Amateur rule: where do you protest someone’s status?

[Manni01]

@Ghazzu

All these posts and you still don’t get it?

I think LLPR is too much self focused and her examples are to complicated for some people to even get it… That’s why I used a plain and simple example and still people didn’t get it…

BUT I do think she does get it… Maybe you don’t because you wrote this sentence.

as @yaya mentioned I am not concerned anymore but still I think these injustices created by this rule make a lot of people suffer.

and these people have no voice at all in USEF and USDF because all the rich AAs who think they are protected by the rule can yell louder.
Also unfortunately they are represented by lorilus who are manipulated by USDF so their chances of getting heard are reduced even more.

as a result those people stop showing and are rounded up in schooling shows who are painted in a bright light to make them look more attractive. and in the end they even think it’s great to stay in schooling shows.

as a result they are kept away from reality and develope theories which keep them comfortable and which prevent them from starting to question USEF anD USDF… because after all they still pay a lot of membership fees…

and USEF a and USDF can focus on the preferred membership segment . the rich AA and can take all the money from them they want… And these rich AAs feel good about it and are happy with their huge overpriced ribbons

[BigMama1]

@Manni01

I think these injustices created by this rule make a lot of people suffer.

Manni could you please explain what injustices are caused by having an AA division, and how exactly that division causes people to suffer?

[blue_heron]

I’m still confused as to what crimes rich AA’s are committing. Are we insinuating they aren’t actually AAs because they are rich? The real trainers are probably the poorest people there /hj

[soloudinhere]

It’s been my experience that at least as far as dressage goes “rich” AAs could not give fewer ***** about the AA thing. They enter AA if they’re eligible or Open if it’s not available and just don’t care either way. They’re wanting to get into the CDIs where it doesn’t matter anyway.

[Manni01]

So why isn’t the AA rule not getting dropped??

[trubandloki]

@Manni01

So why isn’t the AA rule not getting dropped??

Why does it need to?

It is there for those who do not want to show in open. But those of you who do not like the division can show in open. It seems like both worlds should be happy with how it is. It does not cause you any problem if your only goal is to show in open and those who want to do AA still can do it. Win win.

[Manni01]

It still prevents people to earn a couple of bucks by giving some lessons or some horses… why is it necessary to prevent people from doing it?

[blue_heron]

It only prevents you from doing so if you really really care about your ammy status… which many of us don’t, and drop the ammy card to earn some extra cash.

[trubandloki]

@Manni01

It still prevents people to earn a couple of bucks by giving some lessons or some horses… why is it necessary to prevent people from doing it?

Nothing prevents them from doing that.
At least nothing that I have read.
Teach some lessons and show in open.

Which is the same end result if there is no AA division so it should not be a problem to show in open if you want to teach some lessons and leave the people not teaching lessons to have the AA division to play in.

[Manni01]

See and now we are back at the beginning of this thread… It does create division between people and encourages to watch other people and to report them…

why is this so desirable??? If you would simply dump this stupid AA rule what would happen??

I am really interested what would happen??? In first level IMO not much… because in first level in Florida there were not many pros showing anyhow… same up to third level…

In 4th level and up there are the wealthy AAs with the expensive horses, and I agree they don’t care about in which class they are showing so the division isn’t necessary either…

[blue_heron]

No, it doesn’t create a division between people. If you care so much about someone else’s amateur status to go out of your way to report something menial and stupid, you will find a way to cause petty drama no matter what. If you have a method of stopping petty drama, please let me know. (No, seriously, please let me know.)

If we did away with the AA rule, everyone would show together. Nothing would catch fire or explore. Some people would complain that it’s not fair they have to show against professionals that ride 5 horses a day on client horses that someone else paid for. So the AA division was created to try to show some consideration to those people and try to level the playing field between the people who ride one horse of their own every day and the people who ride multiple horses every day and get a paycheck for it. No matter what someone will complain about it, but the people who will complain about it are the same people who will complain about everything and anything.

[Manni01]

If you think so, but it gives an unfair advantage to people who can afford to spend close to a thousand bucks a weekend for a show… if you could make at least some money by giving lessons and riding horses, it would help people who are nice riders but don’t have abundant wealth… And considering that there is no formal education for a pro in the US anyhow, it is weird that 300 $ is the entry into the Professional career…

[soloudinhere]

The rule exists because of other disciplines, such as showjumping, where there is significant prize money for the amateur classes and thus an incentive to stay in the amateur ranks.

We all operate under one set of USEF rules.

[Manni01]

So if the conditions are not the same, why are the rules the same??? And another question… why is it necessary for price money to be given to AAs or to pros… you can find other criteria to award price money…

and I personally don’t even think it makes sense to continue this discussion… It will never change and I believe it promotes the jealousy to tear other humans down…

[soloudinhere]

Other criteria than who wins the class? What are you even talking about?

[trubandloki]

@Manni01

you can find other criteria to award price money…

@soloudinhere

Other criteria than who wins the class?

Maybe who has the most matchy outfit? Who has the most natural looking fake tail? Whose groom stayed the cleanest while having a fully turned out horse?

[Manni01]

Yup…as you say…

[Manni01]

Well if a class has 20 and more entrees you could divide it up… Of course you don’t need to, but you could…

[blue_heron]

You can make money riding horses as an “amateur” if you don’t care about your ammy card.

Let’s be real for a moment: if you are making money off riding someone else’s horses, you are either good enough to show with the pros, or you are being wildly overconfident in your abilities. Most adult ammies do not reach that bracket.

[Manni01]

Are you kidding me??? Riding another persons horse makes you good enough to be a pro??? Wow interesting … I had persons riding my horses in the past in Germany (while I was pregnant with my kids). my experience was that people who paid for riding my horses were not the persons I liked riding them :(. and people who were nicer riders ( not pros!) would not do it for free… and why should they…

but I know I have no idea what I am talking about…
making more than 300 $ a year with horses qualifies you as a pro… It’s an amazing criteria and worth protecting