In fact there are quite a few shows right now. I just entered Tampa. Wellington is also competing.
You said riders in Germany are Ranked according to their success at shows. That is what the USEF Performance Horse Registry awards does. How many horses you “beat” over the year. This year I was National Champion AA PSG. Mind you my Median Score was around 63%. However we did have lots of shows here in Florida and I competed at Regionals ( scoring mid pack right about my median score). Is that “National Ch” work? Hardly.
Deciding on someone’s ability based on how they do at shows only means you entered lots of small shows and accumulated wins.
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So Germany regulates horse training like any other profession. That’s admirable. That gives them the ability to also rank professionals by level.
North America does not regulate horse trainers in any way shape or form. You can move between being a pro or an ammie depending on your income stream for that year. It’s so different that none of the German model applies.
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And we also have no National/regional equitation schools/riding clubs where everyone learns from “licensed “ teachers/trainers like the system in Germany… and here you don’t need special permits to show… that seem to cost close to $600 to attain, or permits to move up to the next level… I doubt most Americans would approve of that.
One fact that most everyone seems to forget is that it’s not “amateur” and “pro” classes. It’s Amateur and OPEN. OPEN TO EVERYONE, including AAs. Its the Amateur classes that are limited, just like the Jr/YR classes are limited by rider age… but no one complains about that. Certainly there are YRs who get rides on AMAZING horses, and others that compete their own horses… And what about those Pony riders at the Festival every year? Good gracious, one trains with SP! THey are all kids riding ponys - but certainly not in the same league as your local kid on a shetland.
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I have a horse that is one of these off breeds. So off there is no all-breed award for this specific breed and I had to register in a more general registry with this horse just to attempt an all-breed award. This horse was bred to jump, imported to be a hunter, and then we segued to dressage last year due to the amazing ability to social distance and come to the ring at a scheduled time. He also dabbles in western dressage for fun. Side note: dressage shows are significantly less expensive than hunter shows.
While my horse is not a purpose-bred dressage horse, we still go to the shows and compete, we get our scores and our feedback. To your point, it’s unfortunate when people compare their experience to others. The point of dressage is to TRAIN. To get feedback. To improve, to grow and advance - at the pace that is best for your and your horse. My horse had a great run in dressage last year. He was recognized by the American registry we chose and he had respectable scores at the shows - he even won some decent sized classes. Sure, the purpose-bred dressage horses often scored higher. So what? Did those horses show hunters earlier in the season? No. They were bred to do a different job.
It was honestly amazing to get that all breed medallion on the mail. If anyone desires more than the feedback, the all-breed program is a great way to level the playing field. An Appaloosa, for example, doesn’t have to win every weekend against a Danish Warmblood - it just needs to be the highest average scoring Applaoosa who meets the qualifications. I wish the hunters had such a program as it’s a wonderful way to get recognition.
Side note: I remember telling my trainer that my horse wasn’t a dressage horse. She scoffed! “He’s a world champion in western dressage and has a USDF all-breed award!” she replied. I corrected myself and said “Well, he’s not a purpose-bred dressage horse. But you’re right - ANY horse can be a dressage horse.” And I think we all need to be reminded of that from time to time.
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Interested, how would you describe a “typical” AA in Germany???
I just read this. Thank you for it…
I agree. Another difference between Germany (and most elsewhere in Europe) & the US – they have professional riders that basically do nothing but put rides on young horses. In the US, someone being a trainer or a pro connotes them training the human half much of the time.
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A “typical” AA anywhere is not a sought-after clinician or one who represents their country in elite competition.
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So who gets to define what „typical“ is?
For me a typical Professional is a rider who finished the course of Education for Professional riders and works in the field and a typical AA is somebody who has a finished Education in another field and makes his living from it. to know where most of Klimkes income comes from you would have to ask the German Taxdepartment. Maybe I am wrong and he makes more money with horses.
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Hmm. For me a typical professional is a person usually a woman who has had some modest success as a younger rider, has probably got EC certification, and teaches beginners or intermediate riders up to about 2 foot 9 or first level dressage. Can get a green horse going walk trot canter, hunter changes, some lateral work. Distinguished from ammies by having more courage and effectiveness.
The typical adult amateur is an intermediate rider on a horse that cost under $10,000, most likely under $5,000. May show a few times a year at a schooling show TL or First.
That’s not the typical AA at a recognized EC show of course.
There are a scattering of local people who do the big shows at Spruce Meadows or long listed for the Olympics years ago or were an alternate for the Pan Am games once. But they are not typical.
We don’t have any CDI competitions within 1,000 miles. We did have a CDI4 here in one of the Olympic years when Canada was in the process of deciding the national team. That was unusual, hasn’t happened before or since.
It all depends where you are.
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Yes I agree with you, it depends where you are!!! And that’s exactly why I took all this effort to write this long post in order to explain, why I think how I think… And poor Alice Tarjan, now we know she is not a typical Amateur (btw in Germany she would be and she could even give lessons if she would like to…). So what is she???
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She’s exactly what you describe an amateur to be. A working professional who went to law school, works in her business, and rides her own horses.
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Read what scribbler posted 
. Sounds different…
I copied it… “The typical adult amateur is an intermediate rider on a horse that cost under $10,000, most likely under $5,000. May show a few times a year at a schooling show TL or First.
That’s not the typical AA at a recognized EC show of course.
There are a scattering of local people who do the big shows at Spruce Meadows or long listed for the Olympics years ago or were an alternate for the Pan Am games once. But they are not typical” (Quote from Scribbler)
The dictionary defines what typical means, and it means representative of the group as a whole. The typical amateur who juggles horses and careers are not typically sought after for clinics around the world, nor typically representing their country in elite international competition.
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She’s an atypical amateur, just like Jill Irving is. Not typical, but still an amateur.
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Maybe not in the US (they would loose their status as an Amateur anyhow if they would be doing this) but what do you know about Amateurs in Germany??
I am wondering anyhow how all these riders can give clinics in the US… I would assume they are not there on working visa?? But what do I know…
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Great new Classification . atypical Amateur…
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THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS A TYPICAL AA. This is the source of all the issues raised by AAs regarding “what does USDF do for ME”. SOme AAs ride amazing horses, and have lots of $$ and/or talent. Others follow their own journey on their own horse, be it a European WB in the CDIs of Wellington or the local schooling shows run by GMOs. And everything in between. The ONLY thing we can say here in America is that the AA does not get paid for training, showing, or teaching.
Frankly I do not see how anyone can say the US and German definition of AA are not equitable. In Germany, it seems that being an Olympic rider and trainer as well as being the local kid in the local riding school are both Amateurs… the difference between us is so slight, jsut a matter of $500. Here, the complaint is that “some” rich AAs have big expensive horses (Hello, what about Klimke?) and others ride their own horses (whether for financial or other reasons ). I DO NOT see a difference between the countries…
ANd so, I do not see the basis for the original complaint. (Where we have drifted to in this thread).
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A German does need a visa to teach a clinic in the USA or Canada.
If a Canadian or American lawyer or doctor etc was riding at a high level as an amateur, and decided to give a clinic and accept pay, they would need to reclassify themselves as a professional and ride Open.
That’s why the vast majority of riders with anything to offer in lessons or training, or any need to make a living off horses, even just to offset expenses, are classified as Pro here. You’d be unlikely to be offering actual clinics until you had some coaching experience to build on, and that coaching experience would require you to be pro.
Unless of course you worked 100% for free.
I gather that if you are uncertified or unlicensed in Germany then you can’t be considered a pro, and perhaps can’t take money from German clients? Just like a dentist in Canada.
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