Shopping at the Congress is unparalleled to any other horse show. Show clothes, saddles, trailers and much more, all at your fingertips. Exhibitors and visitors look forward to walking through the shopping trade show areas every year.
You see everything from fancy show saddles to practical home goods to beautiful jewelry.
If you can dream it, it’s probably at the All-American Quarter Horse Congress. So, what is it like being a vendor at the largest horse show in the world? What does it take to stand out from the crowd?
We asked successful vendors for their insight into these questions.
Carolina Moon – Being at the biggest show in the world is exhilarating and fun. Seeing all of our best customers in one location is exciting. The way we stand out is by presenting all of our brand-new designs and one-of-a-kind pieces here at the Congress. We strive to bring our customers unique items you won’t see anywhere else. The comment we hear most is “I feel so at home in your booth.” There will always be something new that you won’t want to miss. Come make yourself at home here at Carolina Moon.
Hannah Jewelry – We have been attending the Congress for 26 years because there are great clients, great horsemen and this show is by far the most impressive horse show in the world. We are lucky to have a booth here, especially for all these years. To stand out from the crowd, you have to have a unique product. Custom products are perfect for the show as well. Items that people cannot just buy at any other store. People value products that are specially designed for them or their horses.
Kimes Ranch Apparel – The foundation of Kimes Ranch is in the performance horse industry, specifically AQHA where our executives all showed as youth and amateurs. Congress, therefore, is a massive deal for us. We always want to make this a great shopping experience for these customers. Typically, we provide a gift with purchase at the Congress as a thank you to our loyal customer base. This year, we have a cool heather grey backpack when you purchase over $125 in Kimes Ranch apparel. Also, we are running a great promotion called “Trade In Your Fades.” This promotion allows people to bring in old denim of any type and trade it in for $20 off any men’s style Kimes Ranch jeans. The denim that is traded in is turned into Ultra Touch Insulation through the Blue Jeans Go Green program and distributed through grants to organizations like Habitat for Humanity. It’s a great way to do our part to divert textiles from landfills and help communities in need. Additionally, Congress is the only place you can find our Rod’s exclusive Glam Rock hoodie, and four different special edition Betty’s that are not available anywhere else throughout the year. To stand out, we try to make Congress an experience that you won’t get anywhere else with Kimes Ranch.
Harris Leather and Silverworks – There is a great sense of pride in being a part of the most prestigious show in the country. The Congress is where every exhibitor wants to be and to show. The OQHA staff does a phenomenal job, and we are very blessed and honored to be included. This is our 50th Anniversary in business, and we have been a vendor at the Congress for 29 years. Being at the Congress demonstrates to the Quarter Horse industry that you’re committed and willing to serve the needs of our industry. We feel that we have grown as the Congress has grown and hope to continue our partnership with OQHA for many years to come. Our booth here at the Congress is well designed and customer friendly. A well-lit and open style booth that displays the product nicely is a must. It also needs to be able to accommodate the large groups of customers with a free-flowing design. We like to think that our saddles and other products are superior in the industry, which in turn makes us stand out. We strive to be the best and most forward thinking with all our designs. We continuously improve our products to advance and meet the needs of every rider. To stand out, you need to give quality customer service and, most importantly, be appreciative of all your patrons and always smile and say THANK YOU. Good luck from everyone at Harris Leather & Silverworks to all the Congress participants.
Rod Patrick Boots – It feels fantastic to be a vendor at the world’s largest horse show. This is my 43rd year to be at the Congress and my eighth year to be here with Rod Patrick Boot Makers. We have never had a bad show. To stand out from the crowd, you need quality, selection and service. We love the Congress; it is an excellent time of the year. We see people come in from literally all over the world. Congress is an extraordinary meeting of great people and great horsemen.
Lux Looks – As we all know, October is the most wonderful time of the year. But with that comes a lot of preparation in the months before for everyone, including vendors. From designing a booth to be both functional, yet eye-catching to beefing up your inventory to completely relocating your business for an entire month. I like to keep my booth in light, bright colors to add the extra pop followed by a lot of LED lights. This makes the jackets pop and sparkle and well. Who can resist a sparkling booth? Another way we stand out is, of course, our mascot, Marin the Great Dane. He can definitely work the crowd.
Shorty’s Caboy Hattery – First of all, the appearance of the booth is the most important. I plan each year on bringing new hat designs. Our location is not the best, but people find us because of our reputation. We have been coming here for over 25 years and it’s the largest show of the year for us. We love the Quarter Horse Congress and all the many friends we have made.
Boo Yah Custom Clothing – Our customers continually comment on how one-of-a-kind our fabrics are and truly they set themselves apart in the show pen. When you offer the highest quality fabric selections gathered from around the world, it truly sets you apart from the competition. We pride ourselves on the highest quality, hand tailored garments offered at affordable pricing in a variety of colors and options. Please be sure to shop our largest in-stock selection in the Kathy Williams Tails booth during the Congress.
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Let’s face it, we all spend a little more money at the Congress than we would like to admit. With two large expo centers packed with vendors, it is easy to find whatever your heart desires. Even if you are not in the market for anything in particular, take the time to stroll around these spaces. This is indeed an essential aspect of the overall Congress experience. These vendors work tirelessly to provide us with the latest horse show trends and styles. Their work does not go unnoticed. Happy shopping!
