Have you ever wondered what happens to the trophies, globes, medallions and ribbons after the exhibitor leaves the arena? From handmade do-it-yourself projects to large trophy rooms full of awards, exhibitors are always coming up with beautiful new ways to display their prized earnings.
Working hard to win the award is the toughest part, but finding the right spot to show off these items can be tricky as well. These trophies are not simply a measure of our success, but they are symbolic of the hard work and memories made in the process.
We talked to several competitors to find out where they decided to show off their wins. As you know, most people don’t make money in the horse business; it’s all about bragging rights.
Paige Wacker– I put them in my room, so when I wake up in the morning, it is the first thing I see. It’s also the last thing I see before I go to bed. The trophies inspire my dreams. I also put them in my room to remind me that my dreams are achievable, even when it feels like they’re never going to happen. It’s always a reminder to keep working hard.
Beckie Peskin– We bought a really awesome library shelf to display some of my trophies.
Sarah Rosciti – Vicki Belanger made the buckle displays and I made the medal/ribbon display from an old pallet. Also, my husband made the shelves.
Juliana Blackburn-Baskin – I keep some of them at home and one or two at school with me so that I can have a bit of my horse world with me while I am studying. I have my neck ribbon from winning the Congress in my room, which is always a nice reminder.
Darcy Reeve – This is where we keep our world show trophies. It’s the office at my parents’ house. We also keep some special buckles and other trophies scattered here. My dad keeps a couple of globes and other special trophies at his office at work and I have a few special to me at my house. The overflow goes down in the basement. (pictured right)
Hillary Roberts– At the new place, we have our favorite trophies displayed in floor-to-ceiling trophy cases in the lounge area. It’s nice because that’s where we all hang out, so it’s fun to be able to see them displayed there. It’s a reminder to keep working hard, and of all the great things we’ve accomplished together.
Adam Mathis – We are extremely proud of the trophies that we have been fortunate enough to win. We have two big display shelves in our office where a lot of them sit. We also have a trophy saddle rack where our saddles sit. We like having them in the office so that our visitors and customers can also enjoy them. I also think we all probably have a buckle that is very special to us for whatever reason. 
Ellexxah Maxwell– We display our awards/trophies on shelves in our spare room. It makes for easy storage.
Bailey Anderson– I have my favorite trophies with me at college in Georgia. The rest are on shelves at my parents’ house.
Melissa Henry-Shetler– Most of the awards we have are Violet’s, so they are all over. I would say we display them “family style.” Our walls are filled with pictures, belt buckle holders, shelves with trophies, etc. Violet has a ribbon wall in her room for ribbons that mean the most to her. My office does have a trophy case with awards from both of us. I hang our Congress medallions in my office as well.
Jane Backes– I found a cool trophy case that is made of horns for the legs and has a rough wood top with a glass front. It stands and is shaped like a sofa table.
Parris Rice – Call me lame, but I only have a small handful of my trophies displayed, and not even at my house. They’re at my mom’s place above the cabinets in the kitchen. The only trophy I have at my house is a belt buckle. That being said, there are more pictures of my horses and me than of my boyfriend and me. You wouldn’t know he lived there! Most of my trophies are in the barn in the tack room where we occasionally try and fight off the dust that accumulates. I wish I had a great space to display them, but I don’t and figure the kitchen table should be saved for food.
Kerry Papendick– We have distributed the trophies out among us since Kristina lives in Dallas, Ali in Washington State and I’m in South Dakota. But we are using them as an enticement to our next generation.
Sydney Scheckel– My trophies are displayed all over our house. We don’t necessarily have them all in one room. My trophies are very special to my family, friends, trainers, and me because it wasn’t just my horse and me that won the trophy. It was everyone that helped the operation run smoothly to accomplish success. We don’t remember the win, we just remember the amazing memories and hard work it took to receive that award.
Katie Grossnickle– I display my trophies around my house in different areas. When I get new ones, I’ll move others to a new area of my house so that my newer ones are more visible. When my mom moves into her new house, she’ll take some to put on display as well. I’ve got a few frames that hold a photo and belt buckles.
Brenda Gower– This is a picture of our family trophy room. It is a small collection but one we are certainly proud of. Cole has his trophies/buckles at his house now, so these are just a few. We also have some of our son, Dane’s trophies that he has won for customization of vehicles at local car shows.
Breanne Porter– I have some in the living room, office, pool house, and even in my parent’s home in Canada. I mix them with other trophy items, like spurs and ribbons, win photos and other memorabilia from our horses, like stall signs. I use them as part of the decor.
Natasha Blanchard– I display my awards and trophies all over the cabinets and in the game room.
Whitney Wilson– A few special awards I’ve earned over the last few years are displayed in our trophy room. It’s rewarding to have made great memories with different horses that I’ve had the opportunity to show.
Jenna Dempze– I keep my favorite prizes and most recent awards in my corner of the office. I get to see them each day and it’s a fun way to share my passion with people who come to our cranberry marsh.
Kaleena Weakly – We love to decorate our house with the things our horses have won over the years, along with the memories and win pictures that mean the most.
Larisa Affeldt– Here are my trophies displayed on top of a storage shelf. Maybe one day I’ll have a fancy trophy case, but this works for now. It is in a place that is seen every day. It also just happens to be right before you enter my husband’s man cave, so you know all his friends will be impressed with my horse riding skills.
Sherri Soppit – One of my favorite spots is on the fireplace mantle and at Christmas, I just work the decorations around it.
Farley McLendon– I have a very small apartment, so space is limited. My TV stand holds my medallions, Congress and World Show trophies. I have a couple of cool buckle displays made by a guy named Hadley. He made the shadow box for my world show shoes too. The other trophies are on a bookcase and several others are displayed around my apartment. Hopefully, I can get Hadley to make a shadow box for the neck ribbons, but for now, the buckle display works.
Ashley Hadlock– We have a room that holds most of the family trophies from when my parents were showing up until currently for my sister, Jessie, and myself. The room is lined with all kinds of trophies and belt buckles from world show wins, Congress wins, all arounds, even including some of our cherished personal wins that hold dear spots in our hearts (even if they are smaller shows). Along with these, there are many medallions and ribbons won with the win photos to go along. But not every trophy is kept in this room. There are pictures and trophies placed in various rooms to help decorate as all of our horses are forever members of our family.
Katie Bussing– It is nice to have a specific room or area for trophies, so they do not overwhelm your whole space. The bookshelves in my home office are currently holding most of my trophies, but I am working on a new display specifically for trophies. I like to incorporate additional awards into other areas of my home. I have a wall lined with youth world ribbons, which look very simple and pretty. I also have several framed boards with medallions. I like to joke that one of my horses, Ellie (A Good Cookie), who is extremely sweet but also knows how awesome she is, wants to know that her awards look nice.
Beth Case – Some of my awards are in the upstairs bonus room in my house. It has mostly NSBA trophies and a table with buckles.
Olivia and Chelsea Turner – Our family display is located in the hallway of our home near the family room, a spot that is easily seen by all of our guests. Mama is sure to show it off when somebody new comes in. It has our trophies from our very first days of showing to the most recent ones. It has memories from horses that have passed away as well as those who are still with us, three of those being over 20 (close to 30!). It is filled with medals from the Congress, Congress spurs, old halters, NYATT belt buckles, Tom Powers Buckles, Congress Buckles, etc. Along with several year-end award trophies, and our NSBA World Champion Trophy as well. The rug sits in front of my mom’s office just across the hall. Due to us getting older and me being more involved in school related activities, it is now home to several IHSA ribbons as well; reserve and eighth place Nationals ribbons, several high point and reserve high point ribbons. Since we were little, my dad’s main thing at each show was to collect the ribbons.
Carli Pitts – They are on display in the barn office of P5 Equestrian. I have the trophies with my favorite memories including World and Reserve World Champion trophies (one is my sister’s) from the AQHA and NSBA world shows. I also have had a long time goal of winning an NSBA Year End High Point award, so that one is also included. Each trophy means something different to me, so I enjoy being able to see them on display every day.
Lainie DeBoer – The trophies are in my lounge at my barn. I don’t have anything official just the ledges and top of cabinets. I think I need to get a more sophisticated system. Some of my buckles are in my office up in my house surrounded by all my pictures of my horses.
Meghan Murphy – My trophies are daily reminders of my passion for the American Quarter Horse. I am currently attending veterinary school at Michigan State University College of Veterinary Medicine in East Lansing. I have some of my most recent awards in various places throughout my home in East Lansing and they put a smile on my face daily. They serve as minor motivators to study even harder while I am at school so I can look forward to the time I take away to ride and show. The majority of my trophies are on display at my mom, Mary Unger’s, house with her trophies. They decorate various rooms throughout the house. My younger brothers have also had some success in the show arena and their trophies are on display as well. One day, I would love to have a trophy display room in my home, and it would be a dream come true to win a World Championship globe and have that be the centerpiece.
Katerina Mendel – I have my display in my living room, and one of the cool things I love is that the trophies are more than just a win for me. They all have a special meaning on overcoming certain challenges. The challenge was not just the winning but how I got to that number one spot.
Award Decor – Besides the traditional way of storing or displaying ribbons, trophies and belt buckles, another common award is the treasured Congress or World Show jacket. As exhibitors, we love to get these awards because we can wear them. But, what happens when you outgrow your jackets or get a new one? Award Decor by Marsha Stigge and Dionne Stigge Rucker has you covered. Award Decor specializes in turning your used show jackets into decorative pillows that can be repurposed and displayed forever. With backgrounds in the custom home interior industry, this duo will completely deconstruct your beloved jacket to preserve it. Instead of letting those old coats pile up in the back of your closet, Award Decor can make your jackets or any other pliable fabric item last forever in your home as the perfect pillow. More information can be found on Award Decor’s Facebook page.
We would love for you to share photos of your trophies on our Facebook Page.
