Yeah, maybe there are more actual amateurs at the top levels in other countries, but not in the U.S. Check out the Advanced Amatuer leaderboard come December for a good idea of how many actual ammies are running at the A and 3* levels… There’s exactly seven of them on there right now and at least two I’m pretty sure aren’t actually amateurs as one of them says she works for Sharon White on her FB and another was a college student in the spring and has a business FB page for her Eventing business where she clearly has students.
Katherine Coleman, who is leading the leaderboard, is based in England normally and came over here for months this winter, so it’s unlikely that her job consists of a typical 9 to 5.
Others like Frankie Theriot Stutes and Kevin Keane ARE amateurs but run their own business that is intimately connected with eventing and can set their hours in a flexible way. Those of us with 9 to 5s aren’t afforded that flexibility.
I was one of them last year, and I DO work a traditional 9 to 5. Luckily that flexes slightly, so three days a week I work 6:30 to 5 and two days a week I work 6:30 to 3, often through lunch, then head out to the barn. This means I get to ride 4 of 7 days a week, which also requires me to board at a barn that will assist me in riding the horse the other two days. Yes, that requires money.
It’s a bit more of a problem because I both live and work in the city, and my barn is an hour drive without traffic. In my previous job, I had extremely early hours which meant I got out early every day and my barn was fifteen minutes from where I lived so I could ride every day myself. I also only had one horse at the time, and was living long distance away from my boyfriend (now husband).
My 3* horse was hurt just before Fair Hill last fall and is out all year this year (hopefully about to start full flatwork). I purchased a baby in April and he’s taking time to sort out his legs, so also won’t be ready to compete this year.
It’s tough. I get the side-eye from work for leaving early twice a week, even though I generally work more hours/week, working late on the three days if necessary, first one in in the mornings, and rearranged which two days I ride if I have meetings or deadlines. I get the side-eye from riders not familiar with me and my situation, who think it’s dumb that I’m not the one on both horses six days a week, passing off trot sets and sometimes gallops to others to do. It’s hard on my bank account (Retirement? What retirement?), it’s a huge time suck, and I can’t go on vacations because I kill all my PTO on horse shows. Once both horses are in full work I have no idea how I’m going to ride both in the evenings as I’m already getting home sometimes at 10 pm just riding one, and once the light goes I may not be able to ride at all after work again until spring. I do what I can though.
But I love it, and I want to go to Rolex on my 3* horse. Once he retires, I want to bring the baby up as far as he can goes, and he ultimately has a ton more natural talent than my ‘big’ horse. And then maybe, I’ll take a break. I can’t do this forever, I can’t do this if I want kids, and a kids and a career and horses (even just one at the UL) just isn’t humanly possible based on what I’m going through now.
So yeah, true 9 to 5 amateurs at the 3/4* levels aren’t much of a thing, at least in this country. By the looks of the Advanced leaderboard, there are maybe three riders on it that have 9 to 5 jobs and you can count me as another, although I’m not actively competing.
But my point is that he makes the four-star level work because he sets his hours (and they are long!). He wasn’t competing at 4* back when he was putting in those years working inflexible hours.