Biltmore entry form:
>>Friday evening
dinner is included in rider fees. Extra tickets are $25 for
non-riders.
>>Super Saturday night hamburger and fixins dinner is
available for $12/person and includes dessert/drink.
Notice the $25 meal is "included in entry" for riders. The entry fee for
the ride is $200 for the 100 miler or $120 for the 50. (that's AERC entries,
the FEI folks pay more). If my daughter & I ride and bring husband and
other daughter to crew, it would be an extra $50 for the crew to eat...and
wouldn't it be rude if we didn't invite them? If the "meal is included in
entry" it cost our family of 4 $100 for a meal I didn't bother to go eat
because I was busy setting up my vet check. I can have my chicken breast &
noodles meal hot when we want it and feed all four for less than $5. Believe
me when I'm paying $120 for a 50 miler, I'd love to opt out of a $25 meal.
One option I am considering is offering to my school's athletic dept. the
option of selling meals at our ride. They have fund raisers where they sell
tickets for BBQ plates for $5 and set up a Coke wagon where everyone picks
them up on that day. If they want to do that I can let them take over the food
and if anyone wants to purchase it with their entry they can.
